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

in the chest. The impact knocked her against the cab. The other gunman panicked and fired two shots, one hit Troy in the chest and the other slammed into stomach. The men fired a shot at Arthur but missed, they jumped into the truck and sped north on South Parkway One of the bingo players driving past saw what happened and called the police and an ambulance. Vito, Jimmy and Mack, waiting in a car parked across the street witnessed the entire incident. Shortly, police cars sealed off the street Troy and Harriet were hurriedly placed in an ambulance and rushed to the hospital but before the door closed Harriet again saw her son sitting across the street in a car with two other men with tears in his eyes.

VITO
“Fuck, fuck, shit, shit!
Vito was incensed as he watched the ambulance speed away. Mack suddenly sobered up as he watched in horror at the cold blooded shooting of his mother and brother. One of the police officers at the scene recognized Troy and called Detective Baxter at the club. Jerome, Madame Bourneis and Ted were having dinner when a waitress brought him the phone.

WAITRESS
A doctor from Provident Hospital is on the line, sir.

She said handing him the phone.

BAXTER
Jerome your mother and brother just been shot they’re at Provident.

Jerome felt like he had been hit with a sludge hammer and took him a moment to understand what was being said.

JEROME
How are they?

BAXTER
They’re in surgery, come as soon as you can, I’ve got to go.

JEROME
Moms and Troy been shot, they’re at Provident.

Jerome jumped up from the table.

TED Let’s ride!
Frantically, desperately, Ted drove south on Michigan Boulevard, he ran a red light at 51St Street and turn left heading east. The traffic was heavy as they approached South Parkway; cars were backed up at the light. Ted went around the traffic causing cars heading west to swerve and honk their horns. Ted ignored the lights and the traffic and pulled into the “no parking space at the rear of the emergency room. With his heart pounding Jerome jumped out and rushed into the room. He followed the arrows to the reception desk and identified himself, he slightly heard her page the doctor and he stood until the same doctor who had examined Williamson, Doctor Thomas met him.

JEROME
How are they doc?
Shortly Ted, Madame Bournies and Marque joined him.

The doctor face seemed weather beaten and concerned as he led them into a conference room and motioned for them to sit in straight-backed chairs.

DOCTOR
I can’t tell you much at the moment, but Mrs. McLemore got a punctured lung and Mr. McLemore was shot twice, he’s in the worse shape.

JEROME
What are their chances, can I see them?

DOCTOR
Mr. McLemore is in surgery, but Mrs. McLemore is still conscious and we are prepping her for surgery, only a minute.

The doctor led them to the cubicle where nurses were helping his mother. In the cubicle Jerome fought back the tears when he saw the tubes hung from stainless steel gallows running into his mother’s veins, her breathing shallow and labored. Her eyes were closed and tears had stained her makeup. When she opened her eyes and saw Jerome, she smiled and tried to sit up but the nurses restrained her. Jerome went to the bed and held her hands as tears flowed down her face as she asked about Troy.

JEROME
He’s in surgery, Ma, what happened?

Harriet related the incident to Jerome and before going under the influence of the drugs, she said, “I saw Mack sitting with two white men across the street. Additional medical people came into the cubicle and the doctor told Jerome and Ted that Mrs. McLemore was going into surgery. Jerome kissed his mother’s forehead as two men pushed her out the room. Doctor Thomas told Ted and Jerome they could wait in his office and he would let them know something as soon as possible. After an agonizing two hours Ted and Jerome got coffee from a vending machine, when they returned Madame Bourneis and Marque were waiting. Another hour had passed when Doctor Thomas entered the office.

JEROME
How are they?

Doctor Thomas flopped down on the couch and didn’t say anything. He looked at Jerome and finally said,


DOCTOR
We lost both of them.

Jerome was in shock he didn’t want to believe what he was hearing.

JEROME
(screaming)
What do you mean, you lost both of them?

DOCTOR
I’m sorry, Mr. McLemore, we did all we could, but their wounds were too extensive, I’m sorry.

Jerome put his head in his hands and wept as Madame Bournies gently rubbed his back. A furious anger rose in Jerome McLemore. He hated Vito and his kid brother and under his breath he vowed revenge, he turned to Ted and said, “no more meetings, no more sit-downs, no attempts more seeking advice from Vinnie on how to peacefully resolve this, no more of Vito’s tricks, if that guinea bastard wants a war, that’s what he’s got. Jerome said in a cold deadly voice. Ted looked at his friend and for the first time saw a man who’s presence seemed to radiate danger and determination, his eyes had gone a deep brown and his light skin was bleached of color.

INT. VITO’S OFFICE-NIGHT

MACK

Mack screamed at Vito when they were back in his office.

You said no one would get hurt.
Vito without emotion.

VITO
Shit happens! And you better get the hell out of here; it ain’t safe for a nigger to be in Patch after dark.

