Kalifornia Page #16

INT. LINCOLN

Brian opens the door to leave.

EXT. GAS STATION

Early drags Carrie out of the office toward the car. Brian

sees them running toward the car. They spill into the back

seat. Brian sees Carrie is upset.

BRIAN:

Carrie, what's wrong?

(to Early)

Early, we went through this already,

you have to leave.

From the back seat Early wipes some more feathers from his

face, then points the Attendant's gun at Brian's head.

EARLY:

(spits out a feather)

'Fraid not Bri'... Drive Adele.

Adele starts the car. She pulls out of the station and into

the rainstorm.

INT. GAS STATION

The last of the feathers fall like snow. The whole room is

now white except for a red stain around the head of the dead

Attendant.

INT. LINCOLN - A MOMENT LATER

The car moves down the highway. Early in the back seat is

still trying to brush away feathers.

EARLY:

Hate to be an Indian-giver but I'm

gonna have to ask for my gun back.

Brian reaches in the glove compartment. He removes the gun

and hands it to Early.

BRIAN:

(to Early)

What happened back there?

Carrie sits in the corner of the back seat, covered in

feathers but not even noticing them.

CARRIE:

He shot him in the head... oh God!

Adele turns to the back of the car to face Carrie.

ADELE:

(raising her voice)

He did not, you liar. Take that back.

The Lincoln swerves off onto the side of the road. Adele

looks to the front again and steers it back onto the highway.

CARRIE:

He's a killer, Brian... He's f***ing

insane.

EARLY:

Everybody just shut up!

Early picks some more feathers off himself.

EARLY:

You two just cooperate and do what I

say, and we'll all arrive safe and

sound in California, as planned...

unless, of course, Adele don't kill

us first with her driving.

NEW ANGLE - EXTREME CU

The St. Christopher statue swings from the rear-view mirror.

The windshield wipers sweep back and forth against the pouring

rain.

EXT. AN ISOLATED ABANDONED STORE - NEXT MORNING

The Lincoln pulls up at the rear of the store. Adele exits

carrying a couple of bags of Chinese take-out food.

INT. ABANDONED STORE

Adele enters the decrepit store. The others are inside. Brian

and Carrie are tied up. Brian watches Early intently as he

takes one of the bags from Adele. He begins opening one of

the carry out containers.

EARLY:

What the hell is this stuff?

ADELE:

It's Chinese food. It was the only

place open. You said you was starving,

you'd eat anyth...

Early opens another container. Stares curiously at the

contents.

EARLY:

Yeah but, what is it?

ADELE:

I don't know, they didn't speak too

good English.

Early sets the container down.

EARLY:

And just what exactly are the Chinese

doing here in the middle of the

American desert anyway?... Didja get

the beer?

Adele somewhat reluctantly hands Early a bottle of beer from

a second bag.

EARLY:

..."Chink" beer!

Early notices that Brian is watching him intently. He mistakes

Brian's interest for hunger.

EARLY:

Oh hell, I'm sorry Bri. Adele, honey,

untie Brian, he's starving over there.

(pause)

Carrie, you want some?

Carrie doesn't respond at all. Adele unties Brian.

Early pulls out his gun, puts it on the table next to him.

Brian sits across from Early. He watches as Early rummages

impatiently through the carry out paraphernalia.

EARLY:

Where's the damn forks and spoons

at!

Frustrated, Early finally takes a gulp of Chinese food right

out of the container. It goes down rough.

EARLY:

...Is it just me, or has this whole

trip been goin' downhill ever since

we ran outta Lucky Lager?

Brian picks up a pair of chopsticks, then reconsiders, puts

them back down and, like Early, gulps from the container.

NEARBY, Carrie sits quietly. As she listens to the two men

talk... she notices something on her arm. She lifts her arm

up to get a closer look.

HER POV:

She sees that a few of the white down feathers still cling

to her. Closer... and she sees that one of the tiny feathers

is tinged with blood. The Gas Station Attendant's. It freaks

her.

ON BRIAN AND EARLY

BRIAN:

(quietly)

How many people have you killed Early?

Early stops... thinks for a moment.

ON CARRIE:

She tries to brush the bloodied feather away... but with her

hands bound, she can't reach it.

ON BRIAN AND EARLY

EARLY:

Well now, how many people d'you see

me kill?

Brian shakes his head.

BRIAN:

None.

ON CARRIE:

In quiet desperation, she raises her arm to her lips... and

blows the solitary blood tinged reminder away.

ON BRIAN AND EARLY

Early stares at Brian.

EARLY:

...Well then, that's how many I

killed.

BRIAN:

(unconvincingly)

If you say so.

EARLY:

Damn right I do.

ON ADELE:

Adele watches the tiny down feather drift to the floor.

ON BRIAN AND EARLY

Early picks up a different container and gulps some down.

After a moment...

EARLY:

You never killed anyone have you

Bri'?

Brian shakes his head no.

EARLY:

You never even seen anybody killed,

right?

Brian stops eating and looks at Early.

BRIAN:

What are you getting at?

Early leans closer to him.

EARLY:

You wanna tell me how'n the hell you

gonna write a book 'bout somethin'

you don't know nothin' 'bout?

Eye to eye, the two men stare at one another. Brian has no

answer.

EARLY:

Ya see what I'm sayin'?

(beat)

Ha!

BRIAN:

(nervously mimes the

same)

...Ha.

Early goes back to gulping down his dinner. This time he

gets a spicy one.

EARLY:

(a nod toward the

carry out container)

...watch out for that stuff, it bites.

Brian gazes at the cluster of Chinese carry-out food

containers. An ironic reminder of an earlier conversation.

He lets out a weak ironic laugh.

BRIAN:

(recollecting to

himself)

...way too much MSG.

EXT. LINCOLN - TRAVELING - DAY

INT. LINCOLN DRIVING DOWN BACKROADS - DAY

Early is behind the wheel, not a care in the world. Adele

sits beside him playing with her camera. She turns and aims

the camera at Brian and Carrie in the back seat, their hands

are bound.

ADELE:

Smile.

Neither makes any attempt at smiling. Adele snaps their photo

anyway. In the front seat, she sits quietly for a moment

then leans over to Early and whispers something to him.

EARLY:

No way. I guarantee you he was

breathing when I walked outta there.

Adele sits back quietly. Carrie wants to speak but doesn't.

EARLY:

Hey... Ain't we getting near the

next murder site... Bri?

BRIAN:

Forget about it, doesn't matter.

EARLY:

Hell it don't...

(beat)

...Hand me Brian's map there Adele.

One day I'm gonna pass some store

and see your book in the window. Me

and Adele gonna buy a copy for our

coffee table.

NEW ANGLE:

Carrie silently fuming in the back seat. Brian stares at the

rope that binds his wrists.

EXT. OLD DESERTED MINE AREA - LATER THAT DAY

The Lincoln drives down the dirt access road and stops. They

all get out, Early unties Brian and Carrie.

EARLY:

Figured your hands might be starting

to hurt.

Early looks down the hill to the old mine building.

EARLY:

Let's have a look. You girls coming?

Carrie's steely gaze answers Early's question.

ADELE:

Can I just wait here?

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