Code of Silence

EXT. CHICAGO - NIGHT TO DAWN

Thundering north through the glass canyons of the Loop, the

elevated train SCREECHES through the city awakening. As it

races north across the river past ancient factories giving

way to high rise splendor, lights glistening against the

dawn, we see the complex business of bringing a city to life

in the morning.

On the Near North Side an assortment of revelers are winding

up their night on the town.

The pressmen loiter outside the Tribune loading docks, and

fishing boats are outbound through the Chicago River locks.

A streetsweeping crew moves through the Fulton Market,

Chicago's central meat and produce distribution center.

At the Merchandise Mart platform the elevated train picks up

two old cleaning ladies wearing babushkas.

EXT. ALLEY - DAY

The el train RUMBLES north past the aging tenements of Uptown

into the Belmont Avenue Station.

And down below, a garbage truck is slowly working its way up

the alley. A garbage man in city overalls WHISTLES to the

driver and the truck stops. He rolls a can to the grinding

jaw as the driver sits, tense and alert, scanning the street.

There's something odd about this driver. And the garbage man

too, for that matter.

EXT. EL PLATFORM - DAY

SPIDER, a nervous looking black man, steps out onto the

platform. As the train pulls away we see him reach into his

shirt pocket and CLICKS his ball point pen a couple of times.

He WHISPERS into it. It is a concealed radio transmitter.

SPIDER:

Say, hey, Cub fans, I hope to hell

y'all down there cause we got a big

game today.

He heads for the stairs and the street below.

INT. TRUCK CAB - DAY

The truck cab is equipped with a police radio. The driver,

RICH DONATO, adjusts the volume. Over the SPEAKER, HEAVY

WITH STATIC, we can hear the SOUND of the RECEDING EL TRAIN.

SPIDER (V.O.)

(from radio)

The school bus be waitin.

Donato motions for the garbage man.

EXT. ALLEY - DAY

EDDIE CUSACK jumps up on the truck's running board and sticks

his head in. On the seat beside Donato is a sledgehammer and

a sawed off automatic rifle. The two men stare at each other

as they concentrate on the CRACKLING RADIO.

SPIDER (V.O.)

(from radio)

S'happenin, Doc?

DOC (V.O.)

(from radio)

Hey, I got it all right here, my

man. Jus be waitin on you.

SPIDER (V.O.)

(from radio)

We ain't got far to go.

EXT. EL STATION - DAY

DOC is at the wheel of a late model Cadillac. Spider gets in

and they pull slowly away from the curb.

EXT. EL STATION - DAY

At the corner in a beat up Pontiac are officers MUSIC and

BRENNAN. The two rough looking detectives follow Doc's car

through half closed eyes.

They also HEAR Spider's TRANSMITTER. The quality of the

reception improves as Spider and his antennae clear the steel

support structure of the el platform.

DOC (V.O.)

(from radio)

This early bird sh*t just ain't my

style.

SPIDER (V.O.)

(from radio)

Dig it. Too close to real work for

me.

Doc and Spider talk in a nervous false bravado.

EXT. ALLEY - DAY

Eddie nods to Donato who grabs a walkie-talkie from the seat.

DONATO:

(to walkie-talkie)

O.K. Home Team. Ready in the bullpen.

MUSIC (V.O.)

(from radio)

Copy Shortstop. Double play. We're

with him now.

SPOTTER (V.O.)

(from radio)

Center's in.

SILENCE. Eddie looks at Donato.

EDDIE:

Where's Cragie?

EXT. CEMETERY - DAY

Two cops are against the wall separating the cemetery from

the El. CRAGIE, a weathered twenty-five year veteran; and

NICK KOSALAS, the new kid on the team. Cragie sits on a crate

with a styrofoam cup of coffee.

Kosalas is trying to maneuver his cup lid off, and still

hold on to his walkie-talkie.

DONATO (V.O.)

(from radio)

Talk to me left field.

KOSALAS:

(to mike)

Ready sir. Left Field in position.

Cragie pulls a pint of whiskey from his pocket and sweetens

his coffee with a healthy shot. He notices Kosalas, who has

set down the thermos and is nervously moving from leg to

leg.

CRAGIE:

Have a shot, kid. A little nerve

tonic.

KOSALAS:

What's the matter with you?

Cragie grins and raises his cup to drink. His hand shakes

and he has to steady it with the other.

The RADIO CRACKLES.

SPOTTER (V.O.)

(from radio)

O.K., guys, runner on first base.

INT. SPOTTER APARTMENT - DAY

A spotter, KOBAS, covers the scene from an abandoned building

across the street.

KOBAS:

(to walkie-talkie)

Just turning on Paulina.

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