Carnival Page #9

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into their turf.

Meanwhile...

KAYNE’S OFFICE

A BLACK HORSE charges across a CHESSBOARD -Ace

plays a CHESS MATCH against Kayne.

STAIRWELL:

The carnie team climbs up the SPIRAL STAIRS.

Zodiac’s eyes go WHITE as she points at a CLOSED DOOR.

Shiv HURLS a knife at the door - nobody there but -Door

opens right on time to reveal a GUARD - he gets STABBED.

ACE:

Takes one of Kayne’s pawns.

56.

SHIV:

Takes down another guard.

OFFICE:

Ace takes a rook with his queen -ACE

Check mate.

Kayne flicks his king down in surrender... the piece is about

to hit the board when -BAM!

- door flies open - the carnie team STORMS in -A

GUARD standing by the door whips out his GUN -BLAM!

HE SHOOTS ZODIAC IN THE HEAD!

Time slows down as her body falls...

Her dead eyes staring into the void...

But then this image TURNS TO:

A REFLECTION IN AN EYE

A woman’s eye.

This is the eye of:

ZODIAC:

Alive, BURSTS into the office AGAIN, just like in her vision.

But this time she SLAPS the GUARD’s wrist - BLAM! - shot goes

wide -Her

TAROT DECK springs out from her sleeve like magic - cards

wedged into a holding contraption that SPREADS open like a

FAN - she SWINGS -SWASH!

- slashes open the Guard’s neck - he HITS the floor -

Two GUARDS level their guns -Shiv

HURLS a knife - wait - it’s actually TWO that SPREAD in

flight -

57.

Both guards GO DOWN.

Zodiac sees Kayne - notices the MISSING FINGER - points at

him.

ZODIAC:

(to Shiv)

That’s him.

Shiv readies a KNIFE -But

Kayne is already RUSHING out through a side door.

The team hauls ass in hot pursuit, running past Ace who sits

frozen on his chair.

THIRD FLOOR - GUEST AREA

The CHASE is on - our heroes RUNNING after Kayne - jumping

over stoned GUESTS -

GUARDS coming at them from everywhere.

Zodiac SLASHES her fan across a SUITED GUARD’s chest - half a

tie goes flying into the air --

Dante TORCHES two guards alive - flowing curtains catching

fire -Goliath

swings his TOW CHAIN - the HOOK smashes a face -

teeth FLY -

Shiv SLINGS a knife -It

flies through the air...

Cutting across thick strands of smoke...

Disrupting their mesmerizing flow... leaving a trail like a

bullet in the water...

Headed right towards Kayne’s back...

But a HULKING GOON appears - heaves a TABLE just in time -CLACK!

- the knife sticks into the wood of the improvised

shield.

Kayne disappears into the STAIRWELL.

The hulking goon now CHARGES towards Shiv, who unleashes a

flurry of flying knives --

58.

But the goon holds up the table -

CLACK! CLACK! CLACK! - blades keep stabbing into the wood as

he charges forward and -CRASH!

- slams the table against Shiv’s body!

The rest of the team keeps kicking ass in the background

while:

Shiv struggles to his feet - groggy - tries to draw a knife -WHAM!

- but the goon PUNCHES him first -WHAM!

- Shiv stumbling back -WHAM!

- no time to counter -WHAM!

- he falls out the window!

But manages to HOLD ONTO the window sill.

His body hanging - a three-story fall!

The goon STOMPS on Shiv’s hands with his foot!

Shiv takes the pain as much as he can but -He

lets go and drops!

Time SLOWS DOWN as:

OUTSIDE:

Shiv hangs in mid-air...

A deadly fall he won’t survive...

Unless...

SLING! - he UNSHEATHES two knives -CLACK!

- stabs them both into the wooden wall - holds to the

handles - STOPPING his fall -He

lets go - FALLS a few feet - then -CLACK!

- stabs another pair of knives - stops his fall again.

