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BLACK FRAME
TITLE APPEARS:
The Middle
INT. GINO'S GARAGE - NEVADA - DAY
Gino steps out of his El Camino inside his garage.
He takes off his blue-gray, formal jacket and
throws it in a pile on a table. Hanging on the
wall above the jacket is a samurai sword in a
brown leather sheath. He opens the door and steps
into his house. He walks into the kitchen. Sitting
on the table is KELLY KNOUGHBACK, maybe the most
amazingly beautiful woman in the world, but don't
mess with this wildcat cause she's the type that
will rip your balls off and put them in a martini.
GINO
No-Back? How are you?
KELLY
How do you feel? That is the question.
GINO
Don't tamper with Shakespeare,
sweet-pea, unless you know what you're
talking about, and you don't.
KELLY
No I never have been one for talking,
doesn't leave enough time for action.
GINO
Only you would say that. That's your
problem, not enough style. You gotta
play with your mark sometimes, but
you've never been one for subtlety.
That's why you only get hits.
KELLY
That's what you think. But your problem
is an irresponsible lack of intellectual
thought.
GINO
Now you're using the language like you
should. It can be a thing of beauty when
properly wielded.
But all this talk and not enough of his wife is
making him uneasy.
GINO
Why the hell are you here?
KELLY
Should I not be?
GINO
Should you?
KELLY
Yes.
SHI KNI the Japanese warlord steps into the room
from the hallway on the other side. He stays cool.
GINO
What's she doing here?
KELLY
She's with me.
GINO
With you? On business?
He's pissed and scared.
KELLY
Something like that.
GINO
Where's Jen?
KELLY
Well, what are you really asking? Is she
here? Is she there? Is she dead?
GINO
Is she?
She smiles, menacingly. Then whispers:
KELLY
Not yet.
GINO
You bloated blonde bitch, tell me
everything or you'll lose your head and
all that beautiful hair you so dearly
cherish.
KELLY
Didn't your mother ever tell you: never
hit a woman. You seem to be asking a lot
of questions, why don't you shut your
mouth, survey the situation and piece
together this great enigma.
He's about to take a step forward but someone else
comes in from the other hallway in front of him.
It's SING, SANG and SONG the Chinese triplets.
GINO
Them too.
KELLY
You like my 'toying with the mark'
skills? They're getting better, you have
to admit.
GINO
Impressive.
Tears have come to his eyes as the situation
becomes more and more of a reality.
GINO
But you guys still got one thing in your
way... Me.
A hand comes to rest on his shoulder and he spins
around. Then looks upon the face of the hand's
owner.
GINO
Not you. It can't go that deep. Not you.
It's Lee.
LEE
Gino Diablo Violente. Fraid it has to
come to this.
GINO
Why?
LEE
I ain't gonna lie to you. So, I just
won't say anything at all.
Gino, tears rolling down his face takes a step
back with his arms out defensively.
GINO
You stupid, crooked, son of a bitch. You
didn't let me work.
LEE
Now wait just one goddamn minute. I may
be a crooked son of a bitch, in fact I'm
sure of it, but an insult to my
intelligence I just don't tolerate. Now
to not letting you work, I say this:
that after three days you hadn't
collected jack-fuckin-shit, I sent guys
in all day but no one came back with
anything either. I think you jump ship
on me. The five million is ten million.
I want my ten million dollars. And if
you come up short again it'll be your
last time.
GINO
I don't have it. I never got it!
LEE
Go to Hell Gino, literally.
Gino is shaking, unusual for his normally calm,
cool, controlled self.
GINO
Give me Jen.
Lee nods, and Shi Kni goes off to get her.
Gino surveys his position, he doesn't move his
head away from Lee but moves his eyes, looking
around. He glances out the window just in time to
see a woman run by it. But all he catches is her
back and she's gone.
LEE
It's business Gino, just politics and
shit you don't even wanna hear.
Shi Kni returns with Jen whose hands are tied
behind her back.
GINO
Jenny baby. Stay calm, cause
everything's gonna be fine.
JEN
Gino. Help. Make them all just go away.
LEE
Sweet ain't she. But even my daughter's
cries couldn't help you now.
Shi Kni pulls her hair back, and then licks Jen's
neck once from bottom to top.
SHI KNI
I taste her stink. Must have rubbed off
of you Diablo.
She slits Jen's throat. And in Gino's eyes we see
his entire life, all of his meaning, shatter like
teacup in that instant. Though he neither shouts
out nor cries. He just exists for those moments of
disbelief.
GINO
You guys still have the matter of the
man with nothing to lose.
LEE
You know what I say to that? If I don't
see ya no more in this world, I'll meet
ya in the next one. Don't be late.
Gino drop kicks Lee back into the wall. But
everyone else jumps on Diablo immediately after. A
big pile up. Lee stands back up. Gino is held by
the arms and legs. He struggles to get free.
LEE
Gino just sit back honorably and join
your wife in the after life.
Gino explodes getting up, sending bodies flying
into the walls. He performs a quick bout of ju
jitsu combating Sing, Sang and Song before being
tripped up and then stabbed sharply with a knife
by Song.
Gino screams out. His right side below his breast
gushes blood.
LEE
Now bring it in.
The triplets go off to retrieve whatever it is
he's talking about. After every couple of words
Lee punches Gino hard in the face.
LEE
Gino, it hurts. I promised myself I
wouldn't cry, and I won't. And now you
will resolve to give up and accept your
fate.
And he does. The triplets come back with....
....A CROSS. The strip Gino of his shirt and tie
him to the cross which is then hoisted up in
Gino's very own kitchen. There he is on a cross
with a gash in his right side. His dead wife lying
in a pool of blood on his nice white carpet. And
six sworn enemies looking up at him.
Kelly begins dumping gasoline all over the room
and the triplets do the same all over the house.
They're all about to leave when Lee strikes up a
match and looks back at Gino.
LEE
Don't be late.
He tosses it onto the gasoline-soaked floor and
they all leave the house.
Gino struggles to get free of the cross. The fire
gets closer and closer to him. It is now within
ten feet...
Soon he manages to get his arms free and then
topples over and gets his feet loose. He hurries
back out the door into his garage. The garage door
is on fire. He grabs his formal jacket and throws
it on. He then grabs the samurai sword and slings
it over his back. He gets into his El Camino and
starts it up.
GINO
Here comes the bitch.
He slams on the accelerator and flies through the
burning garage door and free of the fire.
CREDIT SEQUENCE.
Gino's voice narrates for the audience filling us
in.
GINO (V.O)
Smitty went down early. For that, he is
keeping warm down south. It's a shame,
cause he was a good kid with a chance to
turn it all around. All of us will
follow his departure if we don't see the
whole operation through. It's a last
hail mary to rise up.
As he says these next things the images flash
through what he's saying in a silent film way, in
a browny black and white.
GINO (V.O)
It's already begun, the sweep of the
world for bad guys. We first knocked out
Sammy Coldfish and his beloved Ustaban,
his four female bodyguards. It was
supposed to be a double hit but Freddy
four-fingers was in the bathroom at the
time and got away. Why did we do it this
way? It's not really like us to just
barge in without a word and start
shootin the shit up. I know. But to each
his own medicine. Jenny tank top.
As he lists off the names we see how each of them
died. Jenny got killed having sex. She was on her
back on the bed and then a sword comes up through
her chest.
GINO (V.O)
Sacremento Slappy.
Slappy comes out of a dark club into an alleyway
and then gets blown away by seven dark figures
with shotguns.
GINO (V.O)
The late Marshall Cook. Good guy.
Cook gets thrown from the roof of a thirty story
apartment building and lands on a car.
GINO (V.O)
Stone-Eye Sid.
Sid walks down a hallway... BAM someone swings
down from the ceiling and pokes his eyes out. Down
in pain another grabs head and snaps his neck.
GINO (V.O)
Presently Headless Tina.
She backs up looking like she's been through quite
a battle then a samurai sword comes from nowhere
and lops her head off.
GINO (V.O)
And Cut-your-cord Kurt.
Man driving, his brakes aren't working OH SHIT! He
drives off a cliff and into a ravine three hundred
feet below.
GINO (V.O)
Now don't go and feel too bad for these
sonsabitches cause they wouldn't think
twice about taking you out. For free.
They just like killin. They had all that
shit coming to them. So don't feel
sorry, but feel happy, that our
organization is organized and mobilized
against the evil of society. We are
taking out the rotten eggs. We are doing
the job of the FBI. But nobody will
remember us as heroes. But that's what
we want. We want to be remembered by
few, and by those few as, cold-blooded,
kick- ass, black-hearted, take no
prisoners, sonsabitches that wouldn't
take no for an answer from anybody.
That's the Experience in a nutshell.
Who's left? All the bastards and king
shit that were there that day. But
first, Mr. Assassin himself, The Cobra.
CUT TO guy with big mustache and huge dark
sunglasses in a flashy cowboy outfit with a cowboy
hat surrounded by three beautiful women rubbing
him down. He's smoking a big cigar. He's probably
around fifty. And he's stone cold drunk.
In fact he's been stuffing himself full of food
and shit, and thus committing one of the SEVEN
mortal sins.
They're at a table in a nice restaurant but they
are very loud, and rambunctious. People are
staring and annoyed.
COBRA
Ladies, ladies, ladies. Why don't you
pick up the check and I'll meet ya in
the car.
They all laugh.
COBRA
I'm just yankin yur chains ladies. I'll
pick up the check as long as the sex is
free.
They laugh some more. Even harder.
COBRA
I got more, I got more. I'll get the
check, wait for it, wait for it... If
you ladies tip the waiter a shot of your
tits.
They laugh more.
VOICE
Excuse me, Mr. Cobra.
It sounds like Gino. Cobra looks over at the three black-clothed
people standing before him pointing .44 magnums in
his direction. It's Gino, Topher, and Mr. Seven.
BOOM! The three guys just open fire without
another word. They all three unload there guns
into the Cobra's chest. When they're done, his carcass
falls backwards in the chair. The girls scream and
the restaurant is in chaos.
MR. SEVEN
We leavin?
GINO
One second.
He bends down over the Cobra's body and takes the
glasses from his face and puts them in his pocket.
He stands back up and turns to Topher, playing
with the rubix cube and Mr. Seven, watching him,
waiting to leave.
GINO
Let's go.
And they do.
INT. SAME RESTAURANT - NIGHT
The place is now a crime scene investigation.
People are being questioned, guys in nice jackets
are taking samples and flashes from the sirens
paint the walls.
A black guy we haven't seen yet gets out of a car
outside the restaurant. He's cool. He's got style,
he is the legitimate Mr. Seven. He's got nice
dress shoes, expensive black pants and big,
amazingly clean, brown trench coat. His name is
NORDAJ RABEK. Jordan Baker anagram.
He's bald, that is, a shaved head, and he sports
the classic curtain facial hair. And when he
walks, it is a strut of confidence.
He steps over the caution tape. And then ventures
slowly through the crime scene observing
everything. He is keen as a fox.
He steps up to the dead body of The Cobra where
two men are already standing over him, a white guy
with glasses and a black guy with a cop suit and
badge.
NORDAJ
This the body?
WHITE GUY
Yes, you are?
NORDAJ
My name is Nordaj Rabek. But you will
call me doctor and you, nigger (the
black guy) will call me daddy. I will
call you Whitey and you, nigger will
answer to Jackson.
White guy WHITEY black guy JACKSON.
NORDAJ
This the only body?
WHITEY
Yes.
NORDAJ
Just one hit?
WHITEY
Yes.
NORDAJ
Am I asking you these questions? What
about Jackson does he talk?
JACKSON
Yes sir.
NORDAJ
Not sir, Daddy!
WHITEY
Enough, who do you think you are?
NORDAJ
I am the lead investigator on this so
called solitary homicide. I am the one
who you work for, and I am the one who
is gonna stick his boot in your ass if
you don't so much as shut your fucking
mouth.
Whitey shuts up. Nordaj doesn't take no shit.
NORDAJ
There are plenty of witnesses, how many
you talk to?
WHITEY
Two already.
NORDAJ
Just two? What about you motherfucker?
JACKSON
No one.
NORDAJ
Uh-huh.
He considers. Then flips the fuck OUT! He turns
around and flips a table up sending it flying.
NORDAJ
Had I been here for 97 minutes I would
have interrogated every last
motherfuckin eye witness by now! I would
know the story, what happened, who my
superior is, if I had a superior and I
would already know the bad guy! This
restaurant at any one moment in the late
evening would average 217 fine-diners in
the combined smoking and non-smoking
areas. Assuming at least seven of them
are in the little people's room at any
one given moment! They have 23 waiters
and waitresses and three house managers.
That is two hundred and forty three
potential eye witnesses plus seven other
oblivious assholes that heard it. And if
you really want to get nitpicky then all
those guys back in the kitchen would
hear it too, and maybe out of pure
curiousness thirteen would come to the
door and see who was doing all the
shooting! That's two hundred and fifty
six eye witnesses, and two hundred and
ninety three people who are aware of the
situation. And you have spoken with two
of them!
He stares them down a minute.
NORDAJ
If the two of them didn't get a look at
a face and don't share the same story
then I will be super pissed. You don't
want to see me when I am super pissed.
WHITEY
They didn't really say much, the shock
is still with them...
Nordaj turns around and begins to walk away,
Whitey and Jackson catch him up and flank him.
WHITEY
Now there are people getting contact
information of everybody that's here the
guy that called the cops is upstairs
ready to talk the three women that were
here with the victim were found running
from the house they are in custody the
crime scene has been cleared and ready
for investigation there are witnesses
who are going to talk tonight we know
the exact time the event took place we
know what the perpetrators were driving
and where the direction they took off in
there are twenty four wounds in the
victim and we know who he is.
Nordaj stops walking.
NORDAJ
What do you mean you know who he is?
WHITEY
We have identified the body.
NORDAJ
Didn't take much work, I took one look
at him and knew who he is, was.
Nordaj turns around and walks back the way he came
back towards the body, Whitey and Jackson flank
him.
NORDAJ
He is, was, a scoundrel. He was already
on the wrong side of the law. He had
what happened to him coming. This was a
hit by three members of the underground
crime world because that is where he
comes from himself. And like all men in
his position will be stabbed in the back
and killed by their own kind. Look what
happened to Don Vito Corleone. So don't
feel too bad for the poor guy. And of
course there are twenty four wounds in
the man, it's very very basic math,
you've got three guys each with eight
bullets they unload there whole package
to make a big noise and make sure he's
dead. Three guys with eight bullets each
is a whole lot of twenty four.
They're back at the body.
NORDAJ
He's the Cobra. You boys ever hear of
Diablo Violente?
They shake their heads.
NORDAJ
He killed this man so get familiar with
him.
Whitey and Jackson don't understand.
WHITEY
How do you know that?
NORDAJ
I have studied that motherfucker for
twelve years. He is an amazing guy. The
shit he can do. He came in the front
door. Just kept walking through the
house manager paying him no heed. His
accomplices follow. He makes a beeline
for the target, never takes his eyes off
of it. He doesn't care who else might be
looking, what other people in the
restaurant may think, what the manager
might be shoutin in his ear. He reaches
his target, gets his attention and
then...
