Assassins Page #8

RATH:

Bishop takes rook pawn.

A big moment as the computer moves: Bishop takes rook

pawn. A beat and the screen starts to flash: CHECK. CHECK.

CHECK.

Rath can't believe what he's seeing.

COMPUTER VOICE (V.O.)

Game in check.

RATH:

(softly)

I'm a mark. A mark... Who the hell

is Miguel Bain?

A pause. Rath finally clears the screen, types the

access code, waits. As the system comes on line.

Contractor:
Hello, Robert.

Rath:
Who the hell is Miguel Bain?

Contractor:
That's no way to talk to a lady.

Rath:
Who???

Contractor:
The name Bain is not familiar.

RATH:

Are you setting me up?

(a beat)

Is this how it went, Nicolai?

Rath:
He was there. He stole the contract.

Contractor:
I'll make inquiries, Robert.

RATH:

I bet you will.

Contractor:
$2,000,000. That's the bonus on the next

contract.

RATH:

I quit. I'm gone.

Rath moves to shut down the rig, but then hesitates.

Contractor:
Robert? Are you there?

RATH:

Two million. Two million and I'm

gone.

Rath:
Location?

Contractor:
Seattle.

Rath:
The mark?

Contractor:
Surveillance expert. Selling a synthetic

heroin formula to a Dutch buyer.

A beat as Rath thinks things over. Then...

Rath:
Conditions?

Contractor:
Retire the mark, retire the buyer and retrieve

the information. A computer disc.

Rath watches as miniaturized pages flash on his screen.

Many of an angular-faced Dutch man. His henchmen. A

complete file, except...

Rath:
The surveillance jacket on the seller?

Contractor:
A ghost. All we have is an internet logo.

The transmit prompts again. The screen goes black except

for two green, slit-iris cat eyes. Under that,

MEOW@comsat.next. And as we move in on the eyes:

MATCH CUT TO:

INT. ELECTRA'S APT. - ELECTRA'S KITCHEN - PEARL - DAY

A live cat with the same eyes. She watches as a kid's

remote control dump truck whirs past her. In the truck

bed, a bowl of tuna fish. Pearl chases. Her pride stops

her. She waits, pounces as the truck backs up. Pearl

wins. As she eats...

Electra sets down a remote control, kneels to watch Pearl

eat. A surveillance genius, an "information assassin,"

Electra depends on smarts and intuition to succeed in a

dangerous world. Like most geniuses, she's a free

spirit.

ELECTRA:

Mmmm. Hungry Pearl.

Electra steps over to check on the progress of a coffee

machine. Almost done.

As she waits, she flips through a packet from "One Hour

Photo." All photos of Pearl. Electra stops to study

one.

ELECTRA:

(shows Pearl)

I like this one, baby. It's your

good side.

She pours coffee, takes a sip, sighs with satisfaction.

EXT. ELECTRA'S APARTMENT BUILDING - DAY

At the base of three massive transmit towers. Two

stories, eight apartments. We see Electra enter her

second floor living room. In the apartment directly

below we see a young couple (JENNIFER & BOB) fighting.

INT. ELECTRA'S APARTMENT - LIVING ROOM - DAY

Like the control booth of a low-rent network television

show. TV's of various size, make and quality are stacked

and set in a semi-circle around an overstuffed chair.

Electrical cables and bundles of fiber optical cable are

duct-taped to the walls. Some disappear through holes

punched in the floor, others the ceiling. They hang like

vines in a jungle.

Electra settles into her chair. Flicks a remote. The

CD PLAYER KICKS IN SOME MUSIC. The first two TVs show

empty apartments. A third -- an old woman rolling out

dough. The view is wide-angle, from above. Just like

a cooking show.

ELECTRA:

Yummy.

Electra switches on another TV. Jennifer and Bob's

argument.

BOB (V.O.)

(TV)

I don't give a sh*t what your

mother thinks. I'm not sleeping

with your mother; I'm sleeping

with you.

JENNIFER (V.O.)

(TV)

You won't be for long with that

attitude.

Electra turns UP the VOLUME, leans forward as the drama

unfolds.

BOB (V.O.)

(TV)

Jesus, Jennifer, if you're so god

damned worried about your mother's

approval, why don't you move back

home so she can pat you on the

head when you do something right.

ELECTRA:

Jerk.

Electra's PAGER SOUNDS. She barely looks at it.

Jennifer starts to say something, but stops, trying to

keep herself from crying.

BOB (V.O.)

(TV)

Oh good. Go ahead and cry.

Jennifer exits the room, slams the door hard behind her.

BOB (V.O.)

(TV)

You like to slam doors?

Electra switches one of the sets to a shot of Jennifer

crying in her bedroom.

BOB (V.O.)

(TV)

I can slam doors too!

Bob exits the apartment, slamming the door on his way

out. Electra switches all the TVs to shots of Jennifer.

She watches, listens to her cry.

Affected, Electra reaches out, her fingers lightly

touching the screen. She isn't simply a voyeur. She

cares about these people's lives. As her PAGER SOUNDS

again...

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