THE RUNNER/SCREENPLAY, BRIAN R. LUNDIN [best classic books to read .txt] 📗

sit-down?

VITO
Yeah, set it up.

Al Hernandez was a brown-skinned, very thin, emancipated man of thirty-five with extremely oily straight black hair. His nose was twisted and looked as if it had been broken and badly set. His teeth had a yellow film and he had slit-like snake looking eyes whose irises were a deep brown and hid behind double-lens glasses, he had a thin pencil thin lips below a big, bushy unkept mustache. His body odor reeked with funk and tequila, however regardless of his looks, he had a sharp mind and a good business sense and he never trusted Vito. Once a long time ago he had learned that Vito was trying to cut him out and deal directly with his Mexican drug source, the plan did not work, but from that time on Al always was watchful of Vito.

INT. VITO’S OFFICE-AFTERNOON
AL
Buenos Díaz, Señor Vito.

VITO
Same to you.

Directing his visitor to a chair.

What can I do you for?

AL
We seem to have a similar annoyance.

VITO
We do?

AL
This black gang, the State Street Boy’s are costing both of us a lot of money, wouldn’t you say.

VITO
Yeah, them young Nigras are a pain in my ass, but what are they doing to you.

AL
I had a good business going with my hommies, the 26th Street Hombres, they were one of my best customers, but now they have stopped buying my goods and are buying their goods from them niggers in the projects.

VITO
(feigning surprise)
Oh, I didn’t know that.


Smiling and showing his yellow crooked teeth, Roberto took off his glasses and wiped the lens with a dirty handkerchief.

AL
(smiling)
Ahh, senor Vito, nothing goes on in this city without you knowing about it.

Jimmy who had been sitting been in his favorite position on the red couch got up.


JIMMY
Do you know where those Nigras are getting their drugs; at first we thought it was you.


Al put his glasses on.

AL
I’m nearly blind without these. No senor, not I, but I hear they are getting their goods from those Colombian assholes.


JIMMY
Colombians, I thought they were only involved in cocaine.

AL
They were, but lately they have started to make a move into heroin. They started interfering with my business in Los Angeles, but now they are moving in on me in New York, Detroit and now Chicago, through the State Street Boy’s and my countrymen, the 26th Street Hombres has traded national pride for profit and are buying their drugs from them, I must admit their drugs are a lot better than mine.

VITO
That wouldn’t be hard to do, that shit you peddling ain’t shit, that’s why I stopped dealing with you.

Al laughed, he was not offended because he knew that Vito was right, his Mexican mud was bad.

AL
My friend, my friend, why would you say such a thing, we just had a little misunderstanding and you just got a bad batch, that’s all.

VITO
Ok, ok, maybe so, but what are you proposing?

AL
Together maybe we can help each other, so we can continue making money.

JIMMY
Aware that Vito was losing his patience,

Get to the point.

AL
Ok my friends this is what I propose. What say we grab one of those Colombian and make him tell us where they are getting their goods than we knock out the supplier? They can’t sell what they don’t have; right and they would have to deal with us again.

JIMMY
What do you want us to do?

AL
Merely find out who the State Street Boy’s supplier is, my people would stand out in the black community, but I’m sure you have resource that could identify the supplier, me and my friends will do the rest.

JIMMY
One thing, you can’t fuck with none of the Nigras, there is too much heat on now to start fuckin’ with them Nigras.

AL
Yes, I read about that nigger basketball star that the sergeant killed, ok no niggers.

Pops and the State Street Boys continued to receive their goods from the Colombians. The drug-starved junkies immediately recognized the quality of the heroin, the high was more intense and there were no adverse side effect.


The wind was cold as it blew off Lake Michigan. Sergeant Reginald Lundgrin and Jerome McLemore agreed to meet at Juanita’s Lounge at eight-thirty in the morning. The sergeant arrived at eight and took a seat at the bar. Juanita was behind the bar washing glasses.

INT: JUANTA’S LOUNGE-MORNING

JUANTA
(Juanita drying her hand and beginning to make Reggie favorite drink, a Kiddie Koctail)
Long time no see sergeant how you been?

REGGIE
Going along, Juanita how is business?

JUANTA
(sliding the drink over to Reggie.)
Up and down, up and down! It’s a damn shame about that lady and her little baby.

REGGIE
(looking at the colorful drink that was made of orange and pineapple juices and a dash of lemon juice topped off with two lemon slices)
Yep, it sure was, I intend to talk with Ringo later, I heard he was the only eyewitness.

JUANITA
Yeah, that’s what I heard too but it looks like he saved the lady and little child in the basement.

REGGIE
That was a gutsy move he made going into that burning building the commander is recommending a city commendation.

The bar was full, police officer working the first watch or the midnight shift was gathered around the bar drinking and talking loud, a common trait of policeman. The sergeant recognized a young police officer, named Collins that was two weeks out of the academy. Collins was sitting alone at the end of the bar. Three shot glasses were turned over, in front of him and his head was in his hands.

