Carnival Page #8

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ZODIAC:

You tell Tigra I couldn’t find any

clues in those wallets. You tell

her you hit a dead end and that you

don’t need me anymore.

49.

SHIV:

Why?

ZODIAC:

We keep climbing up the ladder,

it’s gonna get really nasty and I

don’t want to be part of it. I want

you to let me off the hook.

SHIV:

You want me to betray my sister.

ZODIAC:

We all want something.

She grabs his thumb, still bleeding from the cut. Sticks out

her tongue to LICK the blood.

ZODIAC:

What do you want?

SHIV:

You’re asking me to choose between

you and Ayleen?

ZODIAC:

Short answer:
yes. Long answer -

He gets up and LEAVES.

INT. CHANGING ROOM - SHOWERS - NIGHT

A LIGHT BULB hangs from the ceiling, casting someone’s SHADOW

on a cracked tile wall.

Shiv stands naked under the shower, water hitting his face.

He hears someone coming, opens his eyes to see -

Zodiac joins him, the STEAM enveloping their bodies.

ZODIAC:

Checked the wallets. Found some

contract money in them. Was able to

see the money trail when I touched

the bills. Hitmen got them from

their handler, the guy at the

greenhouse. And the handler got

them from the man who hired the

hit. I saw flashes of a meeting.

FLASH:
a white patch of light in the pitch blackness - Doug

and two other MEN sit at a table engulfed in a cloud of cigar

smoke.

50.

ZODIAC:

Heard of the place. Very exclusive.

FLASH:
a hand flicks cigarette ash into an ASHTRAY painted

with a black swan logo.

ZODIAC:

An opium den named “The Dream

Pond”. Handler was meeting with two

men. The older one was definitely

Black Rose. Wore a ring that

screamed of rank.

FLASH:
KAYNE (50s). A bear of a man. Face rugged like tree

bark. Expensive suit. Piercings. A RING engraved with a black

rose on his index finger. He’s missing a pinky.

ZODIAC:

The younger one was probably just

an underling.

FLASH:
ACE (30s). Foxy sleekness. Razor thin smile. Face

covered in tats.

ZODIAC:

I saw the older one pulling out the

money to hire the hit. I think he

owns the place.

FLASH:
Kayne’s fingerless HAND digs into a wall safe to take

a WAD OF CASH.

Shiv, in deep thought, takes in the new intel.

ZODIAC:

So what’s next? Wanna hit “The

Dream Pond”? Wanna get ourselves

killed?

Now she stands cruelly close to him.

ZODIAC:

Or maybe we should forget all about

this nonsense? And have some real

fun?

SHIV:

Has a man ever turned you down?

ZODIAC:

Yes.

SHIV:

Twice?

51.

ZODIAC:

No.

On the wall:
his shadow walks away from her shadow.

EXT. GOLIATH’S TRAILER - NIGHT

Rocking HARD - some serious f***ing going on inside.

Zodiac KNOCKS on the door. The rocking STOPS.

The door opens, Goliath steps out from the dark, his hulking

shape filling the frame.

GOLIATH:

Better be important. Better be

good.

Four FEMALE HANDS come out from the blackness behind him to

caress his chest, trying to pull him back inside.

GOLIATH:

Better be fast.

ZODIAC:

A Black Rose’s big wig is now in

the idiot’s crosshairs. He thinks

he’s throwing knives when he’s

actually throwing boomerangs that

will soon come back to hit us. It’s

getting dangerous. It’s getting

foolish. It’s getting out of hand.

GOLIATH:

Good.

ZODIAC:

Help me stop this madness -

GOLIATH:

And miss all the fun? Speaking of

which... I’ve got better things to

do right now.

He’s about to close the door when Zodiac holds it, PISSED.

ZODIAC:

Do what? Fill with women that

gaping hole in your soul that Cindy

left? Why bother? It’s not working.

GOLIATH:

Says who?

52.

