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

the sergeant avoided looking at her.

JEROME
Commander you know everyone here except, Madame Bourneis and Marque.

As the Commander shook Madame Bourneis hand, he was surprised at her powerful grip. When he looked into her eyes, he got a strange feeling, not fear, but something.

JEROME
Can I buy you guy’s lunch?

HOLLIS
Nothing for me, but I’ll take a cup of tea.

REGGIE
That’s sound good to me also.

HOLLIS
This quite a place!

JEROME
Thank you.

Aldermen John Johnson was seated two tables from Jerome’s party with a young attractive blond who was nippling on a shrimp cocktail, when he saw the Commander he waived.

REGGIE

Reggie returned the waive.

REGGIE
Alderman Johnson is always in fine company.

HOLLIS
Things have been unusually quiet, thank goodness.

JEROME
You’re right Commander and I hope it stays that way.

HOLLIS
The word on the street is that Vito and Pauli Gaza is going to war, what you hear Jerome?

JEROME
The same as you, Vito and Pauli has the hot’s for each other; it will be interesting to see how it turns out.

POPS
I hope they kill each other!

HOLLIS
I really don’t care what they do as long as it is not in my district.

REGGIE
Keep us informed, if you hear anything.

Sergeant Lundgrin and the Commander prepared to leave.


Remember this Jerome, when you open an account with the mob, it is only settled when you die.

JEROME
Will do, thanks.

For the first time since they joined Jerome’s party, the sergeant looked at Madame Bourneis. Their eyes locked and the sergeant got that same feeling he got when they first met in Juanita’s Lounge. Commander Hollis looked at Marque. Marque black eyes bored into his and he felt, this time, a bone-chilling fear. The commander knew that this beautiful young man was extremely dangerous.

Pauli Gaza was a prisoner in his own home. The FBI and the Chicago Police Department conducted round-the-clock surveillance on his mansion. They had unmarked cars in the front and back, which they did not try to hide, they wanted Pauli to know they were there.

PAULI
Fuckin’ feds are all over my ass, I bet they take pictures when I take a crap.

TONY
Yeah a bunch of college educated dummies. I hear them Nigras had opened a fancy joint on 47th Street; we’ve got to take a look see. Whenever you want to go boss let me know and I’ll tell them stupid feds where we‘re goin,’ best body guards in town.

Meanwhile Vito was entertaining the same thoughts.

JIMMY
That nigger, Jerome McLemore has opened up a helluva joint in Niggerville, got a gambling joint upstairs and everything.

VITO
Let’s take a ride tonight and check it out, eventually we goin’ to take that over too.

Pauli Gaza and Genco Grisani arrived at the club at 8:30 that evening with the two FBI agents close behind. Detective Baxter notified Jerome of their arrival and escorted them to the casino.

PAULI
Good evening everyone.

JEROME

Good evening, Mr. Gaza can I get you anything?

PAULI
A glass of Chianti for me and my friend, Genco would be nice. Just thought I would check your joint out, it looks real nice.

Ted called an attractive waitress over and ordered the drinks. A few minutes later she returned Genco gave her a hundred dollar bill.

JEROME
How are things going with you and Vito? Word on the street is there might be a war.

PAULI
Who knows, sometimes children get pissed off at their parents, but the parents usually win the argument.

GENCO
I feel lucky, where is the casino?

JEROME
Sixth floor, I’ll have one of my people take you there.
Ted waived the same attractive waitress to the table and she escorted Pauli Gaza and Genco to the elevator. Vito, Jimmy and three of his crew arrived at the club at nine that evening. As they approached, the entrance Detective Baxter and two of his off-duty police officer stopped them.

DETECTIVE
Vito, what you doing down here in Bronzeville, looking for some black pussy, ‘cause we don’t serve spaghetti and meatballs.

VITO
Just here like everyone else, looking to have a good time, eat a good meal and try our luck on the tables. I know I’ll win ‘cause you Nigras can’t count.

DETECTIVE
Raise your arms while I search your garlic-eatin’ ass.

VITO
I ain’t got no heat, nigger.

After roughly searching Vito and his entourage, the detective admitted them into the club. An attractive waitress escorted Vito and his party to a center table. They ordered steaks, lobsters, and lasagna and a bottle of Pipers Champagne. After finishing their $500.00 meal and giving the waitress a $100.00 tip and his business card, Vito led his crew to the casino. Detective Baxter notified Commander Hollis and Sergeant Lundgrin of Vito Paligreno and Pauli Gaza visit to the club and they shortly joined Jerome, Ted, Madame Bourneis and Marque and waited for the drama to begin between Vito and Pauli.

Pauli Gaza, Genco Grisani and two other bodyguards were standing at the crap table as two FBI agents watched. Vito, Jimmy and his crew stood on the opposite side of the table.


PAULI
Vito, it is so good to see you, me boy.

Pauli displayed a big smile. Vito did not return the greetings

Have you met my new bodyguards?

Pauli pointed to the two FBI agents.

FBI Agent Numnuts and FBI Agent Littledick, meet my good friend Vito Paligreno and his associates.

