46 INT. PACIFIC DINING CAR - BACK ROOM - DAY 46
Leather booths and big, padded chairs. It's empty. Save for a corner table. Three scary 40ish bruisers in immaculate suits, DOUG, STAN, and LOU, share a top-notch cabernet.
Doug and Stan see Alonzo, react like they've seen a ghost. Lou turns, sees Alonzo. And quickly stands. It's tense. Like there could be a gunfight. Jake's hand creeps to his gun. Alonzo and Lou converge, trading serious questions and answers with their eyes. Jake watches Stan and Doug. They watch him. Alonzo and Lou grab hands grimly.
CUT TO:
LOU
(softly)
I don't know why I'm meeting you. I don't talk to dead men.
ALONZO
(smiles, winks)
Ain't dead yet, you prick.
They shake vigorously, smile big. Everyone relaxes.
LOU
Who the hell is Ricky Rookie?
Alonzo grabs Jake's shoulder, pulls him into the huddle. Jake notes none wear shoes.
ALONZO
This is Jake Hoyt, first day in my
squad.
Jake shakes Lou's hand. Sees an LAPD Captain's badge on his belt. Jake realizes these guys are police administrators.
ALONZO
Jake, this is Lou Jacobs. You
ever have to talk to a fed, talk to this man first. He'll get your back.
JAKE
Pleased to meet you, sir.
ALONZO
This is Stan Gursky, runs the
D.A.'s shooting team. Think about him before you pull a trigger, okay? Stan will rock your world if you make a bad call.
JAKE
(shaking with Stan)
Pleased to meet you, sir.
ALONZO
And this is Doug Rosselli, does
high-dollar theft cases for the poodle crowd. Your Picasso takes a trip, Doug'll find it or die trying.
Doug stares at Jake like he's a bug as they shake. Jake withers a little.
JAKE
Pleased to meet you, sir.
Lou takes Alonzo's arm.
LOU
Have a seat, guy.
Alonzo slides into a leather chair at their table.
ALONZO
Shoo, boy. Shoo.
He points out the corner table for Jake. Jake crosses, sits, his back to their table.
LOU
Seems like a good kid.
ALONZO
Why the long face, Doug? Feds
seize your house or something?
Chuckles from Lou and Stan.
DOUG
Spent twelve months trying to
catch this serial burglar. A
real slickster, gave up nothing. Captain rode my ass the entire time. What broke it? Luck.
Caught in the act by a patrolman. We had him. Prosecutor's first major case but he slam-dunked it. From a stepladder. Jury deliberates half a day. Comes back guilty on ten out of eleven counts. The shitbag was looking at a twenty-five minimum.
STAN
Minimum. Bye-bye, toilet-licker.
DOUG
Sentencing was today --
LOU
-- Judge is female.
DOUG
Right. Landers.
ALONZO
I know her. Sharp lady.
DOUG
Before this guy goes to the
hearing, he gets a hold of some peanut butter and packs his ass
crack with it. He's standing tall before the bench to give his statement, shoves his hand down his pants and comes out with a gob of fuckin' extra-chunky Jiff. Coulda heard a pin drop. Bailiffs wouldn't come near him. He looks the judge right in her eyes and licks his fingers clean. Holy shit. The judge, she screams. All these homeowners are there
to read statements, they run out screaming.
Alonzo is breaking up. Stan and Lou too.
ON JAKE laughing too.
DOUG
No wait, here's the punchline.
Judge orders him to psychiatric.
STAN
Fucker'll do six months in the
puzzle factory before they say he's normal and kick him loose.
DOUG
Won't do a day in prison.
ALONZO
If the asshole's clever enough to
play the system like that, I say he earned his freedom.
DOUG
I see him on the street, I'm gonna
fuckin' do him.
ALONZO
Take his bullets, Stan.
ALONZO
Hey, listen, been showing my new
guy around town. Scored some reefer for him to smoke. But he wouldn't. So I run through the whole bit, the gun to the head. Everything. 'Okay,' he says. I light up and it stinks like burnt rubber, right? Nevertheless, I pass it to him.
The detectives grin knowingly.
STAN
You're an asshole.
DOUG
Kid's gotta learn.
ALONZO
We're in MacArthur Park and he
starts screaming and jumps out of my car.
The detectives are hooked. So is...
Jake.
Listening, sipping water.
