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"PERMANENT DAMAGE"
by
L. Storm Gaye
 
Laila Storm Gaye
3001 Branch Avenue, 315
Washington, DC  20748
Lgaye@wrf.com
301-423-6099

FADE IN:
INT. CITY FEDERAL BANK - MORNING
It's small and quaint.  Friendly and personable.  The type of bank family that 
remembers your birthday.  Staff's been working there for years and know all the 
customers.  There's three TELLERS at their counters preparing their areas.  Two 
LOAN OFFICERS with corner cubicles.  One is named MARY, and she's pouring coffee 
and placing doughnuts on a tray for the customers.  There's a SECURITY GUARD 
reading the morning paper.  And there's a VOLT ATTENDANT nibbling on a doughnut, 
chatting with one of the Tellers.  The staff takes their respective places as 
the wall clock strikes 8:59 a.m.  A teller passes through a bulletproof security 
door diving the lobby from the teller area and heads for the door.
TELLER
Time to open up.
MARY
Is Byron Post out there.
TELLER
Not sure.  I'll check.
MARY 
If he is, keep him occupied.  I think he threatened me indirectly yesterday.  
His loan was denied.
TELLER
Uh oh.  No problem, Mary.  
(checking)
Yup, third in line.
EXT. CITY FEDERAL BANK - DAY
PATRONS form a line at the entrance filling out deposit/withdrawal slips, 
balancing checkbooks, signing the back of checks, etc.  
Third in line is BYRON POST (30s).  He's pal, standoffish and has absent, but 
panicky eyes.  He's sweating profusely as he counts his $13, as if it's 
hundreds.  He checks his watch.
BYRON
(murmur)
C'mon.  What's going on?  It's a minute after nine.
The Patron in front of him overhears him and checks her watch.
PATRON
You're a little fast, Byron.  Three more minutes, dear.
Byron shoots her a distant look.  The crowd grows pleased at the site of the 
Teller unlocking the glass door.  She swings it open and the Patrons file in.
SECURITY GUARD
Good morning.
BYRON
Guess they're opening two minutes early according to your watch.
INT. CITY FEDERAL BANK
Unison "Good mornings" as the Patrons grab bank slips, doughnuts and handle 
their financial business.
TELLER
Good morning.  Come in.  Come in.  Welcome to City Federal.  Help yourself to 
coffee, doughnuts.  Good morning, Mrs. Langley.  Hi, Ms. Royal.  How was your 
vacation?  Long time no see Mr. Gooding.  How's that knee?  Did you get the 
fruit basket?  Good.  Morning, Mr. Post.  Didn't I just see you yesterday?
BYRON
Yeah, applied for a loan.  The bank denied me.
TELLER
Sorry to hear that.  Making a deposit, today?
BYRON
Yeah, don't wanna keep it at home.  Rather it made interest, you know what I 
mean?
TELLER
Yeah, well, have a doughnut.  I'll be with you in a sec.
The Teller makes her way the crowd to the teller entrance.
Byron's POV as he explores the bank, his eyes recording everything.  He's making 
mental notes.  He notices Mary with a Patron.  The security guard wrapped up in 
his paper.  
An ARMORED TRUCK GUARD dashes through the door.  He heads straight for the volt 
door.  Byron follows unconsciously.  The Volt Attendant allows the Armored Truck 
Guard access, but abruptly stops Byron from passing through.
ATTENDANT
Just a minute, Mr. Post.  You have to have a safety deposit box to enter here.  
You know that.
BYRON
Sorry.  I was thinking about opening one up.
ATTENDANT
(bewildered)
Only existing customers allowed this far.  You have to see Mary.  She'll give 
you the forms to fill out.
BYRON
Yeah, thanks.
Byron wanders over to the teller line.
EXT./INT. ABANDONED BUILDING - NIGHT
A smoky, dim lit room with cardboard boxes stacked against the walls.  A round 
table is in the center of the room with a chandelier beaming down on it.  
Seating at the table is PAIGE (20), tattooed, chain-smoking cigarettes, BUTCH 
(30s), scoffing down a box of Twinkies and drawing comic characters, ROTH (50s) 
an Englishman wearing the glasses, the suit, the whole bit and is taking swigs 
of whiskey from a flask.
Byron, somewhat older-looking now than before, paces the floor nervously.
For a long beat, everyone's dead silent, staring at each other.
Paige takes a long drag of her cigarette, then...
PAIGE
Where the hell is your boy, Monte, Byron?  I knew this little scheme of yours 
would never work.  You don't have the brains to pull off an operation of this 
magnitude.
Butch stares into Paige's eyes, focusing.  She whistles smoke in his face and 
rolls her eyes.  Butch coughs and fans the smoke away.  He returns to his 
drawing.
BYRON
Calm down, Paige, alright.  Monte'll be here.  Let's give him some more time.  
Maybe he ran into traffic or something.
butch
(chewing, muffled)
Dude, if he's late for this meeting, what makes you so sure he won't be late for 
the heist?  No mistakes, remember?
BYRON
He'll be here.  He gave me his word.
ROTH
His word?  That's something not too many cherish here in America
BUTCH
By the way, I thought you were providing refreshments.  I could use a soda right 
now.
PAIGE
You could use a kick in the ass right now.  