The two obvious FBI agents stood in the rear of the large room with their cheap dark suits and crew cuts.
Vito looked at the agents and snorted. The agents did not respond. The casino was crowded with customers. A cacophony of sound filled the gambling room. People laughing, swearing at the clinking of chips or dice and the constant clanging of the slot machines filled the room. Six well dressed men sat at the $1000 table limit, poker table, and the other lesser limit poker tables had a good crowd. The Georgia Skin tables were also busy but the crap table was the most popular table in the casino. Shapely black hostess wearing short skirts served free drinks, cigars and cigarettes to the gamblers. An attractive woman wearing a large natural hairdo in a tight-fitting pantsuit was rubbing the dice erotically on her amble breast. A large Blackman wearing an African skullcap was standing beside her. The woman threw the dice and one dot appeared on each dice.

CROUPIER
Snake eyes!

The croupier announced raked in the large stack of chips in front of the woman.

Next shooter!
The croupier slid the dice to Vito. Vito placed a $500 chip on the pass line. Pauli and his entourage stood on the opposite side of the table and Pauli placed a $500 chip bet on the no-pass line. Vito’s shook the dice vigorously blew on them and threw them against the far railing. The dice spinned flopped around for a second and displayed two dots on one dice and three dots on the other,

CROUPIER
Five the point!
The next roll of the dice was a six. The gamblers around the table started increasing their bets on the pass and don’t pass line.

VITO
Five baby, five!

Vito shook the dice again. He threw the dice on the velvet-covered table.

CROUPIER
Four!

The croupier slid the dice back to Vito

VITO
Five, baby, five!

Vito repeated as he let loose the dice.

Both dice spinned for a few seconds and stopped.


CROUPIER
Seven!

The croupier paid off the winners on the don’t pass line and collected the money from the losers on the pass line.

Pauli laughed loudly as the croupier slid Vito’s chip to him.

PAULI
Looks like your luck has run out Vito.

Vito gave Pauli an evil look and then looked at the agents who had moved closer to the table. Jerome and his party watched as Vito loss $2,000 dollars at the crap table and Pauli won. Vito got angrier after every losing bet and Gaza laughed louder. Jimmy was afraid his boss would lose his temper and do something stupid.

Jimmy whispered in Vito’s ear.

JIMMY
There is that Nigra McLemore.

Vito threw the dice in the middle of the table and gave Gaza a chilling, mirthless smile as he bristly strode over to Jerome. Gaza watched grinning broadly at Vito. Madame Bourneis was wearing a black mini-skirt, red low cut blouse and her long luminous black hair hung to the middle of her back. Vito, immediately taken by her beauty, thought that he would rather have her than Jerome’s operation.

VITO
Mr. McLemore, pleasure to see you again.

Vito held out his hand. Jerome refused to shake it.

JEROME
Pleasure to see you also Mr. Paligreno, especially without your ski mask.


Vito did not respond to the reference but looked at Madame Bourneis.

VITO
Who is this gorgeous piece of black ass?

Jerome overlooking the crude comment.

JEROME
Her name is Madame Bourneis.

Vito looked up and down at Madame Bourneis moving his tongue across his lips in a sexual connotation. When his eyes met her cold black eyes, Vito felt a chill. In that instant, Vito entire life passed before him. He saw the men he had killed pleading for their lives, the poor cart vendors crying as he shook them down for the little money they had earned, his dead mutilated men in the Gary warehouse and the broken body of a child. When Vito’s eyes shifted to Marque, he saw himself being devoured by a large black beast. Vito felt the sweat as it formed on his forehead, his hands began to shake, and he felt nauseas and weak in the knees. Jimmy noticed his boss distress and helped keep him on his feet.

JIMMY
Let’s go boss, let’s go.

Jimmy and the two bodyguards helped Vito as they headed out of the room. As they headed towards the elevator, Vito gave Madame Bourneis a last look. Madame Bourneis smiled at Vito showing four bloodstained fangs Vito fainted. Vito was still shaking as Jimmy and the other men led him into his office. Jimmy sat his boss on his favorite couch and ushered the other men out. Jimmy poured Vito a glass of red wine and rushed to get a wet, cold towel. After drinking the wine and Jimmy wiping his brow, Vito felt better.

JIMMY
What happened boss, what happened?

VITO
Fuck if I know, all I know is that when I looked into that black bitch eyes, it was fucked up, I saw myself getting’ ate up by some big ass, black animal, Jesus.

Vito started shaking again and took a big gulp of his drink. Jimmy refreshed Vito’s drink removed his shoes and helped him stretch out on the couch.

JIMMY
Get some rest boss and I will see you tomorrow.

Jimmy started to the door. Suddenly, Vito sat up and in a panic voice pleaded

VITO
Don’t leave me Jimmy, don’t leave me!

Jimmy poured himself a glass of wine took off his shoes and relaxed behind Vito’s desk. After cashing in his winnings, Pauli Gaza joined Jerome’s party seated in the casino.

JEROME
Commander Hollis, Sergeant Lundgrin, meet Pauli