THE RUNNER SCREENPLAY, BRIAN R. LUNDIN [phonics reader .TXT] 📗

and well-muscled legs. She was walking slowly toward him and he noticed how beautiful she was. Al wanted to take her now but he could wait until she led him out of this mosquito infested forest, then she would be his and he would take her to Mexico, by force, if necessary. Relieved and feeling much better he started walking towards the woman who was smiling.

AL
Senorena

Al smiled showing his stained teeth.

Suddenly, the beautiful woman transformed into a huge black panther. Al let out a weak cry and fired three shots at the beast as it lunged at him and bit off his head.

Vito and the other members of the Combine heard about the fiasco in the village and Vito was livid.

INT. VITO’S OFFICE-MORNING

VITO
Shit, shit, fuck, what the fuck is going on, and a million bucks down the fucking drain.

Jimmy poured a glass of martini and handed it to Vito. Vito took a big gulp.

That’s some bad shit, and only one of Al’s guys escaped and he said that he saw Al being eaten by a Goddamn animal.

Jimmy took a sip of his drink.

JIMMY
Them Nigras got some motherfucka’ devil angel watching over their black asses, what we’re going to do next boss?

VITO
I’m going to hit all those little Nigras first, and then I’m going to hit that asshole McLemore.

JIMMY
Better think that over boss, that might get Vinnie ass up tight.

VITO
Fuck Vinnie, I’m tired of his shit anyway,

Vito gulped down the rest of his drink. Jimmy did not say anything else, he could tell that Vito was in one of his irrational moods; he only hoped that he would not do anything stupid.

JIMMY
What you got in mind Boss?

VITO
We’re going to kill two Nigras, one of McLemore’s people and one of those young niggers.

JIMMY
But Boss, you know that going to cause problems with Vinnie.

VITO
Fuck that pimp I don’t give a fuck you with me or agin me?

JIMMY
You know I’m with you, Boss.

Jimmy had his head down.

VITO
Good now this is how we’re going to work it.

The hot afternoon summer sun momentarily, blinded Edwina Johnson as she walked east on 43rd Street. She had just left the Jewish owned grocery store under the elevator and was thinking about the dinner she was going to prepare for Jerome, his mother and his wife. She had purchased 2 pounds of turnips, collars and mustards greens, five plump sweet potatoes, a pound of salt pork and ham hocks and a nice pot roast; she would also make a pan of macaroni with a lot of cheese and cornbread. Jerome’s mother Harriet was making an apple cobbler for desert and knowing Jerome, he would probably bring an expensive white wine. Edwina was deep in thought and did not notice the black car that had been following her from the store. When she turned the corner going south on Prairie Avenue the car pulled to the curb and two men grabbed her from behind, knocking the shopping bags that she was holding in each hand to the ground, as the contents from the bag spilled on the ground she was stuck on the head and went limp. The men pushed her into the backseat of the vehicle, bound her hand and sped south on Prairie. A wino that Edwinna had often fed saw what happened and had the presence of mind to remember the license plate number of the car and record it on one of the bags with a snubbed nose pencil he found in the alley.

Bobby Randall had just started his day and already he had sold over $500.00 worth of heroin at his new drug spot under the 47th Street elevator station. His spotter, William was in the alley waiting for the sign from Bobby of a sell. William watched the two black men that he recognized as customers approach Bobby and without saying anything, they grabbed him, just as a black vehicle pulled into the curb and pushed Bobby into the back seat. William watched as the men in the car fired two shots in the air, causing everyone on the street to duck and hide behind cars and buildings. The vehicle headed east on 47th Street. William immediately began running west on 47th Street towards the Robert Taylor Homes, home of the State Street Boys.

INT. VITO’S OFFICE

Tommy Mascino entered.

TOMMY
We got both of them niggers, boss!

VITO
Good work, Tommy.
When Edwinna Johnson regained consciousness, her arms and hands hurt. They were tightly tied behind her back with nylon ropes and there was tape over her mouth. The room was dark, musty and the odor of garlic came from another room. An Italian song was playing softly and she heard men talking. She heard footsteps and the door opened. Standing in the door was a large man, over six feet tall and heavy. He wore a red and white apron and was holding a wooden spoon dripping with red sauce. The man walked over to her and roughly pulled the tape off her mouth and freed her hands.

MAN
Understand that youse Jerome’s main black bitch.

EDWINNA
Who are you and what do you want?

Edwinna voice crackled with fear

MAN.
We’re going to send that black muthafucker’ boss of yours a message.

Edwinna heard struggling and suddenly a young black man was thrown into the room. His hands were tied behind his back and there was a strip of tape over his mouth. Blood flowed from the young man, nose and there were bruise on his face. His eyes were swollen and he was crying.

MAN
Shut up, you little black motherfucker.

Someone closed the door.

Edwinna pulled the tape from over the young man’s mouth and untied the ropes on his hands.


EDWINNA
My name is Edwinna Johnson, what’s your name?

YOUNG MAN
Bobby Randle, what’s happening?

EDWINNA
I don’t know.

BOBBY
I know you, you work for Mr. McLemore. My mother plays with you.

EDWINNA
That’s right, who are you?