Butch stands and moves over to a seat next to Roth.  Paige peeks over at his 
pad, which reveals a picture of a woman, resembling her, with a crown of 
cigarettes.
ROTH
I'm having tea with friends at six.  Can we just start without him and fill him 
in later?
PAIGE
(English accent, sarcastically)
Oh that makes a lotta of sense, Roth.  Jolly ol' chap.
(dropping the accent)
I say we go on without him.  Period.  He's cut.  Can't get here on time.  He's 
cut.
BUTCH
He can't be out.  He knows too much.
BYRON
Look, nobody's out.  We just have to sit here and wait for him.
Paige screws her cigarette into the table and lights another.
ROTH
Very well then.  We sit here and wait.  I'll just explain to my friends that I 
had a bank robbery meeting that ran over.
Door hinges SQUEAK as two men enter.  All eyes land on MONTE (20s) Black and 
HOLDEN (17) toting two firearms.  Monte and Holden direct the guns toward them 
and panomime shooting them.  They're stunned to the point of their hearts stop 
beating.
MONTE
This is a raid.  Put your hands up. 
ROTH
Bless the Queen, we're being robbed.
MONTE
Gotcha.
They exhale and in unison BICKER.
BYRON
All right you guys.  Settle down.  Geez, Monte, where've you been?  We've been 
waiting almost an hour.  
PAIGE
And more importantly, who the hell is this you brought with you.
MONTE
This is my boy, Holden.
ROTH
Well, if I knew we could bring guest, I would've brought the tea party here.
Butch now focusing on Holden.  Drawing him.
BUTCH
Holden?  Turn to the side.
holden
(turning unconsciously)
what?
MONTE
'Member I told you I had an audition today?  It ran a little longer than I 
expected.
BYRON
You didn't tell me you had an audition.  Monte, you have to be more focused.  
ROTH
Might we move on to bigger issues?  The weapons.  I never agreed to use them.
PAIGE
You know my deal.  I'm on probation.
BYRON
Nobody's using guns.  There's no need.  We're going in after bank hours.  No one 
will be there but us.
MONTE
I brought my boy 'cause I knew he could score us some guns.  
PAIGE
You put us all in jeopardy by revealing our plans, Monte.  
BUTCH
Yeah, who else did you tell?
 MONTE
Let me think?  Nobody.
BYRON
You sure, Monte.  We can't have room for errors like this.
HOLDEN
When he told me, I told a buddy of mine.  He gave me the guns.
PAIGE
Fuck this.  We're screwed.  What bright idea can you come up with to fix this, 
Byron.
BUTCH
Paige shut the fuck up.  You're always yapping.  I'm two minutes off your ass.
PAIGE
Oh, is your clock fast.
They reach over and go at it.  It's broken up by Byron.  Roth takes a swig of 
his flask.  The group COMPLAINS to Byron in unison.
ROTH
Bloody hell.  Why don't we get some order here.
PAIGE
You know what, I'm not getting caught up in this.  This has disaster written all 
over it.  I'm outta here.
MONTE
And who's to say you won't rat us out, huh?
BYRON
Alright, alright, alright.  Let's just calm down.  Everybody's in.  We've all 
committed to do this.  Bank screwed each of us over.  With the exception of 
Holden here.  Now, we'll just have to fit Holden in somehow.  Let's go over the 
particulars.
Byron places a blueprint onto the table.  Reluctant at first, they all huddle 
around and their eyes dive in.
PAIGE
(pointing)
What's this point here?
BYRON
Ah, that's where we need you now.  You're the diversion.  Let's go through it 
step by step so no one's confused.  
Paige light another cigarette.
holden
Where you going to put me?
BYRON
Good question.  Holden, you can stand on the roof of the diner.  That way 
anything Paige doesn't see, you'll get and radio us so we can get the hell outta 
there.  
HOLDEN
The roof?  That's all I get to do?
roth
He's the eyes.  We know this chap for three minutes and he gets the most 
important job of the whole operation?  You're very trusting.  Maybe he should 
drive the car.
PAIGE
I'm driving the car.
butch
Does it matter who does what?  I mean, we're all getting an equal share.
HOLDEN
I brought the amo.  I was hoping I'd have a more lucrative position.  Guarding 
the door or something.
MONTE
You're the eyes, Hold.  Let it go.
BYRON
Let's move on.  Roth, you are to disconnect the wiring and the cameras so the 
alarm isn't activated once you here reenter.  
ROTH
Got it.  
BYRON
You're straight on wardrobe.
ROTH
Of course.
BYRON
Monte and I will enter the vault, fill the bags with the cash and get outta 
there.  Everybody got.  Let's just go over it one more time.
EXT. CITY FEDERAL BANK - NIGHT
Paige, now wearing a fire engine red wig, is punching keys on the ATM machine 
key pad.  In the corner of her eye she darts a squad car.  Playing it cool, she 
checks her watch and whispers into her sleeve.
PAIGE
They're on time.
She makes eye contact with the OFFICER in squad car.
OFFICER
Everything okay, ma'am?
PAIGE
Everything's fine, officer?
The squad car gently rolls by as Paige resumes punching keys.
paige
(into her radio)
Five-O just left.  We're down to six minutes before the next watch.  We're on 
schedule?
					MONTE
			We're looking good.