ALONZO
So I chase him down this alley
and, holy shit, he's jamming two huge crackheads and there's this mamacita with a bloody nose. Kid stopped a rape.
STAN
No shit.
LOU
Kid's got a magic eye.
ALONZO
That's what I told him. Kid's a
prince.
Jake beams with beer-buzzed pride.
ON DETECTIVES
ALONZO
His first day on the squad and
know what he tells me? (pathetic voice)
'You're a rogue cop.'
Roars of laughter from the Detectives.
ON JAKE
He turns, sees it's a serious pow-wow. Overhears:
STAN
Heard you had an expensive weekend
in Vegas. How'd you screw up so bad?
ALONZO
How could I know? Vegas ain't my
town. I'm not omniscient.
LOU
You should hop a jet outta here.
ALONZO
Why? It's an easy fix.
LOU
Whose?
ALONZO
One of mine. My first.
The three suits shudder, trade looks.
LOU
You're messed up.
STAN
How?
ALONZO
I can cash out an account.
ALONZO
He's a security risk. Who's gonna
keep him off the radar if I'm gone. You? I'm taxing him.
A beat. Stan acquiesces.
STAN
It's your call. Do not dick this
up. I do not want you on the front page with the rest of those assholes.
Alonzo smiles. And the men speak in hushed tones. Jake turns to look.
JAKE'S POV
Lou, Doug, Stan and Alonzo stare back at him.
BACK TO SCENE
Jake snaps his eyes to his plate. The men murmur. The Waiter arrives with Jake's steak.
WAITER
You should know when not to
listen.
Jake reacts. The Waiter quickly exits. Jake looks at his steak. Pushes away the plate.
CUT TO:
47 EXT. PACIFIC DINING CAR - DAY 47
Alonzo and Jake exit. It's obvious something big is going down. Alonzo is excited, happy, the raid jacket underarm. He crosses to the valet.
ALONZO
Gimme the keys for the grey one.
Alonzo receives a key ring. Alonzo crosses to one of three plush unmarked police sedans in the lot. Jake watches him open the trunk and empty his jacket inside. Alonzo returns the keys to the valet.
CUT TO:
48 INT. G-RIDE (6TH STREET INTO DOWNTOWN) - MOVING - DAY 48
Alonzo drives away. Dials his cell phone.
ALONZO
It's me. We gotta green light.
Fax the warrant to the clerk and tell her to get the judge to sign it. I want you and Paul to bring it to location one. Have Jeff get some picks and shovels. Sign 'em out from maintenance. Copy that?
(beat)
Good. Hurry up.
He hangs up.
JAKE
How much was in your jacket?
ALONZO
Forty G's.
JAKE
What for?
ALONZO
You wanna know?
JAKE
I wanna know.
ALONZO
Nothing's free in this world. Not
even an arrest warrant.
Jake didn't want to know.
JAKE
Who's it for?
ALONZO
A real bag of shit. A genuine bad
guy. Been investigating this vile bastard for ten years. He's a big fish in a big pond. Today I fry him. The squad's gonna get some glory. Talkin' name-making shit. We'll be getting handshakes from the Chief and Mayor. Wanna piece, new guy?
A beat. Jake smiles. Sounds good.
JAKE
Hell, yeah. I wanna piece.
ALONZO
Knew you would.
49 EXT. PARKING GARAGE - DAY 49
Near downtown. An unmarked police sedan waits. The G-Ride parks next to it.
Alonzo and Jake exit.
Out of the sedan steps MARK, a Chicano clothes horse in Italian silk. And PAUL, a steely-eyed, heavyset black guy. JEFF and TIM exit, clean-cut white guys, Jeff has a mullet. Tim is generic but tough-looking.
JEFF
Nice suit, Mark.
TIM
Beautiful suit.
Now Alonzo and Jake get out. Six cops huddled in an alley. Jake fits right in with the motley bunch. Mark hands Alonzo the warrant.
ALONZO
Thanks.
(to Jeff and Tim)
My picks and shovels?
JEFF
In the trunk.
CUT TO:
MARK
Gonna dig a ditch?
ALONZO
You are. Great suit.
MARK
Shut up.
ALONZO
(shakes with Paul)
Howdy, killer.
PAUL
Alonzo, what the hell's going on?
I've been hearing things. You good?
ALONZO
Don't worry. I talked to the
three wise men. It's all good.
His men trade looks, they have total trust in him. Jake is a little nervous.