REGGIE (sitting down besides Collins) What’s up?


COLLINS
Bad night Sarge

REGGIE
Yeah, it can be like that sometimes.

COLLINS
Give me and the Sarge another one.

Juanita walked over and looked at the young officer.

JUANITA
You’re pretty tight today, that’s your fifth shot of Johnny Walker Black, and you sure you can handle it?

OFFICER COLLINS
(beginning to cry)

JUANITA
How about a cup of hot coffee?

Officer Collins nods his head.

REGGIE
What’s wrong?

COLLINS
I grew up in the hood, Sarge at 43rd Vincennes. When I was a shortie my boys and me did our share of bullshit, but these young niggers out there now is dangerous, they have no respect for life at all. About three in the morning we got a call of a “Man Down,” at 47th and Evans. When we got there, this young dude maybe nineteen or twenty was lying in the street, blood everywhere. An old woman was placing towels on his chest. She told us that she heard loud talking and when she looked out her window, she saw this young couple walking and holding a box from Curt’s Chicken-In-The-Box. Three young men, maybe fifteen or sixteen was following the couple and talking about how big the woman’s ass was. As they passed her window she saw one of the men grabbed the woman’s ass. The man with the woman struck the man and then his two partners jumped him. During the fight the woman ran down the street and the old woman saw one of the young men repeatedly stab the man. After he fell to the ground, the men ran south on Evans, but she knows them, they hang with her grandson. I sat on the sidewalk with the kid holding his head in my lap while the woman and my partner tried to stop the bleeding. In a few minutes, his wife and two of her brothers was there. She was damn near hysterical. She told me that they were married two days ago and she was pregnant. She bends down and held her husband’s hand. The young man had tears in his eyes when he looked at her; by the time the ambulance arrived, he was gone.

The sergeant hugged the young officer and called a squad car to take him home. The door opened and Jerome entered followed by Madame Bourneis and Marque. Reggie nearly choked on his drink, with Jerome was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, her beauty stunned even Juanita. Jerome pulled up a barstool close to Reggie, Howling Wolf was hollering out “Smoke Stack Lightning,” on the jukebox.


REGGIE
(looking at Madame Bourneis and her companion who had taken a seat in a booth. Reggie turns his attention back to Jerome)
Good afternoon, Mr. McLemore, why didn’t you report being kidnapped, Jerome?

JEROME
Who said I was kidnapped?

REGGIE
I’ve got eyes and ears out here, not too much go on out here that I don’t eventually know about. Do you know anything about the fire-bombing of your station across the street?

JEROME
No, nothing you don’t already know, but I’m sorry for the young lady who lost her baby.

REGGIE
Yeah, that was too bad. By the way, I got a copy of the Gary Medical Examiner’s Autopsy Report on the fire at a warehouse where three bodies were found, it was interesting reading.

JEROME
How so?

REGGIE
Well, it appears that three Italian men were brutally killed, one was gutted, another was beheaded and another looked one looked like he was literally scared to death, know anything about that?


JEROME
(getting up to leave)
Nope!

Reggie trying to avoid staring at Madame Bourneis gently grabbed Jerome’s arm and whispered in his ear,

REGGIE
Who is that beautiful lady you’re with?

JEROME
(whispering in Reggie’s ear)
Her name is Madame Bourneis and she is from New Orleans, that’s her friend Marque.

When Madame got up from the booth, she stopped, stared at Reggie and centered her deep black eyes into his. Suddenly, Reggie’s mouth got very dry, his heart began to beat faster, he began sweating and his tongue seemed to be swelling. He had an overwhelming fear of something, he did not know what. Madame Bourneis smiled at him, but it wasn’t a friendly or threatening smile, but it sent a cold chill through Reggie and he could have sworn that he saw fangs, long bloody fangs in her beautiful mouth, she turned away and they left and just as suddenly, his ill feelings was gone.

JUANITA
Are you ok?

REGGIE
Yeah, I’m ok. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.

Reggie was shaking his head attempting to shake the vision of her fangs from his mind. By ten o’clock the bar was full of police officers, hustlers and other early morning drinkers, another day in the big city.


INT: COMMANDER HOLLIS OFFICE-MORNING

HOLLIS
Anything new on that firebombing?

REGGIE
Not really, but the word on the street is that the Outfit, or should I say Vito Paligreno was behind the bombing and is trying to make a move on Jerome McLemore policy operation. I think that Vito also was behind Jerome’s kidnapping, but Jerome ain’t saying anything, he won’t even admit that he was kidnapped.”

HOLLIS
What’s your next move?

REGGIE
I am going to keep digging and if Vito is behind the death of that baby, his ass is mine!

The following Sunday, after church Reggie and