He points his hand out like a gun and...
NORDAJ
BANG! Blows him to shit. Other two guys.
Maybe his brother, maybe another of
Lee's guys.
WHITEY
Lee?
NORDAJ
The guy callin the shots. Lee, utterly
unknown and unnecessarily cunning. We
are up big against the most dangerous
sonsabitches in the world. Can you feel
it?
He smiles, having fun.
NORDAJ
Something's happening, a revolution in
the crime world. Can you feel it? People
are getting whacked. Nobody is safe.
Everybody is an enemy. Exciting times
boys. Now go round me up some witnesses.
WHITEY
Yes sir.
JACKSON
Yes sir.
NORDAJ
Daddy.
Jackson looks at him sheepishly and then takes
off.
EXT. RUN DOWN APARTMENT BUILDING - DETROIT - DAY
Gino's El Camino pulls up to this old abandoned
looking apartment and he, and Topher step out of
the car.
They glance around the street and then enter into
the apartment building.
INT. RUN DOWN APARTMENT BUILDING - DETROIT - DAY
They step into the atrium. The place is broken to
shit. The walls have been almost entirely stripped
of their drywall, and wallpaper hangs down in
front of the studs in some places. Everything is
wooden, the floor which has holes in it, the
staircase which winds along the walls up high (and has
holes in it, and missing steps). A toilet is
flushed and a rush of water falls down the inside
of the wall to their left. Plumbing sucks.
Gino just nods his head to Topher to follow him
and follow him he does, up the winding staircase.
TOPHER
So, what happens if he's not here?
GINO
We come back later.
TOPHER
And if he is here?
GINO
We stay.
They go up what seems like about twenty stories
until they come to a platform.
Topher looks back over the half broken rail back
down to the atrium below.
GINO
Twenty floors. Hundred and eighty foot
drop. Watch your step.
Gino opens the door at the platform and steps into
the apartment room. It's as rundown as the rest of
the building. They have walked into the living
room. There're two chairs sitting in front of an
open fireplace (there's a fire going). There's
newspaper scattered over the floor and bloodstains
on the walls.
We hear water running. There're no lights on. It
looks like a brown out. Everything is grey and
looks dead. But there's one desk against the wall
on the other side of the room that carries a
flower pot and a flower. The flower is alive and
well, surprising in this place.
Topher pulls out his rubix cube and takes a seat
in front of the fire and fiddles with it some
more. Gino stays standing in front of the door,
his head is entirely in shadow.
The water stops running, it was the shower. The
bathroom door is open on the other side of the
room just in beside and behind the desk with the
flower. There is a mirror on the wall in the
bathroom that Gino can see and with it he can see
into the bathroom to the right side.
The sound of the shower curtain sliding open is
heard. Topher keeps fiddling, Gino keeps not
moving. The man in the bathroom is drying himself
off with a towel and whistling.
Gino sniffs loudly to get the man's attention. It
does he stops whistling and drying himself. He
looks in the mirror and sees, a headless body
standing at the door. It scares him, he gets up
against the wall.
Gino watches him in the mirror. The man reaches
for a gun on top of the toilet. He checks it, it's
loaded. Looks back at the mirror, the guy hasn't
moved yet. He reaches around the corner through
the door and fires one shot and then retreats back
behind the wall.
He looks back at the mirror, the man in it hasn't
moved and hasn't fallen down dead. His face still
can't be seen. The body in the mirror (Gino) moves
forward in a throwing motion and CRACK! The mirror
splits and breaks like it has been shot. Gino has
thrown the bullet that he caught back into the
mirror.
Gino is now in the light.
GINO
Come on out Argus, it's me.
The man, ARGUS, slides out of the bathroom.
ARGUS
Course it is, why don't you sit down,
I'll get you something to drink.
GINO
A nice cold glass of milk would be nice.
ARGUS
Sure thing.
GINO
And you Topher?
TOPHER
Not thirsty, just frustrated thank you.
Argus can't see Topher.
ARGUS
Give me a minute.
GINO
Starting... Now.
Argus waits for him to say now before he goes off
into the kitchen to his right.
Gino sits down in the chair beside Topher.
Argus comes back out soon with a glass of milk,
now he's wearing boxer shorts and an undershirt.
He hands the glass to Gino who looks at it, it's
chunky and has mould in it.
GINO
I can't drink this.
ARGUS
Why not? It's one percent fat.
GINO
Oh.
He sips it thoughtfully.
ARGUS
So uh, why are you here?
GINO
First I'll tell ya why you're here.
You're here to listen and not ask
questions. But don't worry, you're my
late wife's uncle, you haven't got a
thing to worry about.
Argus puts another block of wood on the fire. And
then pours some dirty water from a watering can
onto the flower on the desk, he tends it gently.
Gino slouches in his big armchair.
GINO
What do you feed that thing anyway?
ARGUS
Pardon?
GINO
Why isn't that plant dead like the rest
of this place.
ARGUS TLC.
Gino smiles.
GINO
I'll bet.
TOPHER
Focus Gino, we still gotta hit New
Jersey today.
GINO
Don't rush me Topher. Play with your
thing, and don't make me have you wait
outside.
He turns his chair around with the back to the
fire.
GINO
You know why my wife's dead?
ARGUS
Course not.
GINO
You answered a little fast there. Calm
down, I'm not making accusations yet.
Why is my wife dead?
ARGUS
I don't know.
GINO
You don't know, or you don't care?
ARGUS
She's my niece damn it.
GINO
I never said she wasn't. Defensive
people are the peak of annoyance and
unreliability. Don't lie to me, and
stand up straight and assert yourself.
You look like a Neanderthal.
Topher spins around now.
TOPHER
A little help Argus?
He looks over.
ARGUS
Take the one in your left hand and turn
it one-eighty.
He does so.
GINO
Now why is my wife dead?
ARGUS
I told you I don't know.
GINO
I know ya did. And I'm not buyin it.
Sell me something new.
ARGUS
You want some kinda cock-and-bull story,
here it is. You were suppose to make a
pick up, it didn't happen the first day,
not the second day, and on a third day
late, you better be dead or dyin. So he
sends in someone else, but they go back
empty handed, why because some other guy
got their first, some other guy that
nobody knows quite who. A guy that took
it all. What is expected, when his
second guy comes back with Jack, that
you have met up with the money- man and
you you ain't givin a cut to your
superior. Well that's wrong, morally. So
that can't be because you are Mr. Moral.
So he thinks there's gotta be some other
explanation. But no, there isn't. At
least not one that he was told. That's
it.
GINO
That's bullshit. Lee may be sporadic
but...
ARGUS
Don't call him Lee you crack-headed
punk. Show some respect no matter what
he's done to you.
GINO
I show him no disrespect. That's his
name now, that's what he uses, he
started it.
ARGUS
Well I won't finish it, and I won't play
ball.
GINO
We're not asking you to.
ARGUS
I didn't say you were.
GINO
That's your story? I'll tell ya
somethin...
He gets up form his chair approaches Argus, grabs
his head and smashes it against the wall.
GINO
Or, maybe I won't.
He turns back around.
GINO
Topher, we're leavin?
TOPHER
Course we are.
They walk to the door and open it, before Gino
walks out he turns and says:
GINO
Argus, if I ever find out you got the
money, I'm collectin your head.
Argus nods in understanding.
Gino walks out and closes the door behind him.
Topher points over the edge for Gino to look down.
There are three guys coming up the stairs. Gino
just follows Topher down the stairs.
When they meet the three guys, it turns out
they're Hank, Mordecai, and Rich.
GINO
Fellas.
Everybody gives a nod and that's the entire
exchange. Everybody continues on.
Gino and Topher continue down the stairs, and we
stay with the other three going back up the
stairs.
They stop at the landing to Argus's front
doorstep. Mordecai looks at Hank and then at Rich,
they all nod, in their dark sunglasses. Mordecai
kicks in the door and Hank and Rich flood in.
Hank runs over and grabs Argus who's standing over
the sink in the kitchen. Hank pulls him away and
drags him back into the living room and sits him
on a small wooden chair in the middle of the room.
Rich jumps up and grabs the lamp in the ceiling
and pulls it down ripping the drywall ceiling so
that the lamp is dangling by its wiring four feet
from the floor.
Mordecai puts out the fire in the fireplace. And
then flicks the switch on the wall, turning the
lamp on.
Hank grabs the dangling, ignited, lamp and pushes
it up against Argus's face.
HANK
We got a score to settle.
ARGUS
No shit.
He hasn't really been struggling, but he'll squirm
later.
HANK
Rich, show'em what we brought him for
his birthday.
Rich pulls out a long aluminum chain and then
drops the one end to floor.
HANK
Can you see that all right? Or is there
too much light in you eyes.
He removes the lamp from Argus's face and points
it at the chain hanging from Rich's hand and
coiled on the floor at his feet.
Argus smiles.
HANK
Thought you might like that. Thought
you'd enjoy the significance. The irony.
ARGUS
I do.
HANK
Shut your pie hole.
He smacks him. But then he relaxes and takes a
deep breath. The sweat is already dripping from
Argus's pores.
Mordecai comes over with a cigarette, he swipes it
across the lamp like you would a match and that
ignites the cigarette, he sticks it in Argus's
mouth.
Argus coughs and then spits it out.
ARGUS
What are you stupid? That shit'll kill
ya.
MORDECAI
Baby...
HANK
...We gonna kill ya.
The three men laugh.
HANK
And you're gonna suffer.
ARGUS
Do your worst.
RICH
And by that, you mean our best.
ARGUS
Sure.
HANK
If that's what he wants.
Rich takes the chain, Mordecai Argus's hands and
puts them behind the chair. Rich then ties the
chain Argus's wrists in the middle so there's
chain on either side still. Then Rich and Mordecai
each take an end of the chain that's tied to
Argus's wrists in the middle of the chain and the
two hitmen pull in opposite directions. Argus
screams out in pain.
Hank grabs the light and brings it back into
Argus's face. We can hear the little bones in
Argus's wrists cracking.
HANK
What did Gino want to talk about
earlier?
ARGUS
His wife.
HANK
Right, you know why I'm here?
ARGUS
To settle the score.
HANK B-I-N-G-O.
He steps back and removes a glove from his jacket
pocket that he puts on his right hand.
ARGUS
You fucking, yellow son of a bitch. You
gotta a lot balls crushing my wrists
before you bitch slap me with that
glove.
We see that the glove has razor blades on the back
of it, that part the would be used to hit him.
HANK
Lots of balls, little tolerance.
ARGUS
You son of a bitch!
Hank slaps him with a right back hand, slicing
open Argus's face. The blood shoots over to the
side with the force and then splats neatly on the
floor.
ARGUS
You have no idea how much this stings!
HANK
You have no idea how good it feels.
ARGUS
Don't get fresh.
Rich and Mordecai pull hard again. More screaming,
and crackling of wrists.
HANK
You got any more cracks to make before
we continue?
ARGUS
Just one, and I've been saving it for a
special occasion. You'll like this one
too Richie boy. That is: you're a pretty
big dick for a guy that has such a
little one.
Rich chuckles a bit and Argus spits blood as he
laughs.
Hank slaps him with the forehand this time
splitting him open on the other side of the face.
Argus breaths in a high pitched little squeal.
Hank removes the glove and tosses it to the floor.
He grabs the lamp again and presses its heat
forcefully against the torn face of Argus, and
Rich and Mordecai pull hard on the chain.
Then they release. And remove the chain from
Argus's wrists. His wrists are cut by the chain
and deformed, badly broken and bruised and
HANK
Let me see your hands Argus.
Argus begins to cry a little.
HANK
Let me see your hands.
Argus, as though embarrassed by the state of his
wrists slowly brings them forward for Hank to see.
Hank surveys them.
HANK
Oh dear, I'm sorry Argus. It seems we
have been too gentle. Try not to sweat,
it'll cause those gashes in your face to
sting something awful.
Argus pouts, not liking being at the wrong end of
this little game.
MORDECAI
You want a cigarette?
Argus shakes his head.
ARGUS
No, that shit'll kill ya.
RICH
Not soon enough it won't.
ARGUS
No, that it won't do. But the longer
Hell has to wait, the more pissed the
devil will get.
HANK
And...
ARGUS
Well, then he'll be pissed.
HANK
He's the devil Argus he's always pissed.
ARGUS
True enough.
Hank looks over to Rich and Mordecai.
HANK
Lets beat him up some more fellas.
They don't need being told twice. Mordecai throws
a couple haymakers to Argus's already beaten face
and Rich whips the poor man across the back with
his chain continuously.
HANK
Now you didn't say anything about the
money earlier.
ARGUS
What money?
HANK
The conversation you had with Gino ten
minutes ago. How much money did you talk
about?
ARGUS
Nothing really, he's looking for cash
that I can't produce.
HANK
That's not what he told me.
ARGUS
You guys are working together now? Not
unusual I guess. Why don't you come in
together?
HANK
We're the muscle. He comes out and
you're still alive, there must be a
problem. Maybe he's got no alibi, but we
do.
Rich goes wandering for a moment into the kitchen.
HANK
No money?
ARGUS
None.
HANK
Well, you're a lot of things Argus but I
would never accuse you of being a liar.
ARGUS
Touching.
Rich comes back with a can of bugspray.
RICH
What do you think of this?
Hank looks over.
HANK
What the fuck is that? It won't work.
RICH
Sure it will.
He comes over and sprays some in Argus's face. It
BURNS! Argus screams.
RICH
No, you're right. It's not the same.
HANK
Argus, where's your gasoline?
No answer. Mordecai grabs Argus's hair and
wrenches his head back hard. Hank leans in with
the lamp.
HANK
Where is your gasoline Argus.
ARGUS
I'm not gonna help you burn me like a
fucking witch.
HANK
A witch? No, we're gonna burn you like
Argus.
No answer.
HANK
Check under the sink.
Rich goes to the kitchen and under the sink, is a
canister of gasoline.
HANK
What'd I tell ya. He uses it to start
his fires so it couldn't be too far. Hit
him.
Rich commences operation BURN ARGUS by pouring
gasoline all over Agrus's face and body, burning
the deep gashes across his face and back.
HANK
Now that, hurts like a son of a bitch.
Argus shows it.
HANK
Can you see Hell now Argus? Can you see
the devil laughing at you? Cause he is.
You know the story of Stalin. His death
that is. His daughter reported that she
was sitting with him on his death bed.
He was asleep until he opened his eyes,
sat up in his bed and stared at the
ceiling in fear and spoke "HELL". And
then immediately retreated back into a
sleep he would never wake up from. Was
the old man just crazy? It doesn't
matter, he saw a vision of Hell,
projected their by Satan or his own
hallucinations, the moment before the
devil squeezed his heart into a prune.
Now your heart isn't as black as old
Joey Stalin's, because it's bleeding.
And it ain't gonna stop, until you drop...
Dead. That almost rhymed.
RICH
Gettin better Hank.
MORDECAI
I would have left it at drop. I think he
gets the message.
Argus spits more blood.