Mack stopped at the liquor store and got a pint of Gordon’s on his way to the hospital. Madame Bourneis, Marque, Jerome and Ted were sitting in the hospital’s waiting room when Mack entered.

Mack was excited.

MACK
How are they?

JEROME

Jerome gently grabbed his brother’s arm.

Let’s go outside.

Ted, Marque and Madame Bournies walked behind the brothers.


What do you know about this?

Mack began to cry.


MACK
I’m so sorry Jerome no one was suppose to get hurt.

Mack pulled the half empty pint of gin from his pocket, but before he could take a drink Jerome knocked it out his hand, shattering the bottle and slapped Mack in the face.

JEROME
Tell me what you know!

MACK
I was pissed at you for kicking me out the club. When I overheard some of the runners talking about Vito, I went to see him. He was only supposed to snatch mom and Troy and hold them until you turned over the policy operation to him; he promised me that no one would get hurt.

Jerome did not say anything else, as he and Ted walked back into the hospital. Mack, still crying sat on a bench, when he looked up he saw two large black panthers.

Reverend Clarence Cobb conducted the funeral for Harriet and Troy McLemore. Loudspeakers allowed the thousands of mourners lined on the street to hear Reverend Cobb’s sermon. Civic leaders, politician and businessmen attended as well as Pauli Gaza. Twenty flower cars and over five hundred vehicles followed the hearse, lead by a Chicago Police motorcycles escort as it wound its way through the city to Oak Park Cemetery. The Defender Newspaper editorials condemned the killings as another attempt by the Italian Mob to intimidate and subjugate the black community. The newspaper editorial condemn how leisurely the powers to be reacted to the killing of innocent black people and how the city, state and federal law enforcement agencies would react if the killings occurred in Wilmette or other predominately white communities. The mayor and the police superintendent promised a thorough investigation and a quick arrest. The police department’s Organized Crime Unit questioned Vito Pellegrino and Pauli Gaza but did not make any arrests. Two weeks later a farmer in northwest Indiana found the bodies of the men allegedly involved in the killing of Harriet and Troy McLemore in a shallow grave.

The killing of Harriet and Troy brought heat on the Chicago Outfit and organized crime in general. The FBI and the United States Attorney’s Office were conducting investigations and the national media ran articles on the Mafia. In New York, FBI agents and other federal agencies conducted raids on suspected mafia gambling and whorehouses. It was a difficult time for Jerome McLemore he felt alone. He missed his mother and brother and he stayed close to home while Ted operated the Tivoli Club and the policy operation.

The Quadrangle House was an imposing luxury condominium apartment on south Lake Shore Drive at 67th Street. An outdoor swimming pool and tennis court was strategically placed on the roof and had a panoramic view of Lake Michigan, downtown Chicago and on a clear day you could see the tall buildings in Michigan. There was a twenty four hour doorman, two paneled slow elevators. Jerome couldn’t sleep. For two weeks, he paced around the darkened apartment and stayed in his 35th floor apartment. Empty beer cans and a half eaten boxes of Chinese food littered the expensive mahogany dining table. Dirty cups bearing the remains of coffee and paper plates cluttered the white kitchen counter. The clothes Jerome wore to his mother and brother funeral lay in a heap on the tike wood floor and used oversize bath towels littered the double bathroom floor.
Jerome slowly made his way to the balcony and stared out at the cold grey lake and the dark buildings of downtown Chicago. Looking north, he could see the tall building where Marque and Madame Bourneis lived. Jerome looked down and saw the images of the homeless people who sneaked into the rear of the apartment building and made their home besides the hot air vents. It was a dark, cool and clear night. The cars rushing down Lake Shore Drive were little specks from this height and the people were shadows. This high up, the breeze coming off the lake was cold and piercing. Jerome felt a chill as a gust of wind blew the coldness off the lake; he buttoned the top button of his summer windbreaker and placed his head in his hands as the tears flowed. The neon lights that outlined the towering high-rise corporate buildings of downtown Chicago splashed a repetitive pattern. Jerome leaned on the balcony railing lit a cigarette the first one he had had in ten years and looked down at Jackson Park. He remembered the party he had for all 5,000 of his workers and players in the park to celebrate the 4th of July, four years ago, everyone one was invited; aldermen, police officials, pimps, hustler and drug addicts no-one was slighted . The bright summer sun was out in all of its brightness, birds sung from trees and the bright flowers where in full summer bloom. The lofty buildings stood like sentinels overlooking the park. Jerome had hired jazz and blues bands and a dj. Beer, wine, soda and other drinks were packed and iced in twenty large coolers. Lem’s Bar-B- Que House catered ribs, chicken and fish, but some of the people had brought their portable bar-b-que grills and the unmistakable aroma of ribs, chicken and sausages filled the warm air Edwinna and some other women made greens, potato salad, sweet potato pie and chocolate cake. Joan, his wife and two daughters, Brittney and Loren flirted with the young boys and giggled with their girlfriends. The young boys played tag football while the