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

find something to keep you busy.

MACK
Shit!

Mack stretched out on the couch. Mack fell asleep, drooling at the mouth and snoring heavily. Jerome took off his shoes loosened his tie and put a blanket over him.

TED
I have never heard you cuss before boss; you must be really pissed off.

JEROME
You can pick your friends, but you’re stuck with’ your family.

INT. GLADY’S RESTURANT- MORNING

The commander and Reggie was eating breakfast in the last booth.

HOLLIS
What you think happened to those two Orientals?

REGGIE
Seems similar to what happened in Gary and at Ted’s house. You think there is some avenging spirit protecting Jerome?

HOLLIS
I really don’t know what to think. Look who’s coming in. Hollis nodded at the door. Coming into the restaurant was Jerome McLemore, Ted Bunche, Madame Bourneis and Marque. Commander Hollis waived them over to their table. Madame Bourneis short black mini-skirt exposed her well-defined and muscular legs. The green and gold-trimmed low cut blouse revealed her full brown breasts and her long black hair extended down her back. Ted and Jerome sat at the commander’s table and Marque and Madame Bourneis sat at a table directly behind Jerome.

REGGIE
We were just discussing the incident in the alley behind your club.

JEROME
Yeah, that was terrible. I hate to see so many young people getting killed or killing each other.

TED
Any suspects?

HOLLIS
Nope, the Medical Examiner’s report listed it as a homicide committed by a large animal.

REGGIE
Any ideas?

Reggie glanced at Madame Bourneis and Marque

JEROME
None, but I believe they were working for Vito Paligreno.

TED
Word on the street is that Vito hired them slant-eyed muthafucker to hit Mr. McLemore. I’m getting tired of Vito’s shit. Seems like he won’t stop and I’m afraid that sooner or later he’s going to hurt or kill Mr. McLemore.

MADAME BOURNEIS
That will never happen!

Commander Hollis looked at Madame Bourneis and he suddenly understood the feeling that Lundgrin felt. Her black, deep-set eyes locked on his and he felt a cold shiver run through his body. He turned and looked at her companion, Marque and got the same feeling.

Mack was upset with his brother. He missed the action at the club, the beautiful women, the food, the drinks, everything, and to make matters worse, his mother and other brother had assigned him to the midnight shift, midnight to eight in the morning, dispatching cabs. Mack understood Jerome’s decision to keep the family out of the policy racket, which he told them, was too dangerous, but at the club he was in his element. He enjoyed the admiration and fear he installed in the customers and staff. Now he was a no body, the same assholes who, use to kiss his ass at the club barely spoke to him now. He had to find a way to get back at them and his older brother.

One morning after leaving work, Mack stopped by Juanita’s Lounge for a drink before going home. The police officers that worked the IST Watch or Midnight shift stopped by Juanita’s to come down after ending their tour of duty. The policy runners also came by the lounge before starting their routes. Most of the runners and police officers did not like Mack, who they considered lived off his brother’s reputation. Fred, Juanita’s brother opened the lounge at 7:00 am and there usually was a crowd waiting for him. Mack sat at the bar alone, drinking a double gin and water. The jukebox was playing a Muddy Waters tune and the policemen and policy men were drinking, laughing, talking loud and having a good time. Mack envied the camaraderie between these men on opposite sides of the law and felt out-of –place. Two Windy City runners who Mack did not know sat next to him at the bar, ordered drinks and begin talking about how the Outfit was trying to make a move on policy gambling and how Jerome had formed a syndicate to fight them off, a dago named Vito Paligreno was leading the charge. An idea formed in Mack’s little mind; maybe this Vito could help him get back into the club.

One morning over breakfast at her home with her two sons.

HARRIET
I’m concerned about Mack; he’s drinking a lot and seemingly is mad at the world.

TROY
When I relieve him in the morning, most of the time he’s asleep at the dispatching console and drunk or high. The drivers have told me that they can’t contact him on the radio and our customers are complaining that they can’t get through, the phone just continues to ring, got any idea what’s wrong with him, Jerome?

JEROME
I think I know I had to bar him from the club. He was gambling and losing heavily, rude to the customers and staff and he sucker punched the floor manager with a beer bottle, sending him to the hospital and there maybe brain damage.

TROY
He told me that you had barred him from the club, but he didn’t tell me why.

HARRIET
My goodness,” Harriet exclaimed, putting her hand over her mouth. How is the manager?

JEROME
I got a call from the doctor and he said that fortunately there was no brain damage and should be out the hospital in a few days.

HARRIET
Maybe we can get Mack into another one of those detox centers.

JEROME
Alcohol and drug addiction ma is just that, an addiction. The only way detox will work is if the addict wants to quit and I don’t know if Mack wants to quit drinking or doing drugs.

Harriet started to cry.