ARGUS
Lets get the roast started fellas. I
ain't got all night.
HANK
Are you being ironic? Or are you being a
smart-ass?
ARGUS
Same difference.
HANK
That is by far the worst oxymoron out
there.
ARGUS
Well, my whole life is an oxymoron.
HANK
That's not what they call it when it's
human behavior, then they call it
hypocrisy.
Hank steps back and sneezes twice.
HANK
Excuse me.
ARGUS
God bless you.
HANK
Thank you. Now, you may get the wrong
impression, but we are not going to burn
you, to death that is.
ARGUS
Gasoline just a charade?
HANK
Not entirely, it did hurt like a son of
a bitch going on didn't it.
ARGUS
Tell you the truth it still smarts.
HANK
Yeah. But you're holdin it in, like a
man.
ARGUS
You know me Hank.
HANK
Oh yes I do Argus.
Hank snaps his fingers and points quick to Argus.
This signals Rich to snap out the chain and wrap
it tightly around Argus's neck, who struggles for
air.
HANK
Argus, burning is too good for you, in
fact so is suffocating so just hang in
there for the next sixty seconds, this
is just to scare you. What we're gonna
do, you didn't see comin. Hell, I didn't
think of it till just before we got here
and I was trying to figure out what your
end would be. And I got a good ending
for you. A respectable one. It's nothing especially
special, but it's simple and I like
simple, how bout you?
Argus nods, turning purple.
HANK
I thought so. That's why we're gonna
throw you out that there window.
He points to it.
HANK
People don't really recognize how bad
that death really is. But your death
will change their minds, for one, you
already look mangled and when the people
find you, they'll be scared to shit of
falling twenty stories. And people just
don't give that fall the respect it
deserves. Your body will accelerate at
9.8 metres per second squared all the
way until you reach your maximum
velocity, so the fall will take a total
of about what, eight, nine, maybe even
ten seconds. That's ten seconds to think
about why you are falling from the sky
without parachute or bungee cord. And
maybe, the fall won't kill ya.
Just before his veins explode Rich releases him
from the chain's mortal grip. Mordecai walks over
to the window, sprays something all around the
frame and then lights a match to it. The entire
thing ignites in a big rectangular flame.
HANK
Now don't be late Argus.
He grabs Argus by the chest from out of the chair,
and throws him from that spot across the room and
smashing back first through the burning window,
which (because of the gasoline on him) turns him
into a big fire ball, and sent falling twenty
floors to his death on a car.
Hank turns to his two accomplices.
HANK
Let's move out.
INT. GINO'S EL CAMINO - NIGHT
We have a shot from the back seat looking our the
front of the car. Topher, rubix cube in hand.
TOPHER
What's Hank's problem with Argus anyway?
In the rear view mirror we see a flaming body fall
onto a car (Argus's).
GINO
They've had an interesting history.
INT. BASEMENT - NIGHT
B/W Hank on a chair, cut up, bloody and beaten
raw. Argus standing over him smiling.
INT. GINO'S EL CAMINO - NIGHT
GINO
Argus deserves what he's getting.
They drive on.
INT. JED'S PLACE - JAPAN - DAY
Shi Kni is shown into Jed's place by his wife. She
walks down a hallway into a living room to find
Jed sitting there, not at all ready for company,
yet not at all self-conscious.
The conversation is carried out in Japanese.
JED
Good day.
SHI KNI
And to you Master.
JED
Don't call me that. That was a dog's age
ago, and not memories that I wish to
bring to the forefront of my mind.
SHI KNI
I'm afraid you have done wrong.
JED
Many years ago yes. When you're father
died and I helped you, yes how very
wrong I was.
SHI KNI
Indeed. But no, I speak of another
woman. Josephina.
JED
Bold of you to speak openly about her.
SHI KNI
I speak not only of her but of her and
you. I understand that your relationship
with her continues and yet she is a
traitor to our art.
JED
Don't speak of treachery. You are quick
to accuse, and yet so slow to question
self.
SHI KNI
Be careful. I won't put up with that
talk for long.
JED
You'll put up with whatever talk escapes
my lips in my home you spoiled bitch.
She gives him a long sour look it seems all her
body heat begins to accumulate above her
shoulders.
She swings a kick at his head as he sits there. He
catches it in his hand.
She tries with her other leg but he catches it too
and now has a hold of both her ankles.
She sit on her hands with her feet held by him.
She pulls herself up so she's standing on his
hands straight up now.
She smiles down at him, innocently.
Then she pushes down on his hands and he can't
hold her. She drops a bit and she locks his head
in her knees. Flipping back she throws him across
the room. Breaking his neck as she twists.
His limp body lies on the floor.
Shi Kni gets to her feet. She looks at the three
men who came in with her.
SHI KNI
Kill the woman.
One man exits the room. Mere seconds later two
shots are fired. Shi Kni looks at dead body on the
floor satisfied.
INT. AIRPORT - JAPAN - DAY
A funky rock tune beats out on the SOUNDTRACK. We
get a shot of two backs, one tall bulky body the
other very short and slender. The large one is
hunched over the counter, talking to the attendant
and getting tickets to the plane.
Then both persons turn around, the big one with
two plane tickets. We freeze frame it, and the
names HOOK 'N GOGO appear on the screen. Hook on
the left and GoGo on the right. In the freeze
frame Hook is looking out, scanning the airport's
horizon. He is a big American with a mustache he
is a lot like Captain Hook from Peter Pan, only
his attire is dominated by a large leather
overcoat.
GoGo is a small feisty Japanese woman. In the
freeze frame she has a bubble blown out from the
gum in her mouth.
These two are an odd looking group but a deadly
team. GoGo doesn't speak.
Freeze frame ends. Hook bends down slings a bag
around his shoulder and then picks up another bag
in each hand.
Musical sequence of Hook 'n GoGo walking through
the airport.
Then they get on the plane.
We see the plane in the air and the two in their
comfortable first class seats.
The plane lands at LAX.
The two go to baggage claim and make their way
through LAX.
INT. SMALL COFFEE SHOP - LA - DAY
Hook sits across from GoGo in a booth. They have a
small lunch in front of them. Hook tries to
encourage small talk.
HOOK
So, you enjoy the flight?
She looks at him with just her eyes, almost shyly,
but with confidence.
HOOK
It wasn't turbulent, the stewardesses
were nice. Crap meal, that's expected,
bullshit Hollywood movie, typical, but
endurable, overall it was nice?
She nods agreeably.
HOOK
Yeah. Your soup cold?
She shakes her head no. He looks off into the shop
HOOK (calling) Mackenzie! Mackenzie! Refill
Please!
A young waitress, MACKENZIE, comes over and fills
his cup.
MACKENZIE
You guys need anything else?
HOOK
No Mackenzie no. We're good for now.
MACKENZIE
Well you need anything just call.
HOOK
Will do, thank you Mackenzie.
She smiles and leaves to serve another table.
HOOK
She's nice, isn't she?
GoGo shrugs.
HOOK
We're on a first name communication
basis.
She gives him a weird look.
HOOK
I guess she doesn't know my name, but
she gave me hers rather willingly.
GoGo stabs jealously into her french fries with
her fork. Hook smiles.
HOOK
I appreciate your concern, and am
flattered that you care, but you don't
have to worry about me running off with
Mackenzie. She's not my type.
GoGo looks at him skeptically.
HOOK
I like ladies my age. Not half my age.
GoGo gives him a look like 'what about her?'
HOOK
Naturally, but it ain't the same.
GoGo turns back to her plate.
HOOK
You wanna stop in and see Nana, before
we get too far along into work again?
GoGo nods excitedly.
HOOK
Thought you might. We'll stop in there
this afternoon. She recognize us. Hell
she doesn't know who we are. But that's
the sad truth about growing old. Luckily
we don't have to worry about that.
She gives him a questioning look.
HOOK
We won't make it that far babe.
She shrugs and goes back to her plate again. Hook
takes a bite out of a biscuit. Then a loud
rumbling of several motorcycles is heard getting
closer and closer. And Hook's smile, as he hears
them, gets bigger and bigger.
The motorcycle gang rolls into the parking lot of
the coffee shop that a moment ago was nearly
empty. The lead motorcyclist steps off of his bike
and with a lead pipe in his hands walks over to
the Cadillac (the only other car in the parking
lot) and smashes in the passenger side window.
The license plate on the car reads "HOOK".
Hook glances out the window at the man that
smashed in his window. The man is looking at him
super-pissed. Hook gives a smile and a wave. He
turns back to GoGo.
HOOK
Lets TCB.
He slides out of the booth and then offers his
hand to GoGo who accepts, and he helps her out of
his booth. Hook throws down some money, and then
some more money, and then some more money (good
tipper).
He and GoGo take their time leaving the shop. But
when the do get out into the parking lot they
stroll quickly and confidently up to the biker
gang.
HOOK
Is there a problem?
The rest of the gang start going apeshit on the
car. Tires are popped, all windows are smashed,
bats make severe dents in the doors. After the car
is completely demolished they all stop. The lead
guy never moved a muscle but just stared down Hook
who stared back throughout the entire destruction
of his car.
HOOK
Well, you just don't know when to quit,
do you.
All but the lead guy get back on their bikes,
start'em up and start circling Hook, GoGo, and
their leader. GoGo looks annoyed, but not scared.
HOOK
You boys... Just don't know... What
you're up against.
The leader smiles a toothless grin. Then GoGo
springs into action, leaping headfirst over the
leader's head. As she comes down on her hands, her
legs at the knee wrap tightly around the leader's
head and with her forward force tosses the leader
back and throwing him hard against the destroyed
Cadillac.
The biker's don't take too kindly to this. One
floors it driving fast right at GoGo who spins on
one leg doing a wheel kick to avoid the bike, and
to kick the driver in the head and sending him
flying off of the bike.
The next one, the only bald guy, comes by swinging
a bat which she easily avoids and jumps on to the
bike behind the drivers who she hits with her
palm, hard in his side right under the armpit.
Blood shoots from his mouth as he goes limp and
falls from the bike.
She plays a little chicken with the third guy.
I'll tell ya right away she wins. As they are
about ready for a head on collision she dives off
of her bike and it falls on its side still sliding
forward and takes out the bike coming its way. The
man on the seat is chucked from it and flies twenty
feet skidding across the pavement.
And the last guy, stands still at the end of the
parking lot facing her. He revs his engine. He
just spins those tires in one place kicking up all
kinds of smoke and burning rubber as an
intimidation tool before he takes off after her.
She waits for him. After he's ready to come and
just begins to move forward, she pulls out a
handgun and shoots him the head blowing out his
brain.
Hook hadn't moved the whole time.
HOOK
You even managed to impress me.
She turns back to him and smiles affectionately.
Then we hear a painful groan from the ground. It's
the bald guy, still alive but he's seen better
days.
Hook strolls over to him and points handgun of his
own at the bald guy's head.
HOOK
You want this bullet. You'd kill for it,
and you'd die for it. If you could talk
you'd be beggin' me for it. And that's
exactly why you ain't gonna get it.
He pulls the gun away and walks over to GoGo who
he puts his arm around. The two walk back into the
shop but stop at the door just so Hook can yell
in:
HOOK
Sorry for the disturbance outside. My
tip should cover it.
And then they leave, without their Cadillac, on
one of the motorcycles.
GINO (V.O.)
Meanwhile there was Jo and Mr. Seven
taking care of our Japanese outlet. The
Loonies.
INT. JAPANESE BAR - TOKYO - NIGHT
Jo and Mr. Seven facing off against thirty Loonies
with samurai swords. A couple take a run at our
two heroes... SLASH - CUT - STAB - SWOOSH - SWISH
- JAB - BLOODSPRAY EVERYWHERE!
GINO (V.O.)
And it seems they did all right. They're
leaving the bitch for me.
Mr. Seven with samurai sword and uzi is kicking
some major ass knocking Loonies off left right and
center. Jo decapitates one of them and the blood
splats on her face. She wipes it off in disgust.
GINO (V.O.)
They're coming back now. They're in on
the next target. Sing, Sang, and Song.
The Chinese triplets. The Trio in White
Pajamas. The deadliest brother sister
group in the world. But none could
possibly be more deadly as a solitary
unit than I am. And I'm super pissed.
INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
Gino is sitting on a footstool for a chair and
twirling his samurai sword around and around in
his head with its tip on the floor. Topher is is
messing with the television.
But nothing is on tv that Topher deems worthy of
his attention so he retreats to one of the two
beds, retrieves his rubix cube from the bedside
table and messes around with it. He's still not
anywhere close to solving the cube.
Gino looks over to Topher messing around with it
and offers a suggestion.
GINO
Turn the piece in your left hand
forwards, away from you ninety degrees
and the block that you just turned into,
yeah that one, turn it right 180
degrees. How's that?
Topher looks at it, and then figures 'yeah that
helps.'
TOPHER
Thanks a lot big brother, I can see the
end soon.
GINO
My end? Or the end of our journey?
TOPHER
Neither, but the one for the damn rubix
cube. You realize I've been on about
this damn thing for going on three
years.
GINO
Hang in there.
Gino thinks a moment.
GINO
I'm sending Hank and Rich down south.
TOPHER
The Dandy?
GINO
Yeah the Dandy.
TOPHER
How bout Mordecai?
GINO
He's got some business in Turkey he
wants to attend to.
TOPHER
You mean that blighter that took his
money in that card game.
GINO
That's the business.
There's a knock at the door.
Gino gets up and strolls gracefully to the door.
He just opens it and WHAM! He get punched in the
face and then tackled.
TOPHER
Who is it?
Gino and his ATTACKER roll on the floor punching
each other like mad. They roll again, stop, punch,
roll again, this time Gino ends up on top, stop,
punch.
The attacker kicks Gino off of him and bounces up
to his feet. They exchange blows. Gino throws the
guy into the tv.
Topher looks on, there's really nothing he can do.
But he doesn't look worried.
The attacker gets up punches Gino a few times and
swings him around down the entrance hall to the
room and through the door, which shatters into an
unnecessary amount of splinters.
The attacker charges attempts to punch Gino who
ducks out of the way. The punch goes right through
the drywall. Gino smashes the glass to a fire
extinguisher and then grabs the extinguisher and
starts swinging it madly at his opponent.
The FIGHT CONTINUES ON and on, with the two just
walloping each other, onto the staricase down the
stairs, out onto the street into an alley, up the
fire escape to a building onto a roof, more blows,
little effect. Until Gino knocks the guy off the
roof down two stories onto the sidewalk.
Gino walks back to the hotel room. But just as he
turns into the hallway to the room he notices a
man standing just outside of the door.
A man dressed like a pimp, in a purple velvet
cloak, and a purple velvet hat. He watches Gino
approach. As he does, we realize that the man is
none other than Nordaj Rabek.
Gino scratched bruised and sweaty speaks first.
GINO
You lookin for something?
NORDAJ
Nope.
GINO
What are you doin here?
NORDAJ
I was lookin for something.
GINO
But you found it.
Nordaj nods.
GINO
Congratulations.
NORDAJ
Thank you.
