Death Knell

Meet Jack Bell

EXT. LAS VEGAS STRIP - NIGHT

The city is aglow with neon signs.

EXT. THE GOLDEN NICKEL CASINO

CARDAMOM, a young prostitute, is trying to hook a PASSERBY outside the casino.

CARDAMOM

You like what you see, sweet thang?

The Passerby picks up his pace.

CARDAMOM (CONT’D)

What do you say you spend the night between these lovely titties of mine?

The Passerby hurries off.

PASSERBY

I’m a happily married man.

CARDAMOM

(calling after him)

I can make you happier.

INT. THE GOLDEN NICKEL

The casino bubbles with activity.  Cocktail waitresses flutter between the tables.  The slot machines CHIRP and CHIME.

BLACKJACK TABLE

JACK Bell, forty years old, sits at the blackjack table wearing a wrinkled suit.  He is in a stupor.  He drains his whiskey on the rocks and, without looking, snatches another from the tray of a passing COCKTAIL WAITRESS.  He lights a cigarette and stares into space.

DEALER (O.S.)

Hey, buddy.

Jack continues to stare.

JACK’S POV

At the Baccarat table across the aisle sits JOEY Caliche, a wanted criminal.  He bends over the table and drags a stack of chips toward his winnings.

BACK TO SCENE

Jack squints in Joey’s direction.

DEALER (CONT’D - O.S.)

I’m talking to you, pal.

Jack blinks to attention and sees that the DEALER has been talking to him.

DEALER (CONT’D)

You want another card, or what?

Jack looks at his hand.

JACK’S POV

He holds two queens and the ace of spades.  Over the cards we see Joey, arms full of chips, look up and notice Jack. Abruptly, Joey drops the chips and begins to run.

BACK TO SCENE

JACK

Hit me.

He throws down his hand and bursts away from the table in pursuit of Joey.

SLOTS

Joey runs at full speed.  Jack is in hot pursuit.

JACK (CONT’D)

Stop right there, Caliche!

Caliche looks back over his shoulder, but keeps running for the front doors.

EXT. GOLDEN NICKEL

Joey explodes through the doors and runs, bumping into Cardamom as he does.  Jack is right behind him.

CARDAMOM

Watch it, fool!

She sees Jack following him.

CARDAMOM (CONT’D)

Get him, Jack!

STREET

Joey runs into traffic, forcing cars to slam on their brakes.  Jack, drawing his revolver, follows him.

SIDEWALK

Joey weaves between pedestrians and ducks into a crowd of Mennonites.

CURB

Jack looks around but sees no sign of Joey.

CROWD

Joey, crouching, walks with the Mennonites.

SIDEWALK

Jack looks back and forth and sees the group of Mennonites pass an alleyway between casinos.

ALLEY

Joey ducks out of the crowd and into the alleyway littered with garbage.  He begins to trot away.  Looking behind him and, thinking he has lost Jack, he smiles.

Jacks silhouette appears behind Joey at the alley’s entrance.

JACK

Going somewhere, Caliche?

Joey freezes, then begins a mad dash.  Jack trains his gun on Joey.

JACKS POV

The sights are on the back of Joey’s head.  Jack retrains his sights for the leg and fires.  The revolver ROARS like a cannon.  Joey’s leg is torn away below the knee.  He goes down.

BACK TO SCENE

Jack walks calmly down the alley toward Joey.  Joey is trying to crawl away.  His missing leg paints a trail of blood behind him.  Jack looms over him as Joey turns and props himself up on his elbows.

JOEY

Jack, Jack.  Let’s be reasonable here.

JACK

There’s a warrant out for your arrest, Caliche.

JOEY

Hey, we all make mistakes.

JACK

It looks like you’re not going to slip through the cracks this time, you puddle of grease.

JOEY

(pleading)

How ‘bout letting me off with a warning?

JACK

All right.

He aims the gun between Joey’s legs and FIRES.  A bullet hole appears in the ground, dangerously close to his crotch.

JACK (CONT’D)

There’s your first warning.

JOEY

Please, Jack.  For your own sake.  This is much bigger than you can imagine.

Jack FIRES two shots on either side of Joey’s head in quick succession.

JOEY

Jesus, Jack!

JACK

And your second and third.

(beat)

Know what, Caliche?

(beat)

You’re all out of warnings.

Jack aims for Joey’s head.

EXT. CHURCH - DAYTIME

A church bell CLANGS once loudly from the steeple.  Birds fly from the structure.

INT. CHIEF MCCREA’S OFFICE

CHIEF MCCREA, in his fifties, balding, and overweight, is standing behind his desk, reading Jack the riot act.  In the b.g. the steeple can be seen out the window.

CHIEF MCCREA

The phones been ringing off the hook.  The press, the papers, T.V., the media.  I can’t get Commissioner Grodin off my balls!  He wants blood, Jack, and I’m not going to go to the mat for you this time.

JACK

Tell Grodin to take some of his precious love of due process and pay a visit to Cub Scout Troupe 3013.  I don’t think those boys will ever fully recover from what Caliche did to them.

CHIEF MCCREA

Gunning a man down on the streets of Las Vegas.  It doesn’t look good for the force.

JACK

There you go again worrying about image.

CHIEF MCCREA

We’re here to protect and serve, Jack.  Protect and serve.  I don’t understand.  Caliche was nothing more than a petty criminal.

(beat)

Why’d you do it, Jack?

JACK

It was my birthday.

CHIEF MCCREA

Birthday or no birthday, you’re officially under investigation.

(beat)

Hand in your badge.

JACK

You’re not serious.

CHIEF MCCREA

I’m afraid I am, Jack.

JACK

For real?

CHIEF MCCREA

For real.

JACK

Aw, geez.

(beat)

You’re making a big mistake, Paddy.

CHIEF MCCREA

My hands are tied on this.

JACK

All right.

(beat)

I see how it is.

Jack stands and flops his badge on top of McCrea’s cluttered desk.

CHIEF MCCREA

It’s better this way, Jack.  You’ve got to trust me on this.

With a ferocious ROAR, Jack sweeps the entire contents of the desk top off to the side and into the adjacent garbage can.  Many of the items miss the garbage entirely and fall on the floor.