ZODIAC:

Bet that’s where all the anger is

coming from. Some girl broke your

heart, so now you want to break

some bones in return -

GOLIATH:

And where’s your anger coming from,

gypsy queen? Why are you even

talking to me to begin with? Knife

boy turned you down?

She grits her teeth.

GOLIATH:

Oohh, so that’s what happened.

Pretty lady bangs her way through

life, using her body as a weapon,

but she just fired blanks, hasn’t

she? Must be driving you nuts.

His con man’s smile pisses her even more. She storms away.

GOLIATH:

(spits tobacco)

Told ya’ I’d hit you back.

He CLOSES the door as we -

CUT TO:

A BLACK SWAN LOGO

Embroidered on a silk handkerchief sticking out from a suit’s

POCKET.

Two dark-suited BOUNCERS man an OAK DOOR.

We are at...

EXT. “THE DREAM POND” - NIGHT

A three-story ANTIQUE BUILDING squeezed into a row of grimy

brownstones in a residential part of town.

A BLACK HUMMER pulls up by the entrance. Kayne gets down from

the back, followed by Ace.

A bouncer opens the door for them to get in, giving them a

respectful NOD.

53.

BOUNCER:

Ace. Kayne.

Ace and Kayne nod back.

INT. “THE DREAM POND” - CORRIDOR - LATER

Ace and Kayne pace along, crossing paths with another THUG

who gives them a nod.

Ace and Kayne nod back again.

KAYNE:

My men used to ignore you. Now they

like you.

(off Ace’s look)

You’ve come a long way since I

pulled you out of the gutter.

ACE:

They don’t like me. They fear me.

That’s what an underling is

supposed to do.

Kayne smiles patronizingly. Oh really?

KAYNE:

And how about you...? Do you like

me or fear me?

ACE:

Neither.

(smiles)

I love you.

CUT TO:

EXT. “THE DREAM POND” - NIGHT

Shiv, alone, approaches the door. Stops in front of the

BOUNCERS blocking his way.

SHIV:

I need to speak to the owner.

BOUNCER:

Who does?

SHIV:

A friend.

The bouncer traces his finger down a GUEST LIST.

54.

BOUNCER:

Friend... friend... friend...

He finishes his “search”.

BOUNCER:

Nope. No “friend”. Sorry, pal.

Can’t come in.

SHIV:

Then tell him to come out.

BOUNCER:

Sure. I’ll text him.

The bouncer takes out his phone and pretends, very badly, to

punch some keys.

BOUNCER:

There you go. I’ll let you know

when he answers back.

Shiv. Unfazed. He turns and walks away. Over his shoulder we

can see the bouncers flashing sh*t-eating grins.

BACK OF THE BUILDING

A vandalized LAMP POST flickers ON and OFF.

ON:
a glimpse of a grimy alley.

And OFF - pitch BLACKNESS.

ON:
Shiv and the rest of the team now in the alley -And

OFF.

ON:
Shiv unleashes a hail of KNIVES against the wooden wall.

And OFF.

ON:
Shiv CLIMBS up the wall grabbing the knives’ handles like

Ayleen during her number - SLINKS in through a window -And

OFF.

ON:
the rest of the team now waits in front of a rusted STEEL

DOOR -And

OFF.

ON:
the sound of locks unlatching behind the door - Shiv

opens it for them to enter -

55.

And OFF.

FADE IN:

A WOMAN’S LIPS

Painted cherry red - blowing a twirling WISP of smoke.

INT. “THE DREAM POND” - FIRST FLOOR - NIGHT

The WOMAN, in a cocktail dress, lies over a mound of tapestry

cushions, smoking an OPIUM PIPE.

Clusters of GUESTS strewn around the gloomy place, getting

high. Night dresses and suits. Flowing satin curtains.

High-class kind of joint.

Our heroes march along, amid GHOSTLY STRANDS of smoke that

hang in the air.

Guests shoot awkward glances at the carnie scum intruding

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