PAUL
You say we get away with it, let's
hit this fool -- Who's this?
JAKE
Jake Hoyt. First day in the unit.
I'm coming from Valley patrol. He holds out his hand. Paul scoffs.
PAUL
You're a long way from Starbucks.
(to Alonzo)
Why's he in on this shit?
ALONZO
Gotta pop his cherry sometime.
PAUL
(to Jake; peeved)
Stay the hell outta my way, little puppy. This is big dog work.
Alonzo notes Jake's unease, shows him the warrant.
ALONZO
It's the real deal. Signed by the
judge. Thank the Sandman.
(addresses everyone)
Our safety comes first. He gives us shit, we give him lead. Let's do this right so everyone can go home and do the wife and girl friend thing tonight.
(checks his watch)
Suit up, ladies. Time to punch in.
50 EXT. ROGER'S HOUSE (ALLEY) - FENCE - DAY 50
Five cops crouch outside a gate with shotguns, MP-5s. Assault vests and helmets worn over civvies. Jake and Jeff to one side. Paul, Mark and Tim to the other. Alonzo crosses to the gate with boltcutters and snaps the padlock. The five cops open the gate and run to --
51 EXT. ROGER'S HOUSE - BACK YARD - DAY 51
The back door of the little house. Paul and Mark kick it open. Wood splinters. The five cops rush inside.
52 INT. ROGER'S HOUSE - DAY 52
The cops run through the kitchen into a familiar living room. A familiar one -- This is Roger's house. Jake is surprised, confused.
Roger reads on the couch, the morning paper. He's nonplussed to find himself surrounded by police, weapons.
MARK
Freeze up! You need to not move,
breathe, think or blink.
ROGER
What are you clowns doing here?
PAUL
Shut up! -- New guy! His hands
move, blast him.
Jake aiming his shotgun at Roger's head.
CUT TO:
JAKE
I'm on him.
Roger, holding his newspaper, recognizes Jake.
ROGER
You know what you're doing, son?
Jake nods: yes. The truth is; he doesn't.
PAUL
Drop what's in your hands. Before
zero. Five. Four. Three. Two.
CLUNK-CLUNK! Two tiny derringers hit the coffee table. Roger had been palming them. Paul sweeps them aside with his foot. The cops relax a little. Roger folds his paper. Sets it down, takes off his reading glasses. A principal besieged by truants.
ROGER
Alonzo's gonna kill you guys.
Alonzo enters the shattered door. Holding picks, shovels. He drops the tools. They crash to the floor. Roger crosses his arms and glares at his friend.
ROGER
What's going down, Alonzo?
ALONZO
I had lunch with the three wise
men. You gotta render unto Caesar.
Roger sees the tools and knows exactly what they are for.
ROGER
Those goddamn vampires want my
pension.
ALONZO
No, man, it's not like that.
You're just getting taxed. They got their boat payments and God knows what. I'm sorry. They're makin' me do it. I'm just a lowly civil servant.
ROGER
Bullshit. You're their bitch.
What happens with me?
ALONZO
Don't worry, bro. I promised
you'd never go back to prison. I got your back. You won't even miss what I'm gonna take. I hate doing this. Orders is orders. Sorry, dog.
ROGER
No, you ain't. Cop.
ALONZO
(to Tim and Jeff)
You guys are gonna work. Get the
tools.
(grabs Jake's shotgun) Gimme the boomer.
Tim and Jeff gather the tools. Alonzo hands Jake a pick and leads the three men to the kitchen. Roger pours a slug of Crown Royal as Paul and Mark guard him.
ROGER
Who's paying for my floor?
ALONZO
The city
53 INT. ROGER'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY 53
Alonzo flips the table. Taps the floor with his toe.
ALONZO
Open the floor. Right here.
Jake, Tim and Jeff begin chopping. It's quick work to tear a large hole in the wood.
ALONZO
Hop in, Hoyt. Couple a feet down,
there's a locker.
Jake jumps in. Attacking dirt with his pick.
CUT TO:
54 INT. ROGER'S HOUSE - KITCHEN - DAY (10 MINUTES LATER) 54
Jake, Tim and Jeff haul a trash-bag-wrapped footlocker out of the hole.
JAKE
What's in it?
ALONZO
Open it.
Jake tears away trash bags. Alonzo takes a pick and snaps the lock. Jake opens the lid -- taped bundles inside.