Paige paces up the block and gets into a sedan.  She snatches her wig off, fixes 
her hair and fires up a cigarette.  She starts the engine and waits.  

Rothf strolls up to the bank door in janitor drag toting a mop and bucket.  He 
bends down and unlocks the door.  Peeks over his shoulders and enters.  The 
alarm is activated.  He fiddles at a few wires and the alarm is disabled.

INT. CITY FEDERAL BANK

Roth locates the light switch on the wall.  Flicks it ON and sets the mop and 
bucket against the wall.  The sound of a stomach GROWLING.  It's Butch dressed 
as a security guard.

Butch flicks the lights OFF.

					BUTCH
			You want to blow our cover?  Keep 
			the lights off.

					ROTH
			Are you mad?  I'm the janitor.  No
			one will suspect me.

He flicks the lights ON.  Butch flicks them OFF.  They go back and forth until 
Butch's stomach GROWLS again.  

					BUTCH
			Gotta take a dump.

He takes off.

Seconds later...
Byron, Monte and Holden enter.
	
ROTH
			What is Holden doing here?

					MONTE
			He didn't stay on the roof of the
			building.

					HOLDEN
			I'm afraid of heights.

					BYRON
			It's too late to worry about it
			now.  Let's just get this over
			with.  Where are we on time?  

					ROTH
			There and a half minutes.
They access the volt gate.

INT. VOLT AREA

Byron leading the way through a secure section, Monte, Roth and Holden in tow.

					PAIGE
				(O.S.)
			Come the fuck on, y'all.  The
			police'll be here any minute.

					BYRON
				(into his radio)
			We're accessing the volt now.
			Copy?

					PAIGE
				(O.S.)
			Well I'm bailing if your asses
			aren't out here on time.  Copy
			that?

They each gather bags in one pile.  Byron tugs at the volt.  It won't budge.  
Tries it again.  Nothing.

					BYRON
			You did disarm the volt, right
			Roth?

					ROTH
			You said nothing about disarming
			the volt?

					MONTE
			Ah, shit!  We're fucked.  I'm getting
			the hell outta here.

He's about to leave when...

					HOLDEN
			Good thing I came prepare.  

Holden pulls out a handgun and shoots at the volt's bolt lock.  Nothing.  They 
all realize the gun was a fake.

					BUTCH
			Dude, you were carrying around fake
			amunition?

					HOLDEN
			I'm an actor.  This gun has got
			me out of a lot of close calls and
got me through many an audition.

		ROTH
This bloke brought a fake gun to
a bank robbery.  I'm moving back
to Notting Hill.

		BYRON
Let's just calm down.  There's a
solution.  Let's just put our heads
together and think this thing through.

					MONTE
			Fuck it.  They gotta have money 
			behind the counter, or lying around
			somewhere.  This is a fucking bank.

					BUTCH
			I gotta take a dump.  

					BYRON
			Hold it.  It's worth a try.  Come on.

					PAIGE
				(O.S.)
			Sixty seconds.  Fifty nine.

They scramble into the...

INT. TELLER AREA

Byron tries the bulletproof door.  It's sealed shut, practically.  

					PAIGE
				(O.S.)
		Thirty seconds.  Oh, shit!  Here
			they come.

We hear Paige's car tires SQUEAL, o.s.
Holden'S POV the Officer's head against the glass door as he peeks in.

					HOLDEN
		We got company.

They all look at the glass door.  The Officer sees silohuettes moving around 
inside.  He grabs for his radio and plummets to the floor unconsciously.  

