PIGGS - A Novel with Bonus Screenplay (37 page)

Ricky tries to hop along behind the cars as best he can.

GERRARD (O.S.)

You are a difficult man to get along with, sir.

CECIL (O.S.)

Yeah, right.

GERRARD (O.S.)

As you say, it is indeed hot up here.
 
Don't see how you folks put up with it, Mr. Dupree.

CECIL'S END OF THE PARKING LOT

Cecil looks pained.

ON GRAPE

Grape is sweating, glancing about,
taking it all in.

BACK TO SCENE

CECIL

Sorta cool down in Ba-ton Rouge, is it?

GERRARD

Is not, sir. But we don't get out
in
it. Stay in the AC. Honky tourist folks, they out in the heat, seeing the local sights.

(pause)

GERRARD(CONT'D

...Willie Bee, would you kindly retrieve the merchandise from the trunk?

Willie opens the trunk, reaches in--

CUT TO:

DRESSING ROOM

Gloria, still on the floor, reaches under a chair, pulls out an old pair of British-flag panties, as her keys fall out.

GLORIA

(disgust)

God...

FAR END OF PARKING LOT

Jack approaches the dumpster, glances down the lot, makes a run for the passageway with his box.

SOUND: Voices from Cecil and friends.

PARKING LOT

Willie hands an attache case to Gerrard, who sets it on the hood.

ON CECIL

Cecil doesn't blink.

ON CAT

Cat has no expression at all.

ON GRAPE

Grape is begining to SWEAT.

CECIL/GERRARD

CECIL

Okay.
 
Let us have a look.
 
Might be I am buying today.

GERRARD

Let's look at
yours,
Mr. Dupree.

CECIL

Sure.

Cecil takes a step back, turns to pick up his own attaché case by the Caddie's tire.

ON GERRARD

His tense expression tells us he KNOWS something's wrong with this

and with that THE ACTION BEGINS: FAST!

Cecil lifts the attache case, like it's going on the hood. As he lifts it, our view shows us a .38 is taped to the back. Cecil rips it off, points it at Gerrard.

ON CAT

Cat has a sawed-off shotgun hanging down his back. He brings it out fast.

ON GRAPE

GRAPE HAS BEEN THINKING--he makes his decision.

CECIL/GERRARD QUICK SHOTS

Cecil fires three times at Gerrard, but Gerrard is no longer there. He moves in a blur, comes at Cecil low.

One of Cecil's slugs shatters the windshield of the Lincoln. Two more tear into Gerrard's attache case on the hood.
 
The attache case ERUPTS in a BURSTING white cloud of coke.

QUICK CUTS TO:

Gloria, in the dressing room, hears the shots, eyes go wide.

Jack, by the dumpster, freezes.

Ricky hops desperately through the parked cars.

BACK TO ACTION

Cat takes out Leo on the right, hits him in the leg. Willie and Frank loose a dozen rounds.

PIGGS SIGN

One shot takes out the "P" in Piggs.

ACTION

In the midst of this, Grape whips out his pistol and SHOOTS Cat in the head BEFORE Cat can turn his shotgun on Gerrard. Cat falls like a tree.

FAVOR CECIL

Cecil is stunned. He can't see a thing through the coke. Gerrard, covered in dope from head to toe, goes low and tackles Cecil to the ground. Here's where calm and collected Gerrard looses his cool. He beats Cecil without mercy, again and again. Kicks him until he's out of breath.

WIDEN VIEW

Everyone watching is stunned by this brutal action.

ANOTHER ANGLE

Gerrard calms down.

GERRARD

All right, hold it, somebody going to get hurt around here.

SERIES OF ANGLES

The guns go silent. Leo is in pain on the ground. Cat is out of it, shot in the head.

BACK TO GERRARD

Gerrard picks up Cecil's attaché case, turns it upside down. Nothing.

GERRARD

Sheeeit. This trip been fucked from the start.

Gerrard drops the attaché case, looks at Grape.

