Bare Knuckle Page #15

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Kieran delivers a left hook softly to Grady’s abdomen.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY

Lester delivers a left hook harshly to Emily’s face. He bends

her over the bed and, rips her undergarments to shreds.

LESTER:

What are you crying for? This is

your profession.

EXT. PARADISE SQUARE - DAY

Grady takes off his gloves and turns to the crowd.

GRADY:

Who has the sand to go a round with

the undefeated Irishman?

Hands go up in droves, all wanting a piece of the spotlight.

GRADY (CONT’D)

You sir. Come on up.

A short stubby man, HORATIO, quickly jumps on the stage and

snatches the gloves from Grady. Horatio immediately swings on

Kieran who quickly bobs out of the way.

KIERAN:

Woah, calm down, lad.

Horatio is dead serious, flailing away. Finally, BAM! Kieran

punches the wild man’s liver, dropping him. The crowd roars

with excitement.

KIERAN (CONT’D)

You asked for it.

81.

INT. KNOW NOTHINGS SALOON - DAY

No longer cloaked, Cillian walks through the front door of

the saloon as Bad Jack is walking out. They hit shoulders.

CILLIAN:

Sorry about that, champ.

Jack exits. Cillian heads upstairs where Gideon is hand

feeding the roosters, his companions closest in intellect.

CILLIAN (CONT’D)

Who’s the toughest of the lot?

GIDEON:

I got my money on this one.

CILLIAN:

Why is that?

GIDEON:

Look at the size of him.

CILLIAN:

Not always the biggest cock that

wins.

GIDEON:

That’s not what the whores say.

Gideon laughs at his own lame joke.

CILLIAN:

What about the French whore?

Gideon’s head snaps up.

GIDEON:

What do you know about her?

CILLIAN:

Nothing, but I heard you do. I’ll

pay ya to let me see her.

Gideon hesitates. Cillian pulls out a stack of bills.

CILLIAN (CONT’D) (CONT’D)

You want to make some money or not?

INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY

Lester is pulling up his trousers. Emily lays half naked on

the floor, in a mess of blood.

82.

Lester reaches into his pocket.

LESTER:

That’s the great thing about

trollops. You can’t rape ‘em. You

just owe them money after.

He throws a few coins at Emily, then exits.

INT. SALOON BASEMENT - DAY

Gideon leads Cillian down into the basement.

GIDEON:

Have your look, but make it quick.

Cillian slowly moves to Destine. Her posture turns defensive,

examining Cillian’s motives.

DESTINE:

Who are you?

He moves closer.

CILLIAN:

I’ll pay ten dollars to see her

naked.

DESTINE:

You keep away from me.

Gideon walks up behind Cillian.

GIDEON:

Ten dollars? Give it here.

Instead of cash, Cillian pulls out a blade and slashes

Gideon’s throat. He holds the back of Gideon’s head leading

him silently to the ground. Cillian eyes Destine’s shackles.

CILLIAN:

Kieran sent me to get you out.

Destine smiles at her good fortune. Cillian rifles through

Gideon’s pockets. He looks under his collar.

CILLIAN (CONT’D)

Where is the key?

DESTINE:

I don’t know.

He pulls off Gideon’s boots. No key. The door creaks open.

83.

GOON:

Gideon! One of your damn roosters

is running amok out here.

The goon heads down the steps. Each footstep clamors doom.

Cillian grips his blade.

GOON (CONT’D)

Gideon?

Off the last step the goon sees Gideon dead. Cillian rushes

him from behind and digs the blade into the goon’s ribs. The

goon backhands Cillian to the ground.

The gorilla pulls the blade from his side as if it were a

needle prick and runs after Cillian.

CILLIAN:

Shyte.

The goon grabs up Cillian and smashes him against the wall

then bashes his heavy foot into Cillian’s face.

Destine kicks the goon from behind. The monster turns to

crush Destine when Cillian grabs Gideon’s club and smashes

the goon in the balls.

The monster goes down and Cillian bashes his head until he is

sure there is no coming back.

Cillian rushes to Destine and tries to break the chain with

the club. He kicks the metal ring, but it is solid.

CILLIAN (CONT’D)

I have to go before more come.

He backs away.

DESTINE:

No, don’t go. Please.

CILLIAN:

I’m sorry.

Cillian exits, leaving Destine laying beside two dead men.

INT. KING’S HOTEL - EVENING

Kieran walks down the hall tired from the long day of

promotion. He comes upon the splintered hotel room door.

KIERAN:

Emily?!

84.

INT. HOTEL ROOM - CONTINUOUS

Kieran rushes in to see Emily tucked in the corner between

the bed and the wall, wrapped in a bloody sheet.

Kieran takes her in his arms and lays her across his chest.

KIERAN:

What happened? Look at me, Emily.

Look in my eyes.

Emily stares blankly, traumatized.

KIERAN (CONT’D)

You’re safe now. I’m here. Say

something. Look at me, please.

Emily doesn’t move. Feeling helpless, Kieran hugs her tight.

KIERAN (CONT’D)

This is all my fault.

CILLIAN:

Who did this?

Sadness and anger shroud Cillian who charges to Emily’s side.

Seeing Cillian breaks Emily’s anguish. She finally blinks her

eyes. She clears her throat.

EMILY:

The c-copper. Lester.

KIERAN:

That crook-pated bastard!

CILLIAN:

You need stitches.

Cillian takes her from Kieran and carries her to the

washroom. Kieran follows.

KIERAN:

She’ll be alright? I mean you know

how to...

CILLIAN:

Yeah.

Cillian cleans the blood off Emily’s face with a towel.

CILLIAN (CONT’D)

I’m gonna stitch you up and you’ll

be as beautiful as ever.

85.

KIERAN:

You come alone -- without Destine.

CILLIAN:

I tried. I killed Jack’s man

Gideon, but I could not free her.

Kieran’s rage rises, passing the point of control. He grunts

as a beast and exits.

EXT. KNOW NOTHINGS SALOON - NIGHT

Kieran walks down the dark sultry streets with is axe in

hand. He approaches the gang of three hundred cutthroats

standing guard outside of Bad Jack’s saloon. Some hold

torches, all hold weapons.

KIERAN:

JACK! -- JACK!

After a moment, Jack slithers out to the balcony.

BAD JACK:

Come to mope about your dark

skinned friend? I hear she’s the

best grind in town.

Jack laughs, taunting Kieran.

KIERAN:

You want to know how I got all

these notches on my axe? The

Confederates would set up pickets.

An outpost of three or four men to

give warning if they saw Union

soldiers marching. I’d wait until

the night was at its blackest. Then

ffftt fft. Dead before they even

knew they were under attack.

BAD JACK:

You saying I should sleep with one

eye open?

KIERAN:

No, you can rest easy tonight,

Jack. I want the entire city

watching when I put you down.

BAD JACK:

No you don’t. You only want her

watching. But that’s not going to

happen see. I already killed her.

86.

Kieran’s heart drops into his stomach.

BAD JACK (CONT’D) (CONT’D)

Only fair after your man got my

second Gideon.

INT. WASHROOM - NIGHT

Cillian cleans Emily’s freshly stitched wounds.

EMILY:

I thought he was gonna kill me.

CILLIAN:

I know where he sleeps. He will not

live through the night.

EMILY:

Do not steal my revenge. I want to

fight like Kieran does. Like you

do.

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