We pull out to reveal Paige clock him over the head with a LoJack.  

She motions for them to come outside.  They scramble around and exit swiftly.

Paige zips by the squad car where the Officer's car is double-parked.

					PAIGE
		I started not to come back for you 
dumb 	fucks.  The car is over here.
	
Byron hops in the driver's seat, Paige in the passenger seat and the rest 
squeeze into the back of the sedan and it rockets away.  They all QUARREL 
indistinctly.

SIRENS are heard in the distance.

A squad car pull up and block the sedan in.  They look back at the squad car and 
the dead cop at the bank entrance and panic.

					PAIGE
		Now we're fucked.		

					ROTH
			Oh, bloody hell!  Now what do we do?

					BYRON
			Just calm down.  They have nothing on
		us.

					BUTCH
			They'll have everything on Paige.  She
			killed the cops.

					HOLDEN
		I don't know about you but I'm not
			going to jail without a fight.

					MONTE
		Shut the hell up, man.  With your
			fake ass gun.

					HOLDEN
			They don't know that.

					BYRON
		Everybody shut up.  Let me do all
			the talking.

Two cops stroll up to the car, FORD searching the vehicle with a flashlight, 
PASCAL over to Byron's side.

					BYRON
			What seems to be the problem officer?

					HOLDEN
		He comes over here and gets two in the
			head.

					PASCAL
			I need you to step out of the vehicle
		please, sir.

					MONTE
			On what grounds.  He has to tell you.
			'Cause you got a black man in your car?

					BYRON
		Why, officer?

					FORD
		Looks clean.  I'll run the plates.

Byron lifts his hands and steps out of the vehicle.

					PASCAL
			You mind if we search your vehicle, sir?

					BYRON
			Oh, no.  I know my rights.  You gotta
		have a warrant or something.

					PASCAL
			Sir, alls we need is probable cause.

					PAIGE
			What the fuck is the probable cause,
		then, huh?

Paige gets out of the car.

					MONTE
			Oh, shit.  Miss Ghetto Superstar.

					BYRON
			Paige, I'll handle this.  Get back
		in the car.  

The Officer look at Byron and then in the direction of Paige then back at Byron.

					BYRON
			Excuse her, Officer.  She's had 
a little to drink.  We're coming 
from a party and I'm the designated 
driver.

Pascal takes another look.  There's no Paige and nobody is in the car with him.  

					PASCAL
			Sir, there's no one else in the 
vehicle with you.

					BYRON
				(looking inside)
		What do you mean...Wait a minute, 
there's Butch...

					MONTE
			Ah, shit, he's busting us.

					BYRON
		Monte, Roth, Paige and Holden.  I 
don't know too much about him, but 
the rest I've know for a while.

Ford returns.

					FORD
		Registered to a Harold Cavanaugh, 
6232 Milford Lane.  Not reported 
stolen.

					BYRON
			That's bull.  This is my car.  
Byron Post.

					PASCAL
		We understand.  We're going to 
have to take you down to the station.

					BYRON
			But, but.
				(to Paige)
		Paige, drive the others home.  I'll 
call 	later and explain everything.  

					PAIGE
			Sorry, Byron.  

She flicks her cigarette into the grass and hops into the driver's seat.

Pascal ducks Byron's head inside and climbs into the driver's seat.  FORD gets 
in.

					FORD
		I flagged if for tow.

INT. POLICE STATION - INTERROGATION ROOM - LATER

A jittery Byron is sitting at the table speaking with his attorney.  Officers 
PASCAL and FORD and a detective are seen looking through a double-sided mirror 
from the Observation Room.

					ATTORNEY
			I don't know what to tell you, Byron.
			They have your fingerprints inside
			the bank.

					BYRON
			But the plan fell through.  All they
			have is breaking and entering.  Right?

					ATTRONEY
			I'm afraid not.  

INT. OBSERVATION ROOM

Detective sips coffee from a styrofoam cup.

					PASCAL
			He escaped from the mental
			hospital eight days ago.

					DETECTIVE
			You contact his doctor?

					PASCAL
			He's on the way.

					DETECTIVE
			It's sad when they lose their marbles
			like that.

					PASCAL
			He's claiming his friend Paige killed
			an officer patrolling the abandoned
building where I picked him up.  Didn't 
check out.

					FORD
			He thought he was robbing a bank?

					PASCAL
			Yeah, the bank burned down about ten
years ago.

					FORD
			Good work, Pascal.

Detective exits, Pascal continues to watch Byron talk to his invisible attorney.  
He's talking to himself.  Slamming his hand on the table.  Scratching his head.

FADE OUT.

	
3

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