He keeps stabbing his way down the building.

Then SLIPS back inside through an open window as:

59.

STAIRWELL:

Kayne scoots down the stairs, his frantic steps echoing

across the empty SHAFT as -

BAM! - a side door flies open -

Shiv POUNCES on Kayne and sticks a knife into his chest.

Shiv kneels by his side, watches his prey slowly die.

KAYNE:

(dumbfounded)

The hell are you?

SHIV:

When your hitmen took out The

Illusionist, they also did his

girlfriend. She was my sister.

Kayne chuckles bitterly.

KAYNE:

I didn’t greenlight The

Illusionist.

SHIV:

Bullshit.

KAYNE:

Dead men don’t lie, boy.

Kayne keeps talking as...

SHIV (V.O.)

Bastard knows his last words are

about to mess up my world big time.

So he lets it all out with a smile

that gets wider even as his lungs

fill up with blood.

OUTSIDE THE DREAM POND

Ace hops into a BLACK HUMMER.

SHIV (V.O.)

He says “Ace” is his second in

command. And greedier than a herd

of swine.

The HUMMER races the hell away from there, swiftly

disappearing into the night.

60.

SHIV (V.O.)

Kayne heard rumors his underling

might make a move to take him out

and climb up the ladder. And he

thinks it’s no coincidence I showed

up at his joint thirsty for blood.

He’s sure that -

STAIRWELL:

KAYNE:

Someone’s playing you like a

violin.

KAYNE’S OFFICE

Kayne grabs a chunk of cash from a wall safe, just like in

Zodiac’s vision.

SHIV (V.O.)

He admits he bankrolled the kill,

but it was Ace, the one who ordered

and hired the hit.

He gives the wad of cash to Ace.

SHIV (V.O.)

Ace runs a net of stash houses and

it turns out that Mirage was

interfering with his business.

A CIRCUS FLIER:

“Mirage” is the name of the ILLUSIONIST, handwritten in

elegant font. Four crystal balls containing fire, earth, air,

and water float over the hands of the mystic performer.

SHIV (V.O.)

Turns out... Mirage was an

undercover cop.

MIDWAY:

Tigra watches as her boys unload boxes with STUFFED ANIMALS

from the WHITE VAN.

SHIV (V.O.)

When I ask what was a cop doing in

our turf, Kayne drops the nuke:

61.

STAIRWELL:

Kayne COUGHS, wincing.

KAYNE:

The lion tamer has been running a

distribution center right under

your wet noses.

STORAGE TRAILER:

Shiv, alone, picks a STUFFED ANIMAL from a box - CUTS it open

with his knife to find:

A BRICK of heroin labeled with a black rose.

SHIV (V.O.)

He says Mirage infiltrated us as

part of a sting operation,

spearheaded by some hot shot D.A.

now rotting in a ditch. He spits

blood on my face and says that --

STAIRWELL:

KAYNE:

You know nothing, boy. You’re just

a pawn. You -

Shiv PULLS OUT the knife - Kayne wheezes his last breath as

his eyes stare far away and we -

CUT TO:

EXT. BABYLON STREET - NIGHT

The CARNIE TRUCK speeds along, weaving through traffic.

INT. CARNIE TRUCK

Shiv drives in deep thought.

Zodiac rides shotgun, smoking an OPIUM PIPE, a souvenir she

brought from the den.

Shadow and light dances across their faces as city lights

whip by.

SHIV:

You sure Kayne hired the hit?

62.

ZODIAC:

I’m sure I saw him pulling the

money from that safe. Why?

(off his silence)

Did he say anything?

(off his silence)

What’d he say?

SHIV:

He didn’t say nothing.

ZODIAC:

You a virgin?

SHIV:

What does that have to do with

anything?

ZODIAC:

I’ll take that as a “yes”.

Insulted, he extends his hand.

She does a palm reading. After a few seconds...

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