GINO
None of my business but, what is that
one could possibly be looking for in a
hotel?
NORDAJ
A just question, and just to correct you
politely, it is some of your business.
You just didn't know it til just now.
I'm here looking for a man.
GINO
Lots of men here. It's a hotel, new men
come and go all the time. You sure you
got the right one, at the right time?
NORDAJ
I'm sure.
GINO
If it's partly my business, may I
inquire a little deeper?
NORDAJ
By all means, please do.
GINO
Thank you. How is it partly my business?
NORDAJ
You already know cause you're a sharp
guy, but I'll quit beatin around the
bush and just say it out loud so as to
remove any uncertainty of the
connection. I was lookin for you.
GINO
You're right, that's exactly what I
thought.
Nordaj chuckles.
GINO
May I ask another question.
NORDAJ
I said by all means, please do inquire.
GINO
You sent the runt to attack me?
Nordaj chuckles again.
NORDAJ
That's right. I didn't mean anything by
it, I assure you. I just wanted a look
at you in action. I've read and studied
you for years man. But I ain't never
seen you in action. Til now. Amazing to
say the least.
GINO
Amazing does seem pretty bare minimum,
when referring to me in action.
NORDAJ
Yes it does but you're a modest guy and
I didn't wanna make you blush.
GINO
Oh please do, they say the rosy cheeks
really brings out my eyes.
NORDAJ
I'll bet they do.
GINO
Yeah.
NORDAJ
Yeah.
GINO
Yeah.
NORDAJ
I'm sorry but have I introduced myself.
GINO
If you have I hadn't paid attention.
NORDAJ
Then I must not have because you've been
pretty alert since the beginning. My
name is Nordaj Rabek.
GINO
Is that Dutch?
Nordaj chuckles.
NORDAJ
No it ain't Dutch. It's my name.
GINO
You Dutch?
NORDAJ
No.
GINO
Continue.
NORDAJ
Well that's it. I'm Nordaj Rabek.
GINO
I know.
NORDAJ
You wish to inquire further?
GINO
No, I thought you'd do a little
explaining on your own.
NORDAJ
You thought wrong.
GINO
Did I.
He sizes Nordaj up.
GINO
Have you met my brother?
NORDAJ
Topher? Haven't met him.
GINO
Well he's just inside why don't you come
in.
He pushes Nordaj with one arm into the room.
Topher on the bed with the rubix cube.
TOPHER
How did it go?
GINO
The other guy's dead.
TOPHER
So it went well.
GINO
This is a friend of ours, Nordaj Rabek.
TOPHER
Is that Dutch?
GINO
No.
TOPHER
Well who is he?
GINO
He's Nordaj Rabek.
TOPHER
I know.
GINO
Well that's the answer I got out of him.
Tell us Nordaj, who are you. And if you
say your name again, you won't even by
that.
NORDAJ
Let's say that I'm on the opposite side
of the law you're on.
TOPHER
No shit!
NORDAJ
Nordaj Rabek, FBI.
GINO
A bureau man. How are things going for
you guys.
NORDAJ
I don't know. But you are on our
hotlist.
GINO
That right.
NORDAJ
Well, my hotlist.
GINO
Does that mean I'm speed dial on your
telephone.
NORDAJ
You're just a name away.
GINO
You're just a smart-ass remark away from
getting slapped raw. That means your
cheek will be red and ripped to the
bone. The skin around the perimeter of
the wound you will be flaking off and
peeling then Topher here will put a
little salt in the wound. I've always
wanted to do that. Everybody uses the
saying but nobody acts on the words.
NORDAJ
Interesting isn't it, how people that
talk the talk, can't always walk the
walk.
GINO
You don't have to worry about that from
me. I'm all walk.
NORDAJ
I know. But you aren't stupid, and you
got bigger fish to fry, for lack of a
better phrase...
GINO
...No that was good...
NORDAJ
...Than an old homeboy federalli pig
like me.
GINO
I could spare a minute.
NORDAJ
Could you now?
GINO
Oh yeah I could.
NORDAJ
Well I can waste a minute.
Gino takes a swing at him, but WHAM! Nordaj
catches his fist in his hand.
NORDAJ
How long was that?
GINO
Not a minute.
NORDAJ
You sure, cause it felt like I had a
minute to prepare.
GINO
Well sometimes people feel disoriented
when they have the skills to see
everything in slow motion. They have
trouble just distance and time though,
like you.
NORDAJ
Good. That's sounds straight out of a
textbook or something.
GINO
Yeah Lee's.
NORDAJ
That's right. Mr. Lee. Where is he right
about now?
GINO
You don't know?
NORDAJ
What I know I keep to myself.
GINO
You asked.
NORDAJ
Maybe to have you think I don't know,
but just to find out if you know.
GINO
What makes you think I'd tell you if a
knew.
NORDAJ
You aren't in so tight with him anymore
are you?
GINO
How come you by the inference?
NORDAJ
Just a smart guy.
GINO
I suggest you get out.
NORDAJ
Can do. I know not to taunt the bull.
GINO
That what they teach you at the academy?
NORDAJ
No, they prefer us to learn, sit,
rollover, and play dead.
GINO
Funny, that's what Lee taught us.
Nordaj smiles, nods to Topher and turns around to
find a gun pointed directly in his face. Jo's hand
is on the handle.
JO
What me to pop him?
GINO
Not necessary sweet-cheeks.
She lowers immediately.
GINO
This is Nordaj Rabek, meet Josephina.
JO
Fuck you! I'm Jo. You Dutch?
NORDAJ
No. But why don't you give me a call?
JO
You a pimp?
NORDAJ
Not anymore.
JO
Then maybe you should change your
outfit.
NORDAJ
Maybe you should worry about the fashion
vibes you're broadcasting.
JO
Maybe you should pay more attention to
the gun pointed at your dick.
He looks down, sure enough she's pointing the gun
directly at his crouch.
JO
If you're not a pimp, I suggest you
change your clothes. I ain't a slut, and
that's exactly why I don't dress like
one. You think a cowboy would dress like
an Indian?
He looks over to Gino.
GINO
Just get the fuck outta here. And wipe
your feet on the way out. You don't want
to get the hallway dirty.
Nordaj smiles and then retires.
NORDAJ
See ya in the funny papers,
motherfucker.
JO
Who's Nordaj Rabek?
GINO FBI.
Jo, mildly interested.
JO
Why's he here?
GINO
Looking for me, or Lee.
JO
I say we kill him.
GINO
I say he's no threat.
TOPHER
I say you're dumb-ass for saying that.
He blocked your punch.
Jo perks up now.
JO
Really?
GINO
I wound up it wasn't too impressive.
JO
Still...
TOPHER
...You seem to have met your match.
GINO
Can it now.
JO
Or what? You'll make an attempt to
defend yourself?
TOPHER
You're getting old big brother. And
slow.
GINO
Then maybe I should retire.
JO
Isn't that what you are doing?
GINO
In a sense, yes. But not while there is
still business to attend to.
Jo gives him an interested look.
INT. GINO'S EL CAMINO - MOVING - DAY
He drives down the Mojave Desert. In his passenger
seat is a younger Josephina. This is actually near
the first time they met. She's seventeen.
JO
Where is it we're going again?
GINO
Mexico sweetie.
JO
Why Mexico?
GINO
Because I'm taking you to meet a man. A
man in Mexico.
JO
You really have to give out more detail
prior to the journey cause I don't
recall this man's name.
GINO
He's my old tutor. Master Dejesus.
JO DAY-JAY-SOO?
GINO
That's right.
She looks away out the window to the golden sun
that beats down 116 degree temperatures across the
sand.
GINO
I want you to meet him before I train
you. I want to make sure you are what I
think you are.
She looks back to him, her pupils readjust.
JO
And what do you think I am?
GINO
An assassin.
JO
Right. An assassin (in training).
GINO
Of course. But you're a natural. You'll
catch on quick and be ready in no time.
JO
How long is that?
GINO
Why? You an eager-beaver?
JO
Just curious.
GINO
Three years, give or take your will.
JO
Then what?
GINO
Then whatever girl, then whatever.
JO
I'm safe with you, right? When I'm with
you no harm can come to me.
GINO
Oh yeah.
INT. SMALL EMPTY ROOM - NIGHT
Rich has Mordecai cornered.
RICH
Now what I say is between you and me
alone. I have your confidence?
MORDECAI
Always Richie.
RICH
I thought so, let's just hope it stays
that way. Now you know as well as I do
that we're dealin with crooks, we're
crooks, everybody in on it and out of it
is a crook. Right?
MORDECAI
Sure.
RICH
So everybody is scheming, everybody's
got their own agenda cause we're mixed
in some heavy shit and there's plenty of
booty to score. So if everybody's
scheming, why the Hell aren't we?
MORDECAI
What are you sayin?
RICH
There's a chance for us to make a big
deal and a big payday. But only if we
put ourselves ahead of everyone else.
I'm sayin you and me cook up our own
book.
MORDECAI
Just you and me?
Rich nods in agreement.
MORDECAI
What about Hank?
RICH
Hank's obliviosity to us is what makes
it perfect. Sure everybody is keeping a
careful eye on everybody else but Hank,
he knows we aren't scheming without him.
He thinks, he knows we aren't scheming
without him. We need to be scheming, we
need to have a ploy. We need to be
conspicuous. We need to be sharp.
MORDECAI
I like how you're thinking. But have you
put enough thought in it?
RICH
It's simple. Gino's having us take on
the entire fuckin world. What are the
odds everybody on "our side" makes it
through alive? Huh? I mean we're good at
what we do but there are seven of us
taking on the most dangerous people in
the world and while we are dangerous
too, it's just basic arithmetic that few
make it to the other side with the
sunshine and the rainbows. One of us
didn't even make it through the desert.
MORDECAI
I haven't forgot about Smitty. Poor kid.
RICH
Yeah well. We play our cards right and
we'll have a Full House with Four of a
Kind.
MORDECAI
And what will they have?
RICH
I don't know. Nothing much, cuatro high.
Mordecai laughs.
MORDECAI
All right. No Hank, no Gino.
RICH
Yeah just us.
INT. DEJESUS' MANSION - MEXICO - DAY
Gino and Jo stand inside the front door.
Jo looks around the entrance, which is huge, and
she's impressed.
JO
Who is this guy?
GINO
The greatest master of martial arts to
ever walk the planet, and the arts have
been around a while.
VOICE
Monsieur Diablo!
It is a short stout, Mexican woman, a maid. She
comes over excitedly to greet the guests.
WOMAN (SPANISH)
Monsieur Dejesus has been waiting. It is
good to see you again. I will get
drinks, just after I show you to him,
come on.
GINO
Muchos Gracious Marietta.
The maid MARIETTA leads Gino and Jo down a long
hallway and into a large office room, with two
wide doors wide open at the other end.
The doors open into a beautiful garden and brick
landing. Drapes hanging on the doors float
gracefully in the breeze.
Marietta points them outside and then retreats to
get the drinks.
Gino offers Jo a hand in front of him and she
leads him the rest of the out.
On their right is Lee or MASTER DEJESUS. He is
sitting on a comfortable lawn chair in the sun.
His open white shirt reveals a tanned, scarred
chest. He wears sunglasses.
GINO
Lee.
LEE
Gino Violente. And young Josephina I
presume.
Jo sniffs.
LEE
What's that?
JO
Nothing, I'd just strongly prefer to be
recited as Jo, not Josephina.
LEE
Well, that's your prerogative.
He smiles, he doesn't look at them not the whole
time.
LEE
How does she fight?
GINO
With more help, great.
LEE
How does she cook?
GINO
She doesn't.
He smiles again.
LEE
Finally a woman who understands what's
important. So Gino?
GINO
Not much to say. Just want to train her.
I think she's got it. And she wants it.
LEE
Well then train her. You don't need my
blessing.
GINO
Not your blessing I'm looking for.
LEE
No?
GINO
No, just advice.
LEE
Advice?
Gino nods, Lee can't see but continues.
LEE
Then here it is. Training women is a
terrible business. They piss and moan
over broken nails, (even No- Back)...
He adds quickly as Gino opens his mouth.
LEE
...And if they're lookers then you got
trouble to begin with, if they're not
then you got trouble afterwards, nobody
will hire them. Which problem you got?
GINO
Not the latter.
LEE
I'll take your word for it.
GINO
That it?
LEE
Hell no. But that's all the advice
you're getting.
GINO
Cause it's all I need?
LEE
You just keep thinking that.
INT. GINO'S EL CAMINO - MOVING - DAY
They're back driving away from mexico. The sun is
still on Jo's side now that they've turned around.
JO
What about that girlfriend of yours?
GINO
Fiancé.
Jo looks more disheartened.
JO
Oh. You gonna marry her?
GINO
That's the plan sweetcheeks.
Jo's a little confused and disappointed.
JO
Then what's with all the sweetcheeks,
and sweeties and baby's.
GINO
What do you mean?
JO
You always got these cuddly names for
me.
He smiles, humored.
GINO
Sorry babe, but if you thought I was
hittin on you, I was just bein nice.
Just not Michael Jackson nice. If you
were a boy.
JO
Why her?
GINO
Why not?
JO
She's not really all that much your type
is she. She's not an assassin, she's
just a stay at home mom. A housewife.
GINO
Maybe that is my type. To be honest I
don't have a type. When you got a mug
like this, you take what you get, and
then hang on to it like grim death.
JO
Mug like yours? Bullshit.
GINO
I love her Jo. That's all the type you
need.
JO
I'm just saying. You know, I'm a little
more flexible, or sporty, or you know,
more like you are.
GINO
You mean you like to kick a lot of ass.
JO
Yeah. Don't you like that?
GINO
I love a woman that can kick ass. But
the woman I love just doesn't, she's too
modest.
JO
I can be modest.
He smiles again.
GINO
You can be a pain in the neck too.
He laughs at her, she smiles in good sport.
GINO
Come on. I think you should look into
something a lot better than me.
JO (V.O.)
But you're who I want. But you're who I
want. You're who I want Gino. Only you.
CUT TO:
INT. BATHROOM
Jo looking at herself in the mirror repeating the
words over and over.
JO
Jo Violente. Jovial Ente.
She plays with the name a little.
GINO (V.O.)
Now Mr. Seven. You remember your old
partner, Hugh Jazzman?
MR. SEVEN (V.O.)
Yes.
GINO (V.O.)
I want you to kill him.
EXT. LAX - DAY
A man is walking through the airport. He's
carrying a single bag. As he leaps one-handed over
a rail we freeze frame. Under him appears his name
in funky typography :: HUGH JAZZMAN.
Back into motion he continues on. By the door he
then notices a man, Mr. Seven, who is holding a
sign that says "HUGE ASSMAN".
He approaches Mr. Seven.
HUGH
What are you doing here?
He's got a high-pitched, squeaky voice.
MR. SEVEN
Just picking up my best man at the
airport.
HUGH
Yeah well that sign ain't funny. My name
is just a name I didn't choose it.
MR. SEVEN
You can change.
HUGH
Hey, with a name like Jazzman, you don't
fuckin tinker around with it.
MR. SEVEN
Touche.