JAKE
It's coke?
Alonzo hands him a penknife.
ALONZO
Cut the damn thing open.
Jake does -- it is a brick of fifty dollar bills. Alonzo is relieved to see the money. Jake likes its heft.
JAKE
This is sweet.
ALONZO
That's a hundred grand in your hot
little hands. There's four million bucks in there.
Alonzo slaps Jake's back.
ALONZO
First day on the job and you're in
on a three million dollar seizure.
JAKE
You said four.
ALONZO
Told you, nothing's for free.
Gotta grease the rails to make the big moves.
Alonzo grabs a shopping bag. Tosses bricks of fifties in it. Hands it to Jake.
ALONZO
Here. Lucky to get this, day-one-
motherfucker.
JAKE
What's this?
ALONZO
Sweet green clean legal tender.
Start the kid's college fund early. Get the old lady a minivan.
However pleasant the heft, Jake could never accept. He returns the shopping bag to Alonzo.
JAKE
No way. Only checks I cash say
City of L.A. on 'em.
JEFF
Someone didn't sleep through
Ethics.
ALONZO
You said you wanted a piece.
JAKE
Not like this.
ALONZO
I understand. I'll hold on to it
for you. Not everyone's comfortable the first time -- Let's wrap up.
Alonzo drops the bag in the locker. Exits. Jake, Tim and Jeff follow.
CUT TO:
55 INT. ROGER'S HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY 55
Roger reads a Vegas odds paper. Alonzo, Tim, Jeff and Jake enter. Roger glares at Alonzo.
ROGER
What have I done to those guys?
Are they nuts? Am I supposed to stand still and let them horsefuck me?
ALONZO
No. We can put you out of your
misery.
Alonzo tosses Jake the shotgun.
ALONZO
Lemme tell you a secret, Hoyt. If
you kill someone on duty, they have to be your slave in the afterlife.
(points to Roger)
There you go. Start an entourage.
JAKE
You want me to shoot him?
Paul, Mark, Tim and Jeff snicker, crack smiles. Roger too. Jake plays along, points the shotgun at Roger.
ROGER
You'd be doin' me a favor, kid.
JAKE
Bang -- There.
He lowers the weapon.
ALONZO
Not gonna do it?
JAKE
Of course not. This isn't funny.
Alonzo smiles. Takes the shotgun from him.
ALONZO
Man, youngsters these days. Can't
get shit done unless you do it yourself.
Alonzo aims at Roger. Roger suddenly understands.
ROGER
This is all you...
BOOM! Roger is punched ragged with BUCKSHOT, lifted off his couch, knocked into the wall.
Jake jumps back. A peal of laughter from Tim. Contagious giggles from the others. Roger gurgles. Jake stares wide-eyed at Alonzo.
JAKE
Holy shit!
Jake's shock elicits more giggles from the squad.
PAUL
Finish him.
Jake watches Alonzo cross to Roger, blindly gasping.
ALONZO He's finished.
Alonzo takes one of Roger's derringers from the floor. Slaps it in the dying man's hand.
ALONZO
C'mere, Jeff. You took fire
coming through the door.
Jeff smiles, gets in position so Alonzo can shoot him.
JEFF
Alright. Gonna get some time off.
He braces himself. Alonzo aims Roger's hand. Pop! A BULLET THWACKS harmlessly into Jeff's VEST. He removes his sunglasses from a pocket.
JEFF
Watch my shades.
Jake looking at Roger, it's hard to watch a man die.
Again Jeff braces. Pop! The THWACK of another BULLET.
Jeff probing his hand under the vest.
ALONZO
How's that?
JEFF
Fine.
Alonzo drops the gun in an envelope marked: EVIDENCE HANDGUN. Jake can't believe what he just saw.
ALONZO
Listen up. This is the scenario.
Mark and Paul kick the door. Jeff is first through. Roger opens fire. Hits Jeff twice.
Jeff coughs -- bright foamy blood in his hand.
JEFF
Oh, shit.
ALONZO
One go through?
Jeff answers by coughing more blood. Tim runs to him.
TIM
Siddown, dude.
Jeff does. Tim opens the vest -- a hole in a seam on the edge. Underneath, bruised puckered flesh drools blood.
TIM
You shot him!
JEFF
You shot me!
TIM
Call a rescue.
ALONZO
You're fine. You'll get a medal.
JEFF
Call the R.A.!