BOBBY
I work for Pops and the State Street Boys.

EDWINNA
What happened to your face?

BOBBY
Them Italian sons of bitches snatched me off my corner, threw me in a car and took off. I tried to fight, but there were three of them and they punched me around.

Edwinna got a handkerchief from her pocket and wiped the blood off Bobby’s face. The door to the room opened and two men came in the one wearing the apron spoke first.

MAN
You two black nigger’s better keep quiet, any shit and I’ll bust a cap in your black asses.

Bobby snuggled closer to Edwinna as the men left and closed the door. The old wino told Jerome about the abduction of Edwinna and Jerome met with Ted, Marque and Madame Bourneis in Juanita’s Lounge.

INT. JUANITA’S LOUNGE-AFTERNOON

TED
I talked to Pops and he told me that one of his dealers had been abducted shortly after Edwinna was taken. The other dealer with Pop’s guy said that an Italian had snatched Bobby. The wino also told me that the guys who snatched Edwinna were Italian. What’s the plan boss?

JEROME
Detective Baxter ran the license plate and it came back stolen. Pops is meeting us here shortly let’s find out what he knows.

Shortly, Pops, Cinque and two Sambas entered Juanita’s Lounge. Juanita was behind the bar and she motioned Jerome and the other people into her office.

JUANITA
You’ll can have some privacy here.

Juanita closed the door.

TED
What you hear, Pop’s?

POPS
Some of those dago boys I do business with told me that that asshole Vito is behind the snatch. They say he wants revenge for what happened in Bangladesh and he want to fuck you also.

TED
What happened in Bangladesh?

POPS
Some heavy shit went down.

Pops looked at Marque as he related the incident.

TED
We’ve got to move fast, that Vito is a sadistic son bitch and I’m worried about Edwinna and your guy,


POPS
Think we should call Commander Hollis?

JEROME
Naw, it would take the police too long to find out anything, we’ve got to handle this ourselves first we’ve got to find where they are and then make our move.

Vito and Jimmy sat at the table in the kitchen eating spaghetti and meatballs at one of Vito’s tenement apartments in the Patch where Edwinna and Bobby were being held. Vincent Colaro, Louie Parelli, and Tommy Mascino were playing poker in the front room. Edwinna and Bobby had been in the room for over five hours and only allowed out to use the toilet. Bobby began wheezing and seemed as if he was having trouble breathing.

EDWINNA
What’s the matter Bobby? Edwinna asked wiping his forehead covered with sweat.

BOBBY
I’ve got asthma and I need my inhaler, Bobby said almost in a whisper.

EDWINNA
Where is it?

BOBBY
They threw it out the window when they grabbed me.

Edwinna noticed that Bobby was holding his chest and his eyes were closing, Edwinna started yelling as she slid on the floor and snuggled Booby to her chest.
EDWINNA
(screaming)
Help, someone help me.

VITO
Jimmy, go see what is wrong with that black bitch.


Jimmy opened the door to the room and saw Bobby breathing hard, trying to catch his breath. He was slumped in Edwina’s arms. His eyes were glassy and had started to roll into his head.

JIMMY
What’s wrong with that little Nigra?

EDWINNA
He’s having an asthma attack, he need to go to the emergency room!

Edwinna yelled while wiping Bobby’s face. Jimmy hurried back into the kitchen and told Vito what was happening. When Vito looked in the room at Bobby, the young man was laying in Edwina’s arms, not moving.

EDWINNA
He’s dying, you must help him.

Edwinna was pleading and her eyes tearing. Vito called Louie Parelli, and Tommy Mascino.

VITO
Take this Nigra to the hospital.


Louis and Tommie picked Bobby up led him out the room and closed the door.

JIMMY
Fuck a hospital; drop that Nigra in the river.

Jimmy he sat back down to his spaghetti dinner.

INT. HOLLIS OFFICE-MORNING

The following morning Commander Hollis read the Chicago Police Department 24-Hour Report. The report is a summary of reported crimes that has occurred in the past 24 hours. Two items in the reports caught his eye, one read,
“18 YEAR OLD M/B FOUND IN THE WEEDS OF THE SOUTH BRANCH OF THE CHICAGO RIVER, BODY IDENTIFIED AS BOBBY RANDALL. FURTHER INVESTIGATION REVEALED THERE WERE SIGNS OF TRAUMA TO THE BODY BUT DEATH WAS THE RESULTS OF AN ASTHMA ATTACK. RANDALL HAD AN EXTENSIVE JUVENILE AND ADULT ARREST RECORD INVOLVING DRUG SELLS AND GANG RELATED ACTIVITIES. DECEASED WAS REPUTEDLY A MEMBER OF THE STATE STREET BOYS STREET GANG.”
The next report read,
“HOMELESS MAN REPORTED THE ABDUCTION OF EDWINNA JOHNSON, F/B IN THE 2ND POLICE DISTRICT BY TWO UNIDENTIFIED WHITE MEN. NO FURTHER INFORMATION AVAILABLE.”

Sergeant Lundqrin joined the commander in his office.

HOLLIS
What do you think this is all about?

The commander slides the report to Reggie. The sergeant read the report, slid it back to the commander.

REGGIE
Vito! He’s not