Animal Kingdom Page #8

Darren stands, puts keys in his pocket.

POPE:

(to J)

Anyone calls, tell them Darren’s inthe shower.

They exit. Pope closes the door behind him. J is left alone inthe lounge. He sits, his heart pounding.

CUT TO BLACK:

STATIC, then male voice of police radio communications centreVKC (D-24). Dialogue is OVER, RADIO-FILTERED and SUBTITLED.

VKC (D-24)

VKC to Richmond 49. Do you copy? Over.

Richmond 49...

(long pause)

VKC to Richmond 49. Do you copy? Over.

68 INT. DARREN’S APARTMENT - NIGHT 68

SLOW MOTION:
J is in the armchair, smoking a cigarette.

Silence. Then RADIO STATIC.

VKC (D-24)

VKC to Boroondara 420, do you copy?

Over. Any units clear near theHawthorn area? Richmond 510? Do youcopy?

RICHMOND 510

Richmond 510. We copy. Over.

VKC (D-24)

510, state your position.

(CONTINUED)

Animal Kingdom - GREEN REVISIONS 44.

CONTINUED:

RICHMOND 510

510. We’re travelling east onCommercial Road.

VKC (D-24)

510, can you head over to 48 DarcyStreet in Hawthorn? I sent Richmond 49

to that address approximately 20minutes ago to a call about anabandoned Commodore in the middle of

the road and they’re failing torespond at this time. They haven’tcalled in a sit-rep but we’ve had

cards from residents in the area

reporting shots fired.

RICHMOND 510

Roger that. We’ll take a look.

BOROONDARA 87

Boroondara 87. We’re in the area and

can head to that one.

VKC (D-24)

Roger that, 87. Any others available?

RICHMOND 87

Richmond 87. We're five minutes from

that one.

VKC (D-24)

Roger that, 87.

70 INT. DARREN’S APARTMENT - NIGHT 70

J is on the couch. We see mundane bits and pieces of Darren'sapartment: wallpaper, sneakers with dirty socks in them, cleanglasses stacked by the sink to dry.

RICHMOND 510

Richmond 510.

VKC (D-24)

Yes, 510.

RICHMOND 510

What was that address again?

VKC (D-24)

Sorry 510, please repeat.

RICHMOND 510

What was that address in Hawthorn?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

Animal Kingdom - GREEN REVISIONS 45.

48 Darcy.

VKC (D-24)

VKC (D-24)

Richmond 510, what’s your ETA for thatone?

RICHMOND 510

510. We’re on approach now.

VKC (D-24)

Roger that, 510. Approach withcaution. We’ve had reports of shotsfired and Richmond 49 isn't

responding. First unit give us animmediate sit-rep thanks.

BOROONDARA 87

Boroondara 87. Sorry, can you give us

that address for the last again?

VKC (D-24)

It’s 48 Darcy. What’s your position,

87?

BOROONDARA 87

Boroondara 87. We’re on St Kilda Road.

RICHMOND 510

(distraught)

Urgent. Richmond 510.

VKC (D-24)

Sorry, 510. Repeat. Over.

RICHMOND 510

Richmond 510, urgent. We’ve got twomembers down in Darcy St, Hawthorn.

VKC (D-24)

Richmond 510, do you requireassistance? Over.

72 I/E. DARREN’S APARTMENT - NIGHT 72

J, sitting on the couch.

RICHMOND 510

We have two members down with shotgunwounds to the head.

VKC (D-24)

510, do you require assistance?

(CONTINUED)

Animal Kingdom - GREEN REVISIONS 46.

CONTINUED:

RICHMOND 510

Affirmative. We need an ambulance

here. We’ll need a MICA for these

guys. They're in a bad way.

BOROONDARA 87

Boroondara 87. We’re entering Darcy

Street now.

VKC (D-24)

Roger that, 87. Take care. Officers

are down.

RICHMOND 510

St Kilda 510. We need that ambo down

here now. These guys are gonna die.

CUT TO BLACK:

VKC (D-24)

Ambulance has been dispatched, 510.