ALONZO
Let me quarterback the goings on
and I will. Okay -- Mark and Paul kick the door. First through is Jeff. Bang. Bang. Gets hit. Wounded. Second through is our new guy, Hoyt. He drops the suspect with some fine shotgun work.
(points at Mark) Who shot Roger?
MARK
The new guy. Came in spraying.
ALONZO
Paul?
PAUL
The boot shot him.
ALONZO
What'd you guys see?
TIM
Hoyt blasted him.
JEFF
Hoyt went for it -- Now will you
get me a damn rescue ambulance?
Jake looks at these guys. They look back, smiling, smirking. He feels dizzy, sick as the nightmare sinks in.
Jeff coughs blood. Alonzo tosses his rover to Paul.
PAUL
(into rover)
Eleven forty-nine. Nine-nine- eight. Shots fired. Shots fired. Officer down. Fifty-nine fifty- one Baxter Street.
ALONZO
(slaps Jake's back)
Good job, son. Congratulations. Gonna get a medal of valor.
JAKE
... I didn't shoot him...
ALONZO
Roomful of cops says you did.
JAKE
I don't care. I didn't shoot him.
ALONZO
You did.
Alonzo pulls his gun. Aims at Jake's face.
ALONZO (as a newscaster)
A Los Angeles Police Department narcotics officer was killed serving a high risk warrant in Echo Park today. An L.A.P.D. spokesperson said the young officer was survived by his wife and infant child.
(himself)
Shit gets deeper. Get the
picture?
JAKE
I got the picture.
Jake strikes -- twists back Alonzo's gun sharply -- sweeps away his legs with a kick. Alonzo finds himself on his back, Jake's knee on his neck, staring down the maw of his own pistol.
JAKE
That's the second time you've
stuck a gun in my face. Won't be a third.
ALONZO
That's what I'm talking about.
You guys watching this? That's it, Jake.
Paul presses his Beretta against Jake's temple.
PAUL
Be my pleasure putting a
hydrashock in your melon.
Tim, Jeff, Mark gawk at the Mexican standoff.
PAUL
But I'm gonna be cool. Open your
hand slowly. Drop the weapon. Jake's free hand inches to his holstered gun --
JAKE (super-calm)
Hey, sorry, man. Relax, okay?
-- and snatches it -- He swings on Tim -- who swings his .45 on Jake. A three-way standoff.
JAKE
Wanna shoot me, Paul? Go ahead.
Because these two are gonna be wiping my ass in the netherworld.
A beat. Then:
TIM
Alonzo. This is bad.
PAUL
This dude's a fed.
ALONZO
He's no fed. Just a choirboy with
heart who got the drop on you fools. Everyone, let's take a deep breath and defuse this -- Jake? You hear me?
JAKE
You can't just spring this shit on
me. I never signed up for this.
ALONZO
I hear you. I know you're
angry-- Paul, Tim, please put down your guns.
TIM
Hell no.
PAUL
Choirboy first.
SIRENS APPROACH. Lots of them.
ALONZO
Both of you: guns down. Now.
Paul and Tim reluctantly lower their weapons. Jake lifts his knee off Alonzo's neck, stands and backs away, aiming both pistols at Alonzo, who climbs to his feet.
ALONZO
Jake, use your ears and listen.
Sometimes we take shit all the way. That's the nature of the game. We don't do this every day. No one will ever again ask you to pull a trigger you don't want to-- Mark, where're you transferring to?
MARK
Westside Homicide.
ALONZO
Westside Homicide -- Just made
detective. Jake, give me eighteen months and I'll give
you a career. We make the big arrests. We make the big seizures. When someone's in my unit they're in all the way or not at all. I thought you were man enough to handle this shit.
Alonzo calmly pours himself a glass of Roger's whisky.
ALONZO
Five proven, decorated officers
say you were the shooter. Investigators are gonna pull a tube of your blood and test for intoxicants. Remember all the P.C.P. you smoked today?
Jake does, wincing at his stupidity.
JAKE
You've been planning this all day.
ALONZO
I've been planning this all week.
You start talking crazy shit, I will make sure your dirty blood makes it to the lab. Still wanna walk your babynuts around the block? You won't make it to the corner. But if you're cool. You're a hero. A virgin shooter above suspicion.
Jake looks at Roger, gasping like a beached carp. The SIRENS are getting CLOSER.
Alonzo gulps his drink and