HARRIET
What can we do to help him?

JEROME
I don’t know, but let’s do this. I’ve got to go to St. Louis on business tomorrow; when I get back let’s, have a family meeting with Mack and hopefully, we can work this out.

TROY
One other thing, Jerome, WILLIE DEVERS one of our drivers told me that he took Mack to an old worn out building in the Patch. What would Mack be doing in the Patch, who does he know over there?

Jerome shook his head but wondered if Mack was visiting Vito. Later that afternoon Jerome told Ted and Madame Bourneis about Mack’s visit to the Patch.

JEROME
I hope Mack ain’t planning on doing nothing stupid! I know he is pissed off at me for barring him from the club, but how would he know anything about Vito, I never discuss our policy business with the family. I have always kept them away from that.

MADAME BOURNEIS
Your younger brother is jealous of you Jerome, he’s jealous of the respect the people give you and your success, he is a weak man and is made weaker by his drinking and drugs, you must be careful Jerome and not let sibling love cloud your judgment.

JEROME
He’s my little brother and I refuse to believe that he would do anything against me.

MADAME BOURNEIS
I will not let him or anyone else harm you Jerome.

It was a warm, sunny day, but suddenly there was a chill in the room and the skies darken. Jerome looked at Madame Bourneis as her black eyes bored into his.

INT. VITO’S OFFICE-MORNING

Mack set up a meeting with Vito when he arrived he was drunk. During his shift at the cabstand, he consumed a fifth of Gordon’s Gin and after Troy relieved him, he had four drinks at Juanita’s. Mack ordered one of the cab drivers to take him to Vito’s office. Mack sat down opposite Vito’s desk; Jimmy was reclining on the couch.

VITO
You say you are Jerome’s brother, what I can do you for.

MACK
My brother treats me like shit he has barred me out the club and got me dispatching fuckin’ cabs.

JIMMY
So what you want us to do about it.

MACK
I hear you want to take over my brother’s policy operations.

VITO
Maybe.

MACK
Maybe I can help you.

JIMMY
How?

MACK
My brother is stubborn and won’t give in without a fight and he has powerful friends, he’ll fight you and in the end nobody will get anything.

JIMMY
What do you suggest?

MACK
You have got to get a strong bargaining point, someone close to Jerome who he’ll do anything to protect.

VITO
Who you got in mind?


MACK
My mother and other brother but nobody gets hurt.

VITO
Yeah, ok. We’ll talk again soon.

Vito nodded at Jimmy who helped Mack to the door.

JIMMY
That Nigra Mack is really pissed off at his brother and he could be our in into Jerome’s racket but you can’t trust drunk and junkies, especially Nigra drunks and junkies.

VITO
You know Nigras have a bad body odor anyway, mix that funk with booze and wow.

Send in Bernideta, I always think better after getting a nut. Two mornings later Mack was back at Vito’s office.

JIMMY
That nigger Mack is waiting fucked up as usual.

VITO
Let him stew in the front for a while, then call him in, but before you do turn on the fan and open some windows.

Fifteen minutes later, Jimmy directed Mack into the office.

Troy and his mother managed the McLemore’s Livery Service and every Tuesday evening they played bingo at Corpus Christi Catholic Church located at 49th South Parkway. It was a weekly date between Troy and his mother. One of the cab drivers would pick them up and take them to different soul food restaurants. After dinner, they arrived at the church at 7:45 pm for the first game that started at 8:00 and usually let out at 11:30. It was a chilly night for June and the streets at 49th South Parkway were deserted. It had been a good evening, Troy and his mother had a dinner of fried catfish, collar green, macaroni and cheese and sweet potato pie for desert at Izola’s Restaurant, located on East 79th Street. Troy had won $20.00 and Harriet $25.00 at the bingo game. After the game, Troy and Harriet talked with the other players while waiting for the cab to pick them up. After saying their goodbyes, Troy and his mother entered the cab and it headed north on South Parkway. At 48th South Parkway, a truck slammed into the cab. When ARTHUR HOLMES, the driver got out to inspect the damage, two men wearing black jackets and black hats pulled low to prevent being identified jumped out the truck brandishing handguns and another car with three more men joined them.

MAN
Get out the fuckin’ cab!

One of the men ordered to Troy and Harriet as he flung open the rear door

HARRIET
. What do you want?

MAN
Shut the fuck up bitch!

As Harriet was exiting the cab, she looked across South Parkway and saw her son, Mack, sitting in a car parked on the service drive with two white men. One of the men pushed Harriet and she slipped, but Arthur Holmes caught her before she hit the pavement. Troy punched the man hard in the face, but as he was falling, his weapon discharged, striking Harriet in the chest. The impact knocked her against the cab. The other gunman panicked and fired two shots, one hit Troy in the