Lone Star Page #4

Pilar is trying to stay calm despite her anger.

PILAR:

I've only been trying to get across

some of the complexity of our

situation down here---cultures

coming together in both negative

and positive ways

ANGLO MOTHER (O.S.)

If you mean like music and food

and all, I have no problem with

that.

REVERSE:

We shoot past Pilar toward the parents in their seats.

PALOMA steps up to whisper to her.

ANGLO MOTHER:

--but when you start changing who

did what to who.

TEACHER:

We're not changing anything, we're

presenting a more complete picture

ANGLO MOTHER:

And that's what's got to stop!

Pilar looks troubled by what she's heard. She shoots a look

toward the others at the table, then slips away with Paloma--

TEACHER:

There's enough ignorance in the

world without us encouraging it

in the classroom--

ANGLO MOTHER:

Now who are you calling ignorant?

PRINCIPAL:

Folks, I know this is a very

emotional issue for some of you,

but we do have other business to

attend to--

CHICANO FATHER:

We're not going to get some

resolution on this?

CU PRINCIPAL:

Weary --

PRINCIPAL:

Would you people like to form

another committee?

GROANS from the parents--

INT. SHERIFF'S OFFICE -- NIGHT -- SHADOW

Shadow, face bruised, hands cuffed behind him, is pushed in

through the door to be booked.

SHADOW:

I hope the sucker does die, man!

Mess with me, that's what you

get!

Sam steps in behind him and meets his Chief Deputy RAY

HERNANDEZ, coming from the other direction.

RAY:

Hospital says the other kid is in

bad shape--

SAM:

(Glances ahead)

The shooter local?

RAY:

(Shakes his bead)

Down from Houston. I think he

knew the girl before.

SAM:

Okay--we'll take a statement from

all the GIs before they go back

to post. You can get the story

from Otis over at the club.

RAY:

Any poop on the John Doe you found

out there today?

SAM:

Nothin' much. The Rangers put

Ben Wetzel on it. Catch you later.

As Ray steps out, Pilar looking distraught, walks into the

station, passing right by Sam without seeing him.

CU SAM:

Wonders what she's doing there --

SAM'S POV -- PILAR

She stands by an unoccupied reception desk, very upset, unable

to attract anyone's attention because of the activity around

the shooting. She looks tired and a bit scared under the

harsh overhead light

SAM (O.S.)

Pilar.

PILAR AND SAM:

Pilar looks around. Sam is standing by her. We can tell

there is some history between these two.

SAM:

Something wrong?

PILAR:

They've got my Amado.

SAM:

Got him here?

PILAR:

Somebody called--something about

an electronics store.

SAM:

I'll see what's going on.

He starts away, stops, comes back--

SAM:

I was--I was real sorry about

Nando. He was a good fella. We

haven't talked since.

PILAR:

We haven't talked since high

school.

SAM:

Yeah. I'll go check on your boy.

Pilar watches Sam go--

REAR OF OFFICE:

Travis sits typing away at a word processor as Athena, in

tears, gives testimony.

ATHENA:

--so Richie just didn't say nothin'

'cause he didn't want to get into

it, see, and the next thing I

know there's shots and Richie is

down. It happened so fast--

SAM (O.S.)

Excuse me--

We WIDEN to see Sam standing over the desk --

SAM:

We got some boys you run in earlier

today?

TRAVIS:

Yeah. I pulled the bunch that

hangs at Pico Bernal's place. We

finally caught them with something.

SAM:

You got a juvenile with 'ern--

Amado Cruz?

Travis looks at his booking sheets--

TRAVIS:

Yeah--let's see--the other ones

say he wasn't in on the theft,

lie just knows how to hook things

up. We've been trying to contact

a parent

INT. JAIL HALLWAY

Sam walks with Amado, who is trying to look defiant --

SAM:

They tell me you're good at fixing

things.

Nothin--

SAM:

Your father was a hell of a

mechanic

Still nothing--

SAM:

You know, if you figure minimum

wage on the time most thieves

spend in jail, they could have

bought most everything they stole.

AMADO:

I didn't steal anything.

SAM:

I didn't say you did. My name is

Sam, by the way.

Amado just gives him a look--

INT. SHERIFF'S OFFICE

Sam and AMADO step out into the office, where Pilar stands

waiting.

SAM:

He's all yours.

PILAR:

Are you okay?

AMADO:

I don't know what the big deal

is.

PILAR:

You'll find out when I get you

home. Thanks, Sam.

SAM:

No problem.

Pilar yanks AMADO outside by his arm. She turns to shoot a

look back at Sam, then steps out through the glass door.

CU SAM:

Watching her go--

SAM:

Any time.

FADE OUT:

EXT. OBSTACLE COURSE -- MORNING -- PIT

We shoot up from a pit in the ground. WHUMP! WHUMP! WHUMP!

Three men leap over, landing on the far side and running

away from us.

MEN:

Del Payne runs with Cliff and Mikey on a pathway along a

security fence, the two sergeants struggling to keep up,

occasionally vaulting or scaling some mild obstacle

MIKEY:

There's not that much down here,

Colonel. Big O's is the only

place in the county that our

African American soldiers are uhm--

that they feel comfortable in.

DEL:

Have we had trouble there before?

CLIFF:

Since I've been stationed here?

A fistfight now and then--

MIKEY:

We had a kid pass out in the men's

room. The town isn't much.

DEL:

They didn't come for a vacation.

CLIFF:

Yes sir.

MIKEY:

You know how it is, Colonel--first

time away from home, dealing with

new people--I remember my first

hitch--

DEL:

Substance abuse?

MIKEY:

Well, yeah, but I went through

the Program. I haven't had a

drink since--

DEL:

I meant on the post. In general.

How are you dealing with it?

CLIFF:

We throw a urine test at them

once a month. Random numbers,

maybe a hundred people at a time

DEL:

Why don't we make it once a week

for a while?

CLIFF:

No problem, sir.

Del notices bow hard they are breathing--

DEL:

I sprint the last quarter mile.

You gentlemen don't have to keep

up if you don't care to.

MIKEY:

Appreciate it, sir.

Del accelerates and we HOLD with the sergeants, slowing to a

near-walk.

MIKEY:

Guy cracks walnuts with his

a**hole.

CLIFF:

(Grins)

You get the feeling he doesn't

want to be here?

INT. FORENSICS LAB -- VARIOUS SHOTS

We hear Hank Williams' gospel song "I'll Have a New Body

(I'll Have a New Life)" as we see the gathered bones of the

skeleton tagged and photographed and measured, impressions

made of the dental work in the skull, photographs of the

excavation of the body at various stages marked with Fed

grease pencil, the piece of metal laid in a detarnishing

dish, the ring put under a microscope

CU METAL:

MUSIC CONTINUES as we TIGHTEN on the piece of metal, a pair

of tongs pulling it from the detarnishing solution. It is a

star-shaped badge, bearing the words "SHERIFF -- RIO COUNTY."

INT. COUNTRY AND WESTERN BAR -- AFTERNOON

C&W MUSIC playing, the regulars starting to show up. Sam

makes his way to a table where BEN WETZEL, a Texas Ranger,

sits with a file of forensic reports

BEN:

Sam the Man.

SAM:

Hey, Ben. Thanks for coming down.

They shake, Sam sits.

BEN:

How's business?

SAM:

Business is booming. Got your

drugs, got your illegals--had a

shooting the other night at Big

O's--Soldier got ventilated.

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