HUGH
Where to?
MR. SEVEN
The desert.
INT. MOVING CAR - MOJAVE DESERT - DAY
Mr. Seven is driving his convertible and Hugh sits
in the passenger seat with his bag on his lap.
HUGH
So what the fucks in the desert anyway?
MR. SEVEN
Lots of sand, lots of sun, and little
water.
HUGH
You know what I hate? Assholes that
answer reasonable questions with stupid,
dumbshit answers.
MR. SEVEN
You hate that? Then you aren't feelin
too happy right about now are you.
HUGH
No. What are we doin in the desert?
MR. SEVEN
This is where you are going to die.
Hugh laughs.
HUGH
Really. You gonna kill me? You gonna
take me into the desert and kill me?
He looks at Mr. Seven questioningly. He gets no
response.
HUGH
That's cold shit man. C'mon Seven we
haven't seen nor talked each other in
what? Three years? And now you say
you're gonna kill me?
Nothing.
HUGH
Seven you son of a bitch. You cock
sucking, fairy fucking son of a bitch!
You think you can end me? You are
fucking wrong! I am mother fucking Hugh
Jazzman! I don't go down. How you planin
on taking me out anyway? Cause I can
tell ya right now it ain't gonna hap...
BANG! As Hugh wasn't looking Mr. Seven pulled out
a pistol pointed right at his head without
noticing and ther goes Hugh.
Mr. Seven pulls off to the side of the road and
into the desert a bit a ways. He stops the car and
gets out. He walks over to the passenger side and
lifts up Hugh's bullet-ridden head. He takes a
cloth and wipes the blood from the top of the
door.
He opens the door and pulls the dead man from the
car setting him on the hot ground.
He opens his trunk and pulls out a shovel. He
starts digging... And digging.... And digging.
He throws the body in the hole. And starts
filling... And filling... And filling.
The sun is now low in the sky and bright red.
Mr. Seven, dirty as hell throws the shovel back in
thr trunk and hops in the car. He sticks the key
in the ignition and turns it. It tries to start,
it really does, but it does so unsuccessfully. He
tries again and again but nothing.
MR. SEVEN
You gotta be jokin.
He tries again. Nothing.
MR. SEVEN
Well, it ain't funny.
He climbs outta the car and kicks the door shut.
He pulls out his cell phone looks at it, no
signal.
MR. SEVEN
I guess I'm walking. But not without a
goodbye.
He pulls out his shovel from the trunk and starts
beating the FUCK OUTTA THIS CAR! Smashing it in,
beatin it to shit. When he's done, he throws the
shovel over his shoulder, and in his dirty, dusty,
sandy, black suit, starts trekkin back to town
right into the red sun.
He says to his car:
MR. SEVEN
Adios.
The shot WASHES into BLACK AND WHITE and then
FADES TO BLACK.
INT. HALLWAY
HANK (V.O)
You takin the Dandy too?
GINO (V.O)
The Southern Dandy. No, I've got larger
fish to fry.
HANK (V.O)
Can I fry this fish then?
GINO (V.O)
By any and all means.
Two feet step into the frame and then begin to
walk down the dimly lit hallway. We follow the
feet. The footsteps seem to echo in the
The feet belong to Hank but we don't know it yet.
We never see his face in this scene but we do hear
his voice.
The feet turn a corner in the hallway to the right
and then we see a door that is open just a crack
letting out a light that puts a pale yellow strip
down the otherwise grey wall.
The feet approach the door. As they get there the
door slowly opens as if by itself revealing
between the feet...
...A man dressed in a bright white suit with a
white hat and big fancy sunglasses. It's the
Southern Dandy. And we find that out as the title
appears above his head. We watch from down below,
between the feet.
DANDY
And what is it that I owe the privilege
of your company on this fine evening?
He is a Jack Nicholson from Mars Attacks, (not the
president but the other role of the casino guy).
Only naturally, with a deep Southern accent.
FEET
You owe nothing, since the pleasure is
all mine.
Now everyone will know that the feet belong to
Hank.
DANDY
Surely not all the pleasure?
HANK
No, all of it.
DANDY
Well then. You must be a happy man.
Please sit down.
HANK
No thank you I prefer the doorway. You
know, safer in case there's an
earthquake.
DANDY
Don't worry over the impossible.
HANK
I try not to. You been in touch with
Lee?
DANDY
I ain't seen him in a while. I'm tryin
to run my own show without him you know.
HANK
I am aware.
DANDY
But I talked to him. Or at least he
talked to me.
HANK
What about?
DANDY
He told me to watch where I'm steppin,
and to keep an extra pair of eyes on my
back, so I can see who's kickin my ass.
Now that can be interpreted two ways.
One: that his business is up mine's
down, and so in the stock market sense
he is kickin my ass, and it's all just a
big joke. Or two: that someone wants me
dead and I should keep an eye in all
directions for pricks with keen sticks.
HANK
And which do you believe?
DANDY
I'm not sure but I think it was the
joke, he and I have always encouraged a
little friendly competition.
HANK
Good good. You're wrong.
DANDY
Oh really? Can you convince me
otherwise?
HANK
No I can't, but there's a prick behind
you with a keen stick that can.
Now we see in the shadows behind the Dandy is none
other than Rich Million. The dandy doesn't bother
to look back.
RICH
Where's your other pair of eyes?
DANDY
I sent them out to get me a drink.
RICH
Big mistake.
DANDY
Thank you for that analysis.
He sighs.
DANDY
Well boys, lets get it over with so we
can all go home.
Hank steps in and closes the door just before it
closes completely we see Rich with his samurai
sword raised execution style ready to stab the
Southern Dandy. But the door closes to a crack
just before he does it. We hear a stabbing noise
and a blood splat.
Then something fall to the ground and rolling like
a bowling ball, and sure enough the Southern
Dandy's eyes appear in the crack in the doorway.
He seems to have lost his head in all this
commotion.
EXT. MOUNTAIN RANGE - CHINA - DAY
We see a beautiful mountain range in the middle of
China.
A SUBTITLE UNDERNEATH APPEARS:
"SMACK DAB IN THE MIDDLE OF
CHINA"
In China is where we will find the triplets, SING,
SANG, AND SONG.
EXT. MARKETPLACE - CHINESE VILLAGE - DAY
Gino and Jo stroll through a marketplace in a
village in China. Jo carries a basket with a loaf
of bread. Gino carries two samurai swords.
JO
So what happens when everything's over,
when everyone's dead.
GINO
I start over, everyone starts over, but
that's a long ways away.
JO
Who are you starting over with?
Gino looks at her.
GINO
Jo, I'm not starting over with anyone.
I'm starting over in solitude.
JO
Why Gino? Why not me? What's wrong with
me? Why aren't I good enough.
We see Jo acting like a child again, something
rare as we all thought she'd grown up into a
strong, independent woman.
GINO
I love Jen, Jo. I want to live out the
rest of my life in purity.
JO
Jen's dead Gino.
He takes a swing at her, she blocks it with a
forearm and then she kicks his feet out from under
him. Landing on his back Gino swings her feet out
from under her as he leaps back to his feet and
puts a foot on her throat.
GINO
Don't say that Jo. You keep acting like
a child. I'm not getting into a
relationship with you if that's your
word for it. I'm a bad man. And I
haven't got room in this heart for you.
He takes his foot off of her throat.
GINO
I've wasted too much time already.
She gets up off of the ground, picks up her basket
of bread.
GINO
You remember the last time we were at
this place?
JO
I haven't forgotten a single moment in
your presence.
GINO
Where I trained you.
They walk past a beautiful temple, surrounded by
an amazing garden.
GINO
Where you grew up. Where you became the
woman you are today.
JO
Funny isn't it, how you define a place
such as this as the key ingredient of my
womanhood.
GINO
Why is that?
JO
Because it was never the place, but the
man that made me what I am. And you
accept no responsibility for giving
birth to the most dangerous woman on the
Earth.
GINO
Well, I try not to brag. And you said
you could be modest.
JO
That was a long time ago. I've changed.
GINO
Into what?
JO
Something better. No longer possessing
the ability of modesty.
GINO
You consider modesty an ability? I guess
in a way.
JO
In a big way baby.
Gino smiles.
GINO
You remember the Siamese Twins?
JO
Joined people?
GINO
No. They just so happened to be from
Siam, and they were twins. They would
have given you a run for your money.
JO
What happened to them?
GINO
Dead. I heard ol' Hook got to'em, and
his little GoGo had her way.
JO
Got to hand it to those two. They got a
lot going for them.
GINO
They got a bit coming to them is what
they got. And that bit is the big bit.
JO
You used to get along good with Hook.
GINO
Yeah well, a lot of things change when
the bushwackin son of a bitch goes and
kills the most important thing to me.
JO
Yeah, I suppose it does.
GINO
Everyone is trained there, me included.
FLASH TO:
INT. TEMPLE'S DOJO - DAY
We see a glimpse of Gino's training. Gino stands
at one side of the dojo, and Lee on the other.
JED is there, overlooking the training, and
witnessing the sparring.
Gino and Lee bow to each other. Then they each
mount their kung-fu fighting stances and styles.
Gino and Lee run right at each other and meet in
the middle, they collide in a fling of fists,
kicks, chops, and blocks. Only as they come together,
we slow down to 18 FRAMES PER SECOND, and they
fight is like an operatic dance.
At this speed everything is graceful and soft, and
all the moves and defences are clearly visible.
Halfway through this stage of the battle the scene
changes back to regular 24 FRAMES.
Lee sends Gino flying into a beam.
Lee takes a step back and picks up a long thin
bamboo stick. Gino picks one off the wall.
They charge again and again, as they meet we slow
to 18 FRAMES.
They continue their battle with the bamboo and
halfway through we see the remaining duel in 24
FRAMES.
They pause.
LEE
Now, close your eyes, and I'll close
mine. Listen to the vibrations in the
air, to determine where the next blow
will be.
They both close their eyes and continue.
This times Lee kicks Gino's bamboo stick snapping
it in half and then knocking him backwards with a
shot to his chest with his stick.
LEE
Good.
By this time Gino has broken a sweat. Lee isn't
even out of breath.
LEE
Choose your weapon my friend. And choose
wisely.
Gino gathers himself a samurai sword.
Lee gives him a look, pulls out pistol.
LEE
You're dead.
He smiles, throwing the pistol away.
LEE
Good lesson, let your opponent draw a
weapon first.
GINO
I prefer a curved weapon.
LEE
I know, you're predictable.
GINO
Nobody can beat me with this in my
hands.
Lee retrieves a long Chinese sword from a table.
LEE
No they can't. But I can. Watch me.
This time they come together and fight at 24
FRAMES the whole time, but every now and then the
camera slides into 18 FRAMES for a couple seconds
and then switches back to regular speed.
In the end, Lee kicks Gino down to his knees, and
then twirls around, fast, swinging hiw sword which
he he stops right as it comes in contact with
Gino's neck.
The faintest bit of blood seeps from the faintest
little cut on his neck.
Gino looks up at the sword in Lee's hand and
notices the smidgen of blood on it.
GINO
You couldn't have stopped sooner?
LEE
Not when I win.
Jed pipes up for the first time.
JED (JAPANESE)
Enough chatter! Put the weapons back.
Master Dejesus, take apprentice Diablo
to the pit. He will catch the rat by
sundown, or it will be his dinner.
GINO
Joy.
He follows Lee out of the dojo.
EXT. MARKETPLACE - CHINESE VILLAGE - DAY
Back to Gino and Jo.
JO
Did you catch the rat?
GINO
No, the little squirt evaded me for nine
and a half hours.
JO
So you had to eat it?
GINO
He said that I had to develop a taste
for victory. The victor being the rat,
he would taste just so. But I wouldn't
eat it.
JO
Oh no?
GINO
No. But I did open him up and consume
his heart.
JO
So how does victory taste?
GINO
Bitter.
INT. CAR - MOVING - DAY
Rich and Hank are cruising the streets, just
getting back to town after coming back from China
and aiding in the handling of the Triplets.
RICH
You know what I wish came back into the
swing?
HANK
Free love?
RICH
No. Batman. The Batman comics should
come back, I think they could be big
again. And then maybe they can get back
to the movies and do something there
again. Cause they've really gone down
the fuckin tube.
HANK
Batman. Noway, Batman is the biggest
fuckin superhero scam ever pulled over
the eyes of the American people.
RICH
How so.
HANK
First off, he's a fuckin pussy, no ifs,
ands or buts.
RICH
A pussy? Batman is the greatest
superhero comic of all time. He's the
perfect alter-ego, with the perfect
superhero.
HANK
No. He is Bruce Wayne. He's the least
independent hero. And he is far from
being a superhero.
RICH
Oh yeah, enlighten me as to how any of
your shit makes sense. Why are you
right? Who's your favorite superhero?
HANK
My superhero? The only superhero:
Superman. And I'll tell ya why I'm
right.
He prepares himself for his big spiel.
HANK
Batman is not a superhero. Why? He
hasn't got a single fuckin super power.
He's just a man, nothing special.
Anybody could do what he does. He's a
guy in a rubber suit with a bunch of
fancy tools. He might as well be fuckin
Inspector Gadget. You know the tool with
the glasses, looks like a child molester
cause of that trenchcoat he's always
wearing. That's as good as Batman.
RICH
Batman protects Gotham city. He's the
Gothic superhero.
HANK
Bullshit. And no more using the word
superhero when you talk about this
clown. He's a pampered little rich kid,
with a fuckin butler. Who else has a
butler? Nobody cause they can handle
their own laundry. Why? They're not just
regular joe's. A normal guy can't do
laundry. But these superhero's can.
Another thing: what's up with Robin?
He's a got a sidekick. Not just any sidekick
but one that turns around and bends over
for him on demand. Another thing:
Batgirl. What the fuck! There's no
Supergirl, no Spidergirl. And you know
what, Robin and Batgirl aren't any more
superhero's than he is. Superman is a
superhero. The superhero. He has super
powers. He doesn't need tools he has his
strength. He doesn't need backup. And he
most certainly does his own laundry.
RICH
Batman's got the best villains.
HANK
Oh for sure, Batman has the best
villains. But that's all he's got going
for him. But the villains have nothing
to do with Batman. He doesn't make them,
he doesn't give them their qualities
that make them so bitchin. And Lex
Luther isn't a fuckin push over either.
Only he's the only real good villain.
He's the only well known villain.
Whereas the Batman comic books were
chalked full with a big fuckin ensemble
of shit for this guy with no more brain
than what's in this car. And people
would actually buy that the bat guy
didn't wind up dead on a telephone wire
in the first issue. It's beyond me, I'll
tell ya that.
RICH
There's no winning an argument with you
is there.
HANK
Not for you, not in this life.
RICH
Bullshit, Batman isn't a superhero.
HANK
He ain't. Superman, Spiderman, Captain
America, those guys are superheroes.
RICH
What the fuck!
He slams on the brakes as a man steps in front of
the car with a hand out to stop them.
The car comes to a screeching stop about a foot in
front of the man. Rich and Hank look up at the man
in disbelief that he could be so stupid.