GERRARD (CONT'D)

You got something to say to me,
 
Mr. Grape?

GRAPE/GERRARD

GRAPE

I was---thinking about a career move, Mr. Gerrard. It'd be a step up for me. I'm a good worker.

GERRARD

And loyal, too. Bet you can get a letter from Mr. Dupree.

GRAPE

Hey, Cat would've cut you down, man.

GERRARD

Don't know that,
man.
Don't know any such thing.
 
Know my dope is blowing in the wind.
 
Know I don't have any money to show...
know
Mr. Ambrose Junior going to ask me what kind of shit going on up here.

Gerrard glances back, sees Frank is bending over the wounded Leo.

GERRARD

He all right?

FRANK

Didn't get no private parts...

Cecil, on the ground, looks awful. So does Cat. Grape hasn't moved.

FAVOR GERRARD

GERRARD

Willie, keep an eye on Mr. Dupree. Don't do him any harm. Going to take
him
to see Mr. Junior personal...Seeing as how Hamilton Taylor Gerrard does not intend to take the flack for this fuckup himself.
 
Mr. Grape, you come with me.

We see if you can re-call where that money might be.

GRAPE

Mr. Gerrard, honest, if I knew I swear I'd--

Headlights swing into the lot. Gerrard and Grape scatter.

EXT. RHINO'S CAR

RHINO'S CAR screeches to a stop. Willie sticks a gun in the car's window. Rhino steps out, bewildered, hands in the air.

Gerrard suddenly grins.

GERRARD

Rhino? Son of a bitch, what you doing here?

Rhino quickly takes in the scene.
 
It doesn't take him long to figure things out.
 
He shakes hands with Gerrard.

RHINO

Been a while. Kansas City. You still up there?

GERRARD

Baton Rouge. Still cooking bad honky food?

RHINO

Into management now.
 
Chink place back there. We, uh, got one of them corp-rut takeovers here?

GERRARD

We'll talk a minute, before I go back. Damn, Willie, where'd that Mr. Grape go?
 
Find that little fuck, get him back here.

Frank, in the background, is helping Leo to the car.

RHINO and GERRARD

RHINO

Louisiana's all right. Hotter'n hell. I guess your people are used to that.

GERRARD

Oh, yeah.
 
We real used to it now. See you still a fucking redneck, Rhino.

RHINO

See you still a---

Once more, tires squeal and headlights sweep the scene, this time from back in the lot.

WIDEN VIEW

Everyone scrambles as Gloria's Nash Rambler roars erratically out of the lot. Jack, caught in the headlights, leaps free just in time. Gloria screeches into the street.

INT. GLORIA'S CAR

Gloria, terrified, at the wheel.

PARKING LOT

People pick themselves up.

GERRARD

Who the fuck is
that?
I'll tell you what, this trip has been a constant irritation. Business world isn't at
all
like it used to be...

WOODED AREA PAST PARKING LOT

Jack, making his way through the tangle of scrub oak past the parking lot, ducks suddenly, as a car roars by on the road.

EXT. GLORIA'S CAR

It whips by, Gloria glued to the wheel.

WOODED AREA

Jack is carrying Ricky's big revolver in one hand, Cecil's strongbox under his arm.

JACK

(mumbling, shaking his head at the car)

If you'd just said, "Pie would be fine, Jack," we coulda been past Waco now,
 
on our way to a better way of life. But no....

Jack stumbles, nearly falls. A twig snaps. Jack jumps back. Ricky, in underwear and boots, duct tape hanging off, swings at Jack with a broken branch, misses.

JACK

Hold it, taco!

Jack raises the revolver.

RICKY

Dios,
Jack, what are you doing here?

JACK

I was going to ask you. Put that thing down, Mr. Chavez. I'm armed, as you can tell.

RICKY

You are armed with my revolver, which is one of a kind. Shoot me or carefully put it away.

(beat)

You saw the car, yes?
 
I assume Miss Mundi is safe, but I would like to get to her at once.