Human Target Page #5

WINSTON (INTO PHONE)

Listen. I don’t know why you were in

such a rush to take this job. And I

haven’t wanted to say anything about

this, but... She looks like her. I

know, I see it too. But it isn’t her.

It’s got nothing to do with her. You

know that, right?

Chance’s smile fades. An unreadable, silent beat.

CHANCE (INTO PHONE)

Lemme know when you’ve got Guerrero.

Off Chance-

CUT TO:

INT. SANDWICH SHOP - DAY

TWO NASTY-LOOKING THUGS enter, each stuffed into their cheap

suits. We focus on the LATINO one of the two. Guerrero?

He scans the place, before he spots-

A SKINNY GUY (40s), sitting alone in a corner booth, reading

a book, eating his lunch. The Thugs sit, boxing him in.

LATINO THUG:

You’re the guy digging around South Trust

Bank. Asking questions. Making trouble.

It’s weird, but the Skinny Guy doesn’t seem intimidated.

SKINNY GUY:

And you’re... employees of the bank?

LATINO THUG:

You could say that.

(CONTINUED)

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CONTINUED:

SKINNY GUY:

I see. Well, I’m sorry, but your employer

is engaged in some pretty shady loans

with his directors’ families. And my

friends need to know just how shady if

they’re going to make their case. So I’m

afraid we’re at an impasse.

LATINO THUG:

We’re at a what?

SKINNY GUY:

Impasse. It means we disagree without

prospect of resolution.

Latino Thug looks to Other Thug. You believe this guy?

LATINO THUG:

See, we came here to explain it to you.

But you’re not getting it. So maybe we

need to go for a little walk to the alley

out back, and explain it different. So

we don’t have ‘impasse.’

SKINNY GUY:

(beat; considers them)

Alright. But I have to warn you. If

this gets violent, I’m gonna fight back.

The Thugs chuckle. They outweigh him by about 500 lbs.

LATINO THUG:

You’re gonna fight back...

SKINNY GUY:

Actually, you’re right, ‘fight back’ is a

little misleading. What I’ll do is break

into your homes some night soon, and kill

you each in your sleep.

(off their stunned silence)

You’ll probably be first, Alfredo. That

way Steven here can have a few extra days

with Marla and the girls. It’s only fair.

On the Thugs. What the hell is this...

LATINO THUG:

How do you know my name?

SKINNY GUY:

Your employer keeps sensitive information

on a drive he thinks is secure. It isn’t.

(re:
the door)

Shall we?

(CONTINUED)

Human Target - Steinberg Network Revisions 1/23/09 23.

CONTINUED:
(2)

The look in the Skinny Guy’s eyes makes our skin crawl.

There’s something just slightly unhinged about it...

The Thugs consider how long they have to wait to leave in

order to maintain a shred of dignity. Long enough? Yeah,

that’ll do it. They get up, and exit silently. Skinny Guy

watches them go, as his CELL RINGS. He answers.

SKINNY GUY (GUERRERO)(INTO PHONE)(CONT'D)

This is Guerrero.

Off Guerrero-

CUT TO:

INT. MONTEREY ONE - CAFE CAR - DAY

Chance and Stephanie sit at a booth. A CELL RING comes from

Chance’s pocket. He fishes it out and answers.

STEPHANIE:

That’s funny, my phone has the same ring.

CHANCE (INTO PHONE)

Yeah. Yeah, go ahead...

CUT TO:

INT. CHANCE’S OFFICE - DAY

Winston, on the phone-

WINSTON (INTO PHONE)

Guerrero is in. But there’s something

else. I went through her call logs,

found something that may be interesting.

CUT TO:

INT. MONTEREY ONE - CAFE CAR - DAY

As Chance listens silently to Winston on the other end, a

STEWARD (whom we’ll only see from the neck down) sets a few

drinks around the table.

STEPHANIE:

That’s strange, don’t you think? That

we’d both have the same...

(looks closer)

Wait a minute, that is my phone.

CHANCE (INTO PHONE)

Alright, let me know what he finds.

(CONTINUED)

Human Target - Steinberg Network Revisions 1/23/09 24.

CONTINUED:

STEPHANIE:

(snatches the phone back)

You stole my phone?!

CHANCE:

I borrowed it. Listen, do you know a

Times reporter named Mark Hoffer?

STEPHANIE:

I forgot to plug it in last night, and

you’re here running it down--

CHANCE:

Focus, please. Mark Hoffer.

STEPHANIE:

He covers the project, he used to call

periodically for background or a quote.

Why?

CHANCE:

His name isn’t in your phone book, but

his number’s listed as incoming a dozen

times or so. Mostly unreturned.

STEPHANIE:

Yeah, well, I’m bad about returning

calls. Haven’t talked to him in almost a

year. What difference does it make?

CHANCE:

Just that reporters are like vultures;

when they linger, it’s worth noticing...

Chance trails off, his attention focused out the window...

STEPHANIE:

Hello...?

...we then notice what’s drawn his attention. In the

window’s reflection, Chance sees the Suspicious Guy, now

clearly eying Stephanie from across the car. A beat, before

the GUY STARTS WALKING THIS WAY... Chance calmly stands up,

picks up a full cocktail... Waits... Then turns,

‘accidentally’ spilling the drink all over Suspicious Guy...

CHANCE:

Jeez, I’m sorry about that...

Chance helps the guy clean up... But as he does, we see he’s

discreetly frisking him. Chance then turns him, looks him

square in the eye. Evaluating the threat. The look of

surprise in the guy’s eyes says he’s clear. Chance backs off.

(CONTINUED)

Human Target - Steinberg Network Revisions 1/23/09 25.

CONTINUED:
(2)

CHANCE (CONT’D)

Can’t take me anywhere...

The Guy gives Chance a sideways look, before continuing on

and approaching Stephanie. Chance stays close by...

SUSPICIOUS GUY (BILL)

We’ve never met, but I think you know who

I am. My name is Bill Arnold. May I sit?

Stephanie is instantly uncomfortable. Seems to know exactly

who this guy is, and not in a good way...

STEPHANIE:

Of course.

BILL:

I’ll be honest, I came here prepared to

say to your face what you already know

I’ve been saying in Sacramento. But now

that I’ve seen this thing you’ve created,

now that it’s real... I think the first

thing I need to say is, I’m sorry.

Evidently, you were worth every penny...

Chance watches over the conversation, but suddenly, we start

to notice the sounds in the room start to drop out. Bill’s

voice... Then the crowd noise... On Chance, hyper-alert.

He can’t tell what it is, but something isn’t right...

Chance scans the crowd... Still can’t put his finger on

what’s tripping his alarms... Then, from the silence, we

begin to hear the SOUND OF TINKLING ICE CUBES rise in the

mix... Chance focuses on a few glasses in the hands of

people around the room... From glass to glass, until his

focus settles on Stephanie’s... And the ICE CUBES in her

drink... As Stephanie lifts her glass to take a sip-

SOUND RUSHES BACK IN... Chance grabs her arm, taking away

her glass, and leading her away from the table... Before she

can protest, she sees the look in his eye, and knows exactly

what it means. She goes along.

BILL (CONT’D)

Excuse me, we were just in the middle of

a conversation...

Chance ignores him, keeps Stephanie moving. They pass James,

surprised by the sight of Chance whisking his wife away.

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