The man smiles back. And we see that the smiles is
that of Nordaj Rabek, our FBI Bugs Bunny.
RICH
The daffy bastard.
Nordaj steps over to the passenger side where Hank
sits, and taps on the window softly. Hank rolls
the window down.
HANK
Little dangerous to be walkin on the
street don't you think.
NORDAJ
It is. Motherfuckers get killed walkin
on the street. Like Tiennaman Square or
some shit.
He laughs.
NORDAJ
You know who I am?
HANK
Should we?
NORDAJ
Shouldn't you?
RICH
No fuckin clue. Tell us.
NORDAJ
My name is Nordaj Rabek.
RICH
Rabek? The Dutch guy?
NORDAJ
I'm not fuckin Dutch wiseguy.
RICH
Gino told us about him remember.
HANK
Yeah, the FBI prick.
NORDAJ
That's me. We talking about Gino
Violente?
HANK
The same.
NORDAJ
Yeah, I thought so. Funny, you guys
mentioning Gino man. You know he and I
have a bit of a history.
HANK
That right.
NORDAJ
Yeah, but he just don't know 'bout it.
RICH
What do you mean he don't know about it.
He's got a good memory buddy I wouldn't
put it passed him.
NORDAJ
It's not a question of what he
remembers. It's a question of what he
knows. And what he knows, isn't a
goddamn thing. Or at least not til I remind
him.
They're confused.
RICH
How can you remind him?
HANK
If he doesn't know in the first place?
NORDAJ
Gino Diablo, killed my daddy. He just
don't know he was my daddy.
Hank and Rich give each other a look.
NORDAJ
But he gonna soon. Cause I'm gonna
remind him. I want you two boys to tell
him to expect me. Cause I'm on his ass.
HANK
We don't run errands, or pass messages
for any sons of bitches that just ask.
NORDAJ
You do for me.
HANK
Why's that?
NORDAJ
Cause I'm Nordaj Rabek. I'm the man that
owns the man, that runs the man.
RICH
That's a lot of fuckin men.
NORDAJ
Yeah.
He smiles.
NORDAJ
So, you boys got off a plane was comin
in from China. What attracts you so much
in China.
HANK
Triplets.
NORDAJ
Friend of ours have triplets in China or
somethin?
RICH
No. We hit the Triplets.
NORDAJ
Hit the Triplets? Diablo have a part of
this?
HANK
He set it up. What do you think.
NORDAJ
I've heard of the Triplets. Actual
triplets part of a hit team, whackin
people, assassins, bad guys. Like you.
So I'm wonderin: Why are you hittin
them? Why aren't you guys all on the
same page?
HANK
You gotta know bad guys Nordaj. We don't
all get along. Most hits are already on
bad guys.
NORDAJ
You say already like something's
changed.
HANK
That's cause it has.
NORDAJ
And?
HANK
And you ain't gonna find out til you're
dead. Lucky for you, you won't have to
wait long.
NORDAJ
I know a threat when I see one.
HANK
Hear one?
NORDAJ
Yeah. Round here, I'm above the law. I'm
FBI. I'm out for revenge. Let him know
that. Maybe later on, I'll get to bust
your ass too. Or better yet, send it to
Hell.
HANK
I ain't gonna be killed by some
confused, semi-legit, Home-Fuckin-
Sheriff like you.
NORDAJ
That's where you're wrong man. Cause
around here the Sheriff does the
shootin, and the deputy asks the
questions afterwards.
HANK
That how it works round here?
NORDAJ
Yeah.
HANK
Then fuck the system.
He turns to Rich.
HANK
Fuckin drive.
And he does, leaving Nordaj Rabek, the man, the
myth, the legend, inhaling their dust.
EXT. LAST TANGO BAR - NIGHT
Hook 'n GoGo walk down the dusty desert path up to
the bar.
INT. LAST TANGO BAR - NIGHT
C/U of the front door.
It swings open and the figures of Hook on the left
and GoGo on the right are standing in the door
frame.
Hook pulls up a shotgun in each hand slowly, as he
does so GoGo whips out a pair of ak-47's and
starts shooting like a madman. Hook follows suit
with his shotguns.
In all he takes about eight shots with each gun,
even though they can hold no more than three each.
The audience will buy it.
After a bit they stop, we've stayed on them the
whole time. But now they stop we do a three-sixty
to survey the bar. We move to our right.
We see the destruction, dust kicked up in the air
blood and bodies everywhere, bullet holes in the
walls, debris, more bodies, and then a bar with
dead guys laying out over it but the bar and its
surroundings are pretty clear.
We get back to the doorway with Hook 'n GoGo.
Hook steps into the bar and GoGo follows suit.
He walks over to the bar where the only living man
is, the bartender TANGO, hunched over behind it
for protection.
HOOK
Tango? You still alive?
TANGO
Yeah.
He stands up to face Hook and as soon as he does
Hook grabs him by the throat.
HOOK
Good, but don't let that give you the
wrong impressions of my intentions, you
haven't got a free ticket to tomorrow's
sunrise yet. First you got to humour me,
and you know as well as any, I don't
humour easy.
Tango can barely breath already.
HOOK
Where's Diablo?
Nothing.
HOOK
You know I hear strangling can be a
tough ride, that you just feel life
eeping up through your esophagus and
then kick you in the roof of your mouth
just before it leaves you forever.
TANGO
How do you know?
He's struggling to get his retort out.
TANGO
Do you talk to the dead?
HOOK
Only in my sleep.
Tango's eyes go to Hook's belly. Hook's follow
his, so do GoGo's. Tango is holding a long knife
against Hook's belly.
Tango smiles, as best he can.
Hook lets go.
Tango smiles more.
TANGO
Lets be more civilized.
He removes the knife.
HOOK
Where's Diablo?
TANGO
You're not much for greeting friends
these days are you?
HOOK
Just Diablo Tango, where is he? Or
where's he gonna be?
TANGO
Japan.
The moment he finishes saying that last syllable
GoGo has already whipped out a handgun and blown
his head away.
The brain splatters on the mirror behind Tango as
his body falls straight to the floor.
Hook looks at her.
HOOK
We got what we came for?
She nods. That's all they needed, he can be dead
now.
HOOK
Then giddyup cowgirl.
He follows her out.
EXT. CHINESE COURTYARD - DAY
Gino and Jo step out of dark shade of the
buildings surrounding them into a large courtyard.
The courtyard is surrounded by high Chinese
temples and buildings.
The courtyard is sunken, there is a five step drop
down from everything surrounding it and the stone
pathway forms an octagonal cross in the middle.
Grass grows in small triangles between the stone
walkways.
Someone moves to their left.
They look over and see Rich and Hank coming their
way.
GINO
What took you?
HANK
Rich had to go the bathroom.
RICH
You know how it is Gino.
JO
You boys look like you had a little
fight.
They are a little cut, scratched and bruised. Look
like they've been fighting.
JO
Who'd you run in to?
HANK
He ran into me, and then I ran into him.
We continued for about five minutes and
then called it quits. I had a smoke, and
he went to the bathroom.
Gino smiles.
GINO
You guys have a rough trip?
RICH
Something like that.
Then we hear running and from the other side of
the courtyard comes the Triplets. Finally
something in China worth seeing. If you don't like the
Wall, the temples, or the great history, at least
you got a couple of bastards that like to get
their hands dirty.
SING, SANG, SONG, all in identical white pajamas.
JO
I want the little girl.
RICH
You mean Song?
JO
No Richie, the one without the penis.
She means Sing.
When either Sing, Sang, or Song speak it is in
Chinese which is in turn DUBBED ENGLISH over their
mouths.
SONG
Why is it that you walk our street
Master Diablo?
GINO
Shouldn't you be asking why I'm walking
at all first?
SONG
No, I have already heard of your escape
from death and have been waiting for you
to come to us.
GINO
In that case, why would you ask why I am
here if you were expecting me.
SONG
I simply would like to know if you come
in peace, or in revenge.
GINO
You know the answer.
SANG
So you have come to kill us?
GINO
Right on bitch. But what I wanna know
first is exactly what you had to gain to
be a part of this?
SANG
We were promised many things. Many
things that you took from us. Some
things that were simply denied by you.
GINO
That's not helping.
SING
We just benefit from your death. As you
live, you are a liability.
GINO
That so?
SONG
You are a liability to everyone.
GINO
Well I'm a big liability to you. I want
your head. I want three heads. And I'm
gonna get them.
Just then Sang, on the right when looking at them
from Gino's perspective, shoots into the air
making an attempt at leaping up onto one of the
roofs of the temples, like one of those jumps from
Crouching Tiger.
But quicker than anything, Hank pulls out a rifle
points it right at Sang's head and even before
he's reached his maximum height, Hank pulls the
trigger and blows his head away.
The body of Sang falls to ground and bounces of
the stairs.
HANK
Nobody's goin nowhere.
Song is frying an egg on his head, and Sing is in
tears, both are red in the face.
JO
Showtime.
She smiles as Sing and Song pull out their chinese
swords and soar violently graceful at their
opponents who pulls out their samurai swords and
prepare for the attack...
...Which comes in a heavy wave of furious swords
being swung as though uncontrollable.
Sing and Song move faster than anyone we've seen
thus far, and can wield their swords faster as
well.
They spin, slash, stab, jump, twirl, and slice at
the members of the Experience. But everything is
parried.
The battle ensues, choreographed by professionals.
Some crazy shit, some more crazy shit.
Sing, Sang and Song all wind up as dead as a dead
guy. Our heroes escape with minor cuts and
bruises.
INT. SPANISH RESTAURANT - NIGHT
Nordaj Rabek, our infamous FBI agent badass, sits
in a booth all by his lonesome, sipping some
coffee.
A Spanish band is playing on the stage at the far
side of the room. When they finish their song he
claps enthusiastically.
NORDAJ
Bravo! Bravo condios muchos gracius! And
all that other bullshit ya say.
He turns to the aisle beside him.
NORDAJ
Garcon! Coffee!
VOICE
Little late for coffee isn't it.
He looks behind him, it's Kelly No-Back.
NORDAJ
Never late for coffee my sweet, I'm
trying to stay awake, so coffee does the
trick. They say it's good for you now.
KELLY
Now? How's it any different than before?
First they come out with coffee, it's
great, it keeps you awake and alert.
Then they say it will kill you, they say
you should drink de-caff. Then de-caff
gives you cancer, drink anything at your
own risk. Now they say it's good for
you? What's changed?
NORDAJ
I don't know, they did a study.
KELLY
They?
NORDAJ
Yeah, they.
KELLY
You mean the great researchers,
analysts, and statisticians at Maxwell
House whose concern above all, above
even selling a product and making a
profit, is to feed you a healthy drink?
NORDAJ
Yeah, those guys.
KELLY
Well, all right then.
She slides into the booth.
The waiter makes his way to the table and pours
another full glass for Nordaj.
WAITER
And, for the lady?
KELLY
He sold me on the coffee, that's it. And
a bagel. And a muffin.
The waiter acknowledges and leaves.
NORDAJ
Isn't it a little late for a coffee,
bagel and muffin? That's breakfast food,
this place ain't a bakery, it's a
Spanish restaurant.
KELLY
Then consider it my breakfast. I skipped
that meal earlier today anyway.
NORDAJ
Not breakfast? The most important meal
of the day?
KELLY
None other.
NORDAJ
I don't believe you could miss that. You
gotta take yourself, your body is a
temple.
KELLY
I take care of myself just fine without
scrambled eggs.
NORDAJ
You mean with an edged weapon?
KELLY
How else can a girl take care of herself
in this world.
NORDAJ
Very true.
He sips his coffee. She watches him.
NORDAJ
Kelly Knoughback. K-n-o-u-g-h-b-a-c- k,
or n-o-b-a-c-k. Which is it?
KELLY
Take your pick.
NORDAJ
You a prude or something?
KELLY
Excuse me.
NORDAJ
No thank you.
KELLY
I beg your pardon.
NORDAJ
You ain't gettin it, don't matter how
much you beg.
KELLY
Well listen here. I can take a lot of
shit, especially from the likes of you,
but I am one hot-pocket you don't wanna
overheat. When I explode, the shit hits
the fan. In this case you are the fan.
I'm a big, bad, bitch, and I won't take
any disrespect from you. Cause you might
be all that, or you might not, but what
you gotta ask yourself is: is all that,
enough?
NORDAJ
So are you a prude?
She drops the threats and switches to a relaxed conversational
tone.
KELLY
No, or at least not by my definition of
prude. That is: prudes are afraid of
sex. I'm not afraid of it. But I do
think that sex itself, the act of sex
alone, is demeaning to women. Not all
that shit about what everybody says is
demeaning to women, like women taking
their clothes off for money, that's not
demeaning. I wouldn't do that either,
cause it's associated with sex by our
current societal standards. But sex is
strictly a male dominated sport. Males
naturally take less time to have an
orgasm during sex than females. Why?
Because sex is meant for procreation,
not pleasure. But even so the male
orgasm is very pleasurable for them to
encourage continuous procreation.
Coincidentally when the male pops his
top the female isn't even close and when
he's done, the whole fucking operation
is aborted. See, nobody gives a damn
about the woman's pleasure. When the
guy's had his, he's had it. Everybody
just assumes that if the guy wants to
come back for more, and hence further
procreation then he will, there's no
need for the woman to enjoy it.
NORDAJ
She's supposed to enjoy it, sex isn't
just for procreation these days in case
you haven't noticed.
KELLY
So, all the woman feels is pain. She has
sex on the man's schedule, then she
endures nine months of uncomfortable
hell before some fucking kid, kicking
and screaming, decides to climb out of
her. So, all in all men have their
orgasms, women have kids. It's
disgusting how unfair and offset the
system is. I simply will not participate
in such an act that was made and intended
for one sex to enjoy and the other to
torment under.
She's done. He looks at her.
NORDAJ
But it sure is fun.
KELLY
Spoken like a true egotistical male.
NORDAJ
In this age people do things not for
procreation, but for solely for
pleasure. I pleasure my women.
KELLY
They're faking it.
NORDAJ
I get them going.
KELLY
They're faking it.
He thinks.
NORDAJ
You know, you don't have to have sex for
an orgasm. If that's what you are
against then you can still do something
by yourself, for yourself. No
procreation possible, or even intended,
and the pleasure is still there.
KELLY
Oh yeah.
Skeptical.
NORDAJ
Just with your hand, like guys only
playing around with your tools.
KELLY
With my hand? You want me to stick my
hand in that?
She sounds disgusted.
KELLY
I pee outta there.
She is disgusted.
NORDAJ
All right, it's a hygienic thing, it's
not for you.
He laughs, she looks at him with a mild loathing.
Cause they do get along. This isn't their first
meeting. They're connected through Lee. Nordaj
knows Lee. We'll look more into their relationship
later.
But Nordaj and Kelly have been around together,
Nordaj has pulled a few things outside of the FBI,
some extra-curricular activities. He's as crooked
a lawman as there ever was.
KELLY
Where's my food?
NORDAJ
Don't ask me.
She turns to yell.