Boroondara 87, what’s your

position?...

STATIC continues. Then stops. Then silence.

73 INT. DARREN’S APARTMENT - NIGHT 73

J is in the kitchen, scraping the black off burnt toast into thesink. He hears KEYS JANGLING. Darren appears, anxious and outof breath, his tracksuit pants spattered with blood. He pushespast J and goes to the bathroom.

J follows.

J:

Darren?

Darren is in the shower, shirtless but pants still on, scrubbingmadly at his sneakers.

J:

Darren, what happened?

DARREN:

Go to sleep.

J watches him scrub. Darren's in another world.

J:

Should I go home?

Darren doesn’t respond. J shuts the bathroom door, lost.

Animal Kingdom - GREEN REVISIONS 47.

74 INT. DARREN’S APARTMENT - DAY 74

J wakes on the couch. The phone is RINGING. He doesn't know ifhe should answer. He does.

J:

Hello?

CLICK. The person on the other end hangs up. J goes to thebedroom and peers in. Darren is sprawled on his front.

J exits the apartment, seriously unsettled.

75 EXT. STREET - DAY 75

J walks a major road. Police cars scream past. SIRENS wail.

76 INT. LOUNGE / CODY HOUSE - DAY 76

Pope is on the couch, head in his hands. Cricket is on TV. Jsteps in quietly. Pope looks up, startled.

POPE:

Hey.

He seems strangely vacant, detached. He points to the TV.

POPE:

This little Sri Lankan character. How

do you say his name?

J:

Muralitharan.

POPE:

What is it?

J:

Muralitharan. Murali.

POPE:

He's funny.

J:

Where’s Craig?

POPE:

Dunno. Hey, who cuts your hair?

J:

Nicky.

(CONTINUED)

Animal Kingdom - GREEN REVISIONS 48.

CONTINUED:

POPE:

Do you think maybe she could cut my

hair if I asked her?

J:

Maybe.

J feels seriously unnerved. He heads for the door.

POPE:

Where are you going?

J:

Just to my room.

POPE:

If you ever need to talk about

anything or anything, I'm here. For

any help you need or anything like

that. I'm happy to do that for you.

J:

OK.

J waits for more. Nothing comes. He exits. Pope watches him.

77 INT. HALL / CODY HOUSE - DAY 77

J walks the hall towards his bedroom. All is eerily silent.

There is the sound of a BLAST of smashing glass and splinteringwood. Special Operations Group (SOG) police in full black, flak-

jackets and helmets, charge in with shotguns raised.

SOG 1

Get on the floor! Now! Move! Get on

the f***in floor!

J drops to his knees, hands raised. He is kicked down.

78 INT. LOUNGE / CODY HOUSE - DAY 78

Pope continues staring at the TV, strangely calm.

More SOGs burst into the lounge, screaming, guns raised, andforce Pope to the floor. One whacks Pope in the back of the headwith the butt of his shotgun.

79 INT. HALL / CODY HOUSE - DAY 79

While one SOG trains a shotgun on J, another presses his kneeinto J's back while flex-cuffing him.

Animal Kingdom - GREEN REVISIONS 49.

80 INT. POLICE COMPLEX - DAY 80

Pope and J are led single-file along a hall, heavily guarded bydetectives. Cops loiter, watch the procession with hate.

J and Pope are led to a waiting area. Darren is already there,

cuffed and distressed.

81 INT. INTERVIEW ROOM / POLICE COMPLEX - DAY 81

J sits in a small interview room, waiting, alone.

DETECTIVE SENIOR SERGEANT NATHAN LECKIE (39) enters with

DETECTIVE JUSTIN NORRIS (32) and social worker JOHN HARROP.

LECKIE:

G’day, Josh. I’m Detective Senior

Sergeant Leckie, this is Detective

Norris.

Leckie and Norris sit.

LECKIE:

Mr. Harrop here is from the Department

of Human Services. It’s a requirement

under the law that in questioning

anyone under the age of 18, they must

be accompanied by a guardian or legal

Rate this script:4.5 / 2 votes