KELLY (SPANISH)
Where's my fucking bagel and muffin! I
heat up a bagel in two minutes, and it
takes me ten seconds to grab a muffin!
She turns back to Nordaj.
KELLY
You believe this service?
She turns to yell.
KELLY (SPANISH)
If I don't see my food in sixty seconds
I swear to fucking God! And if I swear
to him it ain't nothing compared to I'm
gonna do to you!
She turns back to him. He's smiling.
NORDAJ
You know they probably had to order in
the bagel and muffin from some other
place.
He drains his coffee.
NORDAJ
Tell Lee that the bru-ha-ha is in
progress, we'll have the place in no
time...
KELLY
...that's fast...
NORDAJ
...and he can be ready to deal the
politics and then bask in victory.
KELLY
Bask, that's a good word, I don't care
what anyone says, it's short and sweet
but it's good. Bask is a word that's
underrated
NORDAJ
No doubt, no doubt.
He gets out of the booth.
NORDAJ (SPANISH)
Farewell, my lady.
He leaves.
She sits a moment in silence. The band finishes
another song, the restaurant claps.
She turns to yell.
KELLY (SPANISH)
Let's get the food over here pronto!
Now! Now! Now!
CUT TO:
SHOT OF:
Church from the very beginning.
INT. CHURCH - TEXAN DESERT - DAY
Back to the beginning where we held the first very
long act. Everybody is sitting where they were
before it is the same time and place.
Gino turns on Mordecai.
GINO
Mordecai. You've been silent up til now.
And I know you've got a yarn in yur
lungs. Tell me the one I want to hear.
Mordecai smiles.
MORDECAI
That can only be one. It hurts me to
tell this tale, but it ain't over yet,
even when I say 'the end.'
DISSOLVE TO:
Mordecai in different clothes and a pair of
sunglasses in Taiwan.
This story will involve the SIAMESE TWINS. They
aren't connected but they are twins from Siam.
MORDECAI (V.O.)
This story involves the Siamese Twins.
Not that they're connected but they are
just a couple of twins from Siam.
SHOT OF:
Siamese Twins in school-girl outfits looking
innocent.
Then...
...BOOM! They lay a couple of deadly head-high
kicks to the heads of the men beside them who
crumble to the ground appropriately.
Back to Mordecai.
MORDECAI
And the elegant, mysterious, Lady Luck.
FLASH:
Mordecai in a suit walking down the streets of
Hong Kong.
He stops. The crowded street goes about its
business. He looks around.
At the end of the street is a woman, a figure
clothed in bright, clean white. Hooded and
faceless.
The figure raises her arms, hands together and
then spreads her arms like Moses as he parts the
Red Sea. And sure enough the crowded street begins
to part. Not that the pedestrians are part against
their will it's just like all their business is at
that moment on the sides of the street.
And there's now a tunnel, a direct pathway from
Mordecai to the white figure, LADY LUCK. Her head
is bent we can't see her face.
Mordecai takes a step forward and unsheathes his
sword halfway.
Lady Luck takes off the other way, as though
floating and the street becomes crowded again as
the peasants flood the middle of the street again.
Mordecai makes his way through the crowd and out
of the street.
When he turns in the alley he finds, the Siamese
Twins waiting for him.
There they are in schoolgirl uniforms. One with a
pair of hand tridents. The other with a pair of
nun-chucks.
Mordecai smiles, pulls out a pair of desert eagles
and unloads, all of which are dodged by the twins,
which we discover only after the dust subsides
within the alley which builds up as he shoots.
There they still are, same spot, same posture.
He smiles again.
MORDECAI
Well, I guess it's about time I get
hittin the dusty trail.
He removes his sword. They walk towards him and
he, them. They meet.
The one blocks Mordecai's sword blow with her hand
tridents and locks it up. The other sends a couple
of blows to Mordecai with her nun-chucks.
Then everything stops, abruptly.
Mordecai's sword is still locked in the hand
tridents.
The nun-chuck twin just stands still looking at
her sister, pouting. We see there's a gun resting
at her temple.
The barrel of a shotgun stare down the other twin.
Holding the shotgun is Hook, standing on a four
foot crate, looking down at the situation. GoGo
holds her hand gun at the head of the twun locked
with Mordecai.
MORDECAI
Hook.
HOOK
Good to see you too Mordecai.
MORDECAI
GoGo. How are you?
She nods, she's fine.
MORDECAI
You eatin good?
She nods again.
MORDECAI
Get all your greens?
She nods.
He turns to Hook.
MORDECAI
I thought you were gonna take off
yesterday?
HOOK
We got caught up. Lady problems, you
know how it is.
GoGo blushes.
HOOK
Anyway. We're taking care of it now. And
you've got a date with destiny right?
MORDECAI
No, Luck.
HOOK
Whatever, hop to it.
MORDECAI
Thanks.
He slides his sword away and sheathes it. He walks
away and leaves the alley.
But we stay at the end of the alley sliding past
it.
HOOK
Try and dodge this.
As we slide past the alley opening we hear the
blast of a shotgun and a hand gun.
EXT. SHI KNI'S PALACE - JAPAN - NIGHT
Gino stands by the car with Jo who is leaning
against it with her back. Gino's samurai sword is
in its sheath around his back, Jo's is lying across
the top of the vehicle.
GINO
You ready?
JO
For what? Waiting?
GINO
Okay, something happens, you call
Topher, he calls Mr. Seven. You wait for
them to get here before you go in. Fuck
the charade, storm the camp, kill
everyone you come across, send Shi Kni
to Hell and head for parts unknown. Got
that?
JO
Course I got it.
Gino looks at her a moment.
GINO
I knew ya did.
He turns to walk across the street. Jo stops him.
JO
If that be the case, why'd you hook up
with Jen?
Gino pauses.
GINO
You think you got more than her?
JO
Is that what you think?
GINO
I think you're a baby girl. I don't want
you to ever mention her again.
Jo bites her lip.
JO
It's your picture that's been riding my
bedside table for the last ten years.
But you don't make me laugh anymore.
GINO
Well, I stopped trying.
He turns back around and continues on his way.
INT. SHI KNI'S PALACE - NIGHT
Gino steps inside and checks the place out. It's
been renovated from an old gothic Japanese temple.
He climbs a wide staircase before him.
At the top there are hallways that go off to the
sides and a third going straight. He takes the
middle one.
There are more stories of Shi Kni's forefathers on
the walls. The hall opens up to a massive dojo.
The ceiling is high and the floor is huge, like a
sports arena.
Two hallways jet out to either side of where Gino
is and go long into other parts of the mansion. At
the far end there are two sets of stairs that go
along the end wall and meet at a landing thirty
feet above the floor.
The landing goes to an elevated walkway that
circles the dojo all the way around.
Gino steps into the light of the dojo. He speaks,
but doesn't yell or raise his voice, as though he
talks to someone just beside him.
GINO (JAPANESE)
Shi Kni, two months ago you aided in the
unprovoked murder of my wife, Jennifer
Violente. I have come to settle our
score, if you wish to defend your
position you may do so by whatever means
you feel necessary. But know this; that
no matter what your defence is, I will
kill you.
Then a soft voice answers back but obviously from
a distance.
SHI KNI O.S. (JAPANESE)
You have traveled very far master
Diablo, perhaps you would like to settle
the score after dinner?
GINO
No way bitch.
Silence. Gino waits. After a moment Shi Kni walks
from a hallway on the other side of the dojo and
appears at the top of the landing, and she
approaches the rail. Flanked by two of her very
best bodyguards.
SHI KNI
Those are very harsh words for an old
friend.
GINO
An old friend such as yourself has never
deserved warmer greetings.
SHI KNI
And to what do we owe the company of an
unannounced guest such as yourself.
GINO
You owe Jen's life. But I'll settle for
yours.
SHI KNI
That you must.
Gino steps into the dojo further, not to the
middle but a few steps forward.
GINO (JAPANESE)
Have you made your peace with Buddha
yet?
She flips out.
SHI KNI (JAPANESE)
How dare you mention the name of that
degenerate dog in my house! That
creature who has enslaved millions at
the expense of the very thing that my
family before me have tried to preserve!
GINO
Don't like people kickin up your turf,
huh? Know how it feels. But don't expect
my sympathies. And once you've buried
the maker, you gotta bury the bitch.
SHI KNI (JAPANESE)
No!
FLASHBACK:
B/W A Japanese man in his mid forties is being
beaten raw by a young man (Diablo). The attack is
being done on the roof of a tall building in
Japan. It's night and the rain pours down from the
sky. Lightning flashes.
The old man is ripped and torn. The man falls to
his knees with his hands cupped praying in his own
language.
The attacker, twenty year-old Gino, pulls out a
samurai sword from the sheath on his back. He
holds it pointed up in two hands. He takes three
steps towards the kneeling man, who makes his neck
a primary target. And SWOOSH....
.....The head is launched from from its place
between the man's shoulders. Gino kicks the
headless kneeling body in the chest and knocks it
off the edge of the building, free-falling to the
ground.
INT. HALLWAY OF BUILDING - JAPAN - NIGHT
B/W Gino struts through the dim hallway, sword
back in its sheath, head in his right hand at his
side. We can't see his face. Blood drips from the
head making a trail on the floor.
As he walks by a door it opens, and a teenage Shi
Kni with tears in her eyes pokes her head out and
watches the man who killed her father walk away
without noticing her.
Back to SHI KNI LOOKING PETRIFIED and heart broken
at the memory, but then pure anger and hatred
enflames from her eyes.
SHI KNI (JAPANESE)
You! It was you who killed my father.
For years I feared I would never find
him, and toiled onerously to find a name
to go with his head!
GINO
Still sore?
She looks at him with eyes that are as though they
try and burn a hole right through Gino's head. She
begins to laugh a maniacal laugh, and then:
SHI KNI (JAPANESE)
Fifteen!
WHOOSH! The fifteen private assassins of Shi Kni
come so fast, almost as though they materialize
out of nowhere, and then drop down off of the
thirty foot landing simultaneously and into the
dojo arena, putting themselves in a line between
Gino and Shi Kni.
Gino observes his opponents with their samurai
swords drawn, ready for attack.
GINO
This all you got Shi Kni? Fifteen?
SHI KNI
You know better than anyone the numbers
before you.
GINO
You know, I don't see why these guys
have anything do to with this. You and
me. You killed my wife, for that I will
get bloody satisfaction.
SHI KNI
You killed my father.
GINO
He was fair game. He was part of the big
picture and he was a job. My wife was
innocent and defenseless.
SHI KNI (JAPANESE)
Not so innocent. She married a
blood-tainted murderer, a man in which
death lives feverishly. She always was a
dirty whore.
GINO (JAPANESE)
Do not say that about my wife.
He stares Shi Kni down and she does the same to
him. The hatred between these two has never been
hotter.
Gino draws his samurai sword from its sheath on
his back. He loosens himself up and prepares to do
battle.
GINO (to everyone) You can't beat me. But by all
means, do try.
He does the Ali shuffle on the spot, stretches his
neck out and then waves his sword around like
eeny-meeny-moe, saying:
GINO
Red rover, red rover. I call that
ass-Jap over.
He points to the Fifteen member in the middle of
the line with the tip of his samurai sword.
The man he's pointing to doesn't know what the
Hell that means. He looks to his left and then his
right for an answer. Nothing. So he readies his
sword in attack position and charges, right at
Gino with a warrior's cry of aggression.
Diablo prepares himself for the oncoming attack.
The man continues to charge.
Shi Kni watches on.
The charging man reaches Gino, as he does so, Gino
sidesteps the man's blow and then in one
swell-foop discharges the head of the man.
The decapitated head flies up into the air, blood
shoots out of the gap between the body's
shoulders, and the body continues running, like a headless
chicken until it collides with the wall, and falls
lifelessly to the ground.
Gino turns around to face his opponents again,
blood splattered a little on his face. There's a
pause.
And then the head falls back down, landing on the
floor between the opposing sides.
Shi Kni takes a deep breath, suppressing her rage,
eyes never leaving Gino.
Then Gino says, in an entirely obscene and mocking
way:
GINO (JAPANESE)
Next!
This pisses the Fourteen off something awful, they immediately
charge Gino without any further orders from their
mistress leader.
This wall of Japs, dressed in black, with samurai
swords runs in unison, step-for-step,
stride-for-stride, with a war cry.
Gino stands at the ready preparing himself for the
attack and looking for openings and developments
in his opponents.
Then they collide. Swords swinging, Japs jumping,
Gino seems to work as a wedge splitting the group
in half.
C/U of GASH across the neck and jugular of one of
the Japs. Blood sprays out and the man flails and
screams in pain.
They break off of Gino and backup, in an attack
stance. They work their way into a circle,
surrounding Gino.
There's a moments pause where everyone stands
still observing and surveying the opponent. It's
quiet.
SLOW/MO: Shi Kni reaches out her hand over the
ledge and drops a pin. Still no sound. The pin
falls the thirty feet through the air and lands
softly on the dojo floor making just the slightest
sound, a pin-drop.
BOOM! The moment the pin hits the floor the attack
begins again with amazing speed and agility. And
with the pin-drop, HEAVY METAL BLARES ON THE
SOUNDTRACK.
The fight seems to be choreographed to the music.
Gino seems to wield his sword masterfully, above
the cut of the everyone else. Even with these
numbers they don't stand a chance.
Not that there's no risk of Gino losing his head,
but his swordsman ship has been proven to the
audience in the past.
Shi Kni observes the battle, unmoving,
unemotionally, and unblinkingly, between her two
bodyguards.
Gino is kicking ass! He jumps up into the air and
lands on the shoulders of one of his attackers.
And while balancing on the man, who stumbles
backwards but doesn't fall, he fights off the rest
of them, who jump in the air, phenomenally high to
takes a swing at Gino.
Then as the man he's on top of falls backwards, he
thrusts his sword into the man's chest, and
pushing off of him to pull the sword and and do a
backflip in the air, to continue his battle.
EXT. SHI KNI'S PALACE - NIGHT
Jo, leaning against the car, pulls out her cell
phone. A voice comes from the other line.
TOPHER (V.O.)
Jo?
JO
You better believe it.
TOPHER (V.O.)
We got trouble?
JO
Give Mr. Seven a ring-a-ding and get
down here pronto.
TOPHER (V.O.)
You got it.
JO
Over and out.
TOPHER (V.O.)
Ten minutes.
Jo hangs up the phone and slips it into her
pocket. She grabs her samurai sword and hurries
across the street to enter the palace alone.
INT. DOJO - SHI KNI'S PALACE - NIGHT
Gino is hacking and slashing; SLASH - CUT - STAB -
SWOOSH. Four down in no time. Blood sprays
everywhere.
He takes a man's arm off, and grabs the samurai
sword from the lifeless arm right out of the air.
Now with his two swords he continues his fight.
He kicks the sword out of the hands of the man in
front of him and then does a three-sixty, slashing
down with both his swords, taking off the man's
hands in unison. He then brings the two swords
back up in unison taking off both the man's arms
simultaneously at the shoulder. The man screams, falling
to the ground.
He spins around and throws the other man's sword
at one of his opponents across the room. It sails
through the air and then buries itself in the
man's stomach.
Three left. They get in strategic places, making a
circle around Gino. He stands with his sword at
his side waiting for them to make the first move.
They do...
...One of them steps forward to slash at Gino, but
gets slashed across the chest.
The other jumps forward at the first of the
other's move but he he gets his arms hacked off.
And the third attacks, Gino knocking the sword out
of the other's hands when he parry's and then
slashes him across the chest from his right
shoulder down to his lower left abdomen.
That's all folks. For that skirmish. There's still
Shi Kni and her bodyguards.
Shi Kni stands there looking down, not with her
head, just her eyes. She's pissed. Than she speaks
to her bodyguards.
SHI KNI (JAPANESE)
He is weak, tired, and overly confident.
He underestimates his opponents. Kill
him.
The bodyguards break off, one going right, the
other left. They both jump up onto the rail and
run gracefully down it as though running on air.
They land on the ground and then take a couple
steps toward Gino, flanking their prey.
Gino takes a few careful steps back, putting
weight on his toes and then shifting to his heels,
and then with the other foot. He holds his sword
steadily.
The two bodyguards, close in on him with their
swords ready to do battle.
C/U of bodyguards hands squeezing tightly on his
samurai sword handle.
C/U of Gino's hands loosening their grip on his
sword.
Then they're off! The two bodyguards leap in the
air in Gino's direction and swinging their swords,
each he fends off quickly.
For this battle there is no music, only the sounds
of the sword clash, feet stepping and landing on
the floor, and the opponents yells of force and
aggression.
The sword fighting here is extremely fast, these
guys are going at it almost in fast motion. This
is Bruse Lee's skill exponentially increased in
all three warriors. It's fucking amazing!!
Shi Kni continues to watch on while these guys
fight, still hasn't done anything, not even moved
from her original location. Then as she watches
on, the blade of a samurai sword thrusts into the
frame right in front of Shi Kni's neck and resting
softly on her jugular. Shi Kni glances over with her
eyes, not her head.
SHI KNI
Josephina?
JO
That's my name, bitch.
The fight continues below.
JO
You listen, and you listen good. Damn
good. My blade is resting on your
jugular, and the slightest twitch could
send you to neverland, where you don't
grow old. I don't want to kill you
because of Jed. I know you don't get
along but your death would break his
heart nonetheless. However, he's already
at pins and needles with Gino so, my
duty is to keep you here until he does
the good job for me.
SHI KNI
He's not doing it for you. He's doing it
for him. He is no more than an angry man
out for his own satisfaction and mental
peace. He is foolish. If he thinks his
rabble of groupies can rise up against
the world's most dangerous assassins one
by one, I say he is foolish.
JO
I know he's foolish. I know he's stupid.
I know he's gonna die. But you ain't the
one that's gonna kill him. Lee is. I
care too much about Gino to let some dog
by the likes of you put a finale on his
beatin heart.
SHI KNI
You want him dead? But you're here to
make sure he lives. You're here to keep
him alive for Lee? I helped Lee, same as
you, for the same thing. I fucked up,
same as you, same as everyone else.
JO
That's why Lee's gonna do it. No one
else. Cause everyone else fucked up. I
will not fail Lee again.
SHI KNI
No, you won't.
The fight continues below. Amazing craft. Shi Kni
turns her eyes back to the battle. Jo looks over
as well.
SHI KNI
It's beautiful isn't it? The way he
fights?
JO
It is.
She looks back over to Jo, with her entire head,
and smiles.
SHI KNI
We never had to be enemies. We could
have been sisters.
JO
Well, I chose Gino, you chose otherwise.
SHI KNI (JAPANESE)
Enemies to the end?
JO
You bet your ass.
We go back to the fight with Gino and the
bodyguards, who are getting worn out.
The skill is amazing. Gino is splattered in blood
from all the other people he's stabbed, and limbs
he's hewn from his victims.
WHOA! Unexpectedly one of the bodyguards right
arms is taken off at the shoulder. The man is
writhing in pain as the other bodyguard continues
to fight Gino.
It may look like the bodyguard is drawing even
with Gino but Gino slices down the man's chest
with a quick, powerful swoop. The bodyguard falls
to the ground dead.
ARM LESS BODYGUARD
Kaia!
The mono-arm bodyguard runs at Gino with his sword
raised in his left hand and continues his fight
with the moment-supposed victor. Blood gushing and
swelling out of his shoulder wound.
Gino fights him off quick, taking off the man's
other arm.
Back to Jo and Shi Kni.
JO
You understand that he's gonna kill you?
SHI KNI
Not at all.
JO
Good. Cause it's gonna happen. You're
gonna die, but at least you'll go like a
warrior.
Gino turns around to look back at Shi Kni. And he
looks at her, standing there, by herself. Jo is
gone, without a trace or any sign whatsoever that
she was ever there.
GINO
It would seem that there are now no
further obstacles, impeding my course to
your death.
SHI KNI
So it would.
GINO
Do you care to join me on the dance
floor.
SHI KNI
I very much care.
GINO
Is that so?
SHI KNI
You have just killed seventeen people
that I held dear. Seventeen mothers have
lost their children. Seventeen women who
will never touch their lovers again. How
can a man live with himself knowing what
you know? You know loss. But still you
kill and kill and kill. If even someone
such as yourself will not stop the
violence, then I perceive that our world
is doomed for ever more.
GINO
Is that poetry?
SHI KNI
Prose.
GINO
Right. Don't act so innocent yourself.
You also know loss. You also lead a life
of murder and deceit. I have trailed
from that life, and am relieved of it. I
am here to end the violence. You of all
people knowest, that one must fight
fire, with fire.
SHI KNI
Indeed.
Gino waves his hand out, inviting her to come
down.
GINO
Shall we.
Shi Kni turns to her side, always keeping her eyes
glued on Gino. Eyes never leaving her opponent,
and she walks gracefully down the stairs and into
a position, some fifty feet in front of Gino.
GINO
Have I ever told you how beautiful you
are?
SHI KNI (JAPANESE)
Just now.
GINO
That was strictly a question, not an
implied compliment.
She scowls. He smiles.
GINO
But honestly, you are beautiful.
SHI KNI
You had a beautiful wife.
Gino stares her down. Is it sincerity or a mind
game.
SHI KNI
She was more beautiful than I. I never
had a quarrel with her. She was a good
person. It was strictly business.
GINO
Likewise.
SHI KNI
Agreed.
They understand each other.
An old SAMURAI WAR CHANT bellows out on the
SOUNDTRACK.
Shi Kni draws her samurai sword from somewhere
underneath her beautifully elegant dress. She
holds it straight up in front of her, dividing her
face symmetrically.
Gino holds his sword up, ready.
They stare each other down and then...
Silence...
...Shi Kni charges, running full out and BOOM!
They meet with SOUNDTRACK switching back to the
HEAVY METAL beat from earlier.
Gino runs backwards, and she continues forwards at
the same speed. She attacks with much
aggressiveness. The swords are flying at an amazing
speed.
Gino stops and stands his ground. Shi Kni, in
front of him fights offensively.
WHOOSH! She jumps up over Gino and does a
flip/roundhouse over him, parrying a couple times
in the air and then lands again facing Gino as he
turns around with her. They relax.
GINO (JAPANESE)
Very good. You have my respect. But you
stole from me. And I will kill you.
SHI KNI (JAPANESE)
Do not try to teach me a lesson. I am no
longer a student.
She attacks he parries they pause.
GINO (JAPANESE)
No, not a student and so you won't be
able to learn from your next mistake.
They continue to battle each other to the death.
EXT. SHI KNI'S PALACE - NIGHT
Jo, back outside, is waiting by her car again. A
nice jaguar, jet black, pulls up beside her.
There's a pause where she just stares at the driver's
side window, seeing her reflection clearly.
Then the window slowly lowers and Topher's face
appears.
TOPHER
You work for Papa Gringo? The legendary
Japanese pimp?
JO
You better believe it. Want a taste?
She steps forward, her crouch in the window.
TOPHER
Get it outta here.
They laugh.
JO
Where's Mr. Seven?
TOPHER
Well, if Mr. Seven was seven-point-
seven miles away, and received his call
at 11:33, and then proceeded to move at thirty-three-point-nine
miles per hour, after taking twenty-
eight seconds to reach his car, at what
time would Mr. Seven arrive? Accounting
for the variable of the traffic at this
time.
JO
Is that an independent variable?
TOPHER
No, I think it's dependent.
Jo looks down at her watch, rolls her eyes,
thinking.
JO
Seventeen seconds.
BLACK FRAME
TITLE APPEARS:
"Seventeen Seconds Later"
Back to scene.
Topher and Jo are still standing there, neither
has moved in the unseen seventeen seconds.
Then an engine roars. And a car comes flying
around the corner and skids to a halt in the
middle of the street.
Mr. Seven steps out sporting a huge afro, and
brushes off the wrinkles from his black suit.
MR. SEVEN
Let's do this thing.
Topher and Mr. Seven head up the stairs. Jo comes
skipping along behind until she catches up with
them, when she then swings from between their
shoulders.
INT. DOJO - SHI KNI'S PALACE - NIGHT
Shi Kni and Gino continue their battle in the
dojo. No further interruptions. The two warriors
have broken a sweat. We can hear the laboured
breathing and sword clangs.
Shi Kni jumps up and runs off of Gino's chest as
he leans back like he's Matrixing a bullet. Shi
Kni lands and turns back to him. He springs back
up and turns to her.
They make eye contact. WASH! The scene changes to
having extremely HIGH CONTRAST lighting. The MUSIC
blares again in time with the change of the
lights. The warriors again have at each other,
continuing to fight in the high contrast lighting
of the camera.
Shi Kni is by far Gino's greatest opponent yet.
They keep swinging madly at each other, but the
spinning and movement mixed with the high contrast
lighting has made it difficult to decipher who is
who.
Then...
...SWISH! SPLAT! A blade comes down quick across
one of the opponent's chests. Blood splats out
onto the floor. Who's been hit???
Back to normal COLOR.
C/U Gino's face.
C/U Shi Kni's face - triumphant.
Gino looks down. There's a gash diagonally down
the right side of his chest. His right arm holding
his sword, shakes in pain. He takes a deep loud
breath like he's sucking the air.
GINO
Boy, does that smart.
SHI KNI
No kidding?
Gino closes his eyes.
GINO
No. Sometimes just gotta take your
licks. One... Two... Three... Four...
Five.
Gino lunges at Shi Kni catching her a little off
guard but she blocks his initial attack. Gino
leaves his eyes shut. And he is winning.
Shi Kni is having trouble keeping up, and the fact
that his eyes are closed distracts her a bit. Gino
strikes again and again until Shi Kni fucks up,
and he strikes one final time.
He stabs her in the middle of the lower chest,
right under her sternum, not piercing her
breastbone. He doesn't stab very deep. Shi Kni's face
goes shocked and empty. She's not dead, yet.
Gino opens his eyes to look at his work. Shi Kni's
eyes meet his.
GINO
I'm almost sorry it has to be this way.
But in your next life you'll thank me.
She nods her agreement. And then she leans toward
him, he leans half the way and she does the same,
putting her mouth to his ear she whispers:
SHI KNI
She wants you dead. If you wish to be
successful in your crusade, beware the
one with the red head.
GINO
Jo?
He looks her in the eye. She nods. He considers
the validity of this statement.
SHI KNI
And when you get the chance, tell her
that Jed id dead. And I did it.
He looks at her another moment then pushes the
sword the rest of the way in, piercing her heart.
She goes limp on his sword and he lays her down
softly.
MR. SEVEN
You guys exchanging insurance?
Gino looks up to Mr. Seven who is entering the
room.
GINO
Is that a joke?
MR. SEVEN
Did you just answer my question with a
question?
GINO
Did you just do the same?
Topher steps out of a hall from the side on the
balcony that goes all the way around the dojo.
TOPHER
Are guys going to go on like this all
night?
MR. SEVEN
Do you want us too?
TOPHER
Do you want too?
JO
Would you guys shut up?
She enters from the other side up on the balcony.
TOPHER
Is that not a question as well?
JO
Would you like me to stick a sharp
object up your ass hole?
TOPHER
Do you want to?
GINO
Are guys done asking questions?
MR. SEVEN
Isn't that another question?
JO
Isn't that?
Gino's had enough.
GINO
No more questions. Now, what are you
guys doing here?
JO
That's a question.
TOPHER
That's an answer.
JO
No it isn't, it's a fact.
Topher considers.
GINO
Why is everyone here?
MR. SEVEN
Topher called me.
TOPHER
Jo called me.
JO
I was lonely.
Gino gives each one a look.
GINO
So you called Topher and told him to get
his ass over here with Mr. Seven?
JO
I thought we could make a party of it.
Gino doesn't care to take it further.
GINO
Nobody cares about my injury?
MR. SEVEN
Well when I came in here you seemed to
be doing okay.
JO
Hey guys.
They all looks over at her, she's looking up at
the ceiling. The ceiling is high above them and
it's glass.
JO
Hook 'n GoGo are on the roof.
They all look up. Hook 'n GoGo are on the roof.
Hook pulls out a gun and fires between his feet
shattering the glass, and sending him and GoGo
falling toward the floor of the dojo.
Glass falls all around the experience members. And
then Hook'n GoGo who land gracefully on their feet
like cats. They both aim a gun in each hand at the
experience. Four guns for four people.
GINO
Hook, what're you doing in Japan?
HOOK
Protecting my investment.
GINO
It's maybe too late, if your investment
was Shi Kni.
HOOK
It isn't.
GINO
So you just gonna kill me?
HOOK
No Gino. I killed you the same day I did
your wife. I don't have the heart to
take the mickey out of you a second
time. I am truly sorry Gino. But I did
it with the best intentions, and it
seemed like a good idea at the time.
GINO
You're just dishin out every excuse
known to mankind. But not a breath or a
boatload of sympathy is gonna save you
from me. I will get the satisfaction of
your head in my hand.
HOOK
That's what worries me, or doesn't. We
are the same you and I Gino, both
protective of our women, but you did
fuck up man. You left her alone, in a
world of violence and deceit. And you
are paying for that mistake right now.
GINO
That wasn't a mistake. I don't make
mistakes. You better make a move cause
like a jackrabbit trapped in a log by a
fox I will lash out and take you down in
a second.
HOOK
What's it gonna be Diablo? Ladies first.
Long pause everyone glances from one pair of eyes
to another to survey everybody's thoughts and
emotions. Then Gino whistles and he, Jo, Topher
and Mr. Seven simply walk out of the dojo without
glancing back to Hook or GoGo.
HOOK
That's your move Diablo! Come back we
still have to exchange insurance!
They continue on and out of the building.
EXT. SHI KNI'S PALACE - NIGHT
The four of the them walk over to Gino's car.
TOPHER
You hear that? Hook's got an investment.
MR. SEVEN
You know what that means?
GINO
He's got the money.
JO
Well aren't we gonna kill'em?
GINO
Don't worry, they'll be dead at the next
scene.
BLACK.
CREDITS.
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