Militia Page #5

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Gannon then nods like Morris just finished his audition.

GANNON (CONT'D)

Hey.

25.

His tone switched completely. Casual. EASY.

GANNON (CONT'D)

How ya doin?

Morris taken aback by the subversion.

GANNON (CONT'D)

Sorry 'bout this.

(motions to room)

Had to bring you down here 'cause I

think it's Keating.

Gannon sits in the chair opposite Morris like an old friend.

Relaxes. Morris can't tell if this is a ploy or genuine.

GANNON (CONT'D)

If I don't have Keating relaxed and

thinking he's gonna get away with

this, I don't have him.

MORRIS:

Then why the f*** am I still tied to

a chair?

GANNON:

Has to feel like I really interrogated

you before I get to him.

Morris stays still, his eyes DARTING around the room as if

waiting for an explosion that hasn't gone off just yet.

GANNON (CONT'D)

Oh, one sec.

Gannon stands, walks to a SHELVING UNIT on a nearby wall.

Gallon jugs of different CLEANING SOLUTIONS. LACQUERS.

DISINFECTANTS. He chooses three distinct JUGS. Calls out:

GANNON (CONT'D)

You good? Hubbel tie the rope too

tight? That sh*t'll f*** your

circulation if you don't speak up.

Morris shakes his head 'no.'

GANNON (CONT'D)

I'd take it off, but need to keep up

appearances if somebody comes down.

Gannon takes three JUGS and a pair of all purpose RUBBER

GLOVES off the shelf. He walks back to Morris and sits. Morris

looks at the items but says nothing.

26.

GANNON (CONT'D)

Cops deserved it if you ask me.

No reaction from Morris.

GANNON (CONT'D)

I knew it when I was one. That someone

would snap on us. That someone would

do something like this.

MORRIS:

Ticking clock.

GANNON:

I mean, I still remember what you

said to me the night I joined. After

you found out I used to be a cop.

Knowing full well what he said to Gannon, Morris dodges.

MORRIS:

'M sure I probably said a lot--

GANNON:

You said, 'one day someone's gonna

snap on you people and kill every

last one of you. And I might just do

it myself.'

MORRIS:

Pretty good memory you got.

GANNON:

Pretty memorable thing to say.

MORRIS:

Tellin' me I'm the only one thinking

that at a militia meeting?

GANNON:

No. Not a single person here doesn't

feel that way.

MORRIS:

Including you?

GANNON:

Including me.

MORRIS:

But I'm sitting here, and you're

sitting there.

27.

GANNON:

Because the hypothetical situation

you threatened me with a year ago

happened tonight.

Morris SQUINTS. Nods once. Understanding Gannon's true intent.

MORRIS:

So we're not just keeping up

appearances then, are we?

Gannon REACHES into his pocket. Pulls out a TAPE RECORDER.

Already on. Already recording. Puts it down between them.

Then shakes his head.

GANNON:

No.

BANG. The door to the basement OPENS. Hubbel comes down...

Dragging a DEAD DEER behind him. Morris looks over as Hubbel

drags it over toward them. Gannon doesn't miss a beat.

MORRIS:

This the part where you ask me why I

hate cops so much?

GANNON:

Ten years ago you took a psych eval

after your discharge from the corps

that showed fear of authoritative

figures due to an abusive father. I

know why. Do you?

Morris is taken aback by his personal knowledge. Hubbel gets

to them, the DEAD BUCK now lies next to Morris and Gannon.

Gannon nods at Hubbel. Hubbel looks at the two of them, zero

understanding of what's transpiring. He leaves.

GANNON (CONT'D)

The truth is, my job is to profile.

MORRIS:

What a f***in' shock.

Gannon stands, takes the FIRST JUG, and POURS IT ON THE BUCK.

GANNON:

So for the sake of the situation at

hand and our lack of time, let's

just assume you're the shooter.

Gannon sizes Morris up.

28.

GANNON (CONT'D)

Late forties, early fifties. I don't

see a clover tattoo so I'll assume

ex-aryan, but it doesn't matter. You

look the part we'll let you play it.

Gannon begins pouring the SECOND JUG on the buck...

GANNON (CONT'D)

So like anyone in the seat of the

accused you got two options:

Confession or denial. Difference

with you is if you confess to me,

right here right now, I'll get on

that radio upstairs and call it out

to the news. It'll be public. It's

known. You get to go to jail. Cause

in a case such as yours, jail isn't

punishment. It's defense.

Gannon does the same with the THIRD JUG. Morris notices,

STEAM coming off the buck...Almost SMOKING.

GANNON (CONT'D)

Because if you don't confess to me,

right here right now, the cops will

find you. Sure as water's wet and

time ticks, they will catch you. And

when they do you won't go to trial.

You won't go to jail. You will be

tortured within an inch of your

f***in' life. And when they're done

they're gonna make you disappear. No

one's gonna know your name, no one's

gonna know why you did it and no

one's gonna say you're a martyr.

You're gonna be who everybody asks

'what the f*** happened to him?'

(swipes his hand)

Nothin'.

Morris fidgets as he realizes the deer is in an accelerated

decomposition. He tries to recover his front...

MORRIS:

So all you got is something I said

to you, what, one night? A year ago?

That's what's got you so sure I did

it?

(beat)

You got no evidence.

GANNON:

Like the fact that you live thirty

minutes away but got here in fifteen?

29.

MORRIS:

And?

GANNON:

Exact distance as Wilcox cemetery.

MORRIS:

So? Doesn't mean I came from home-

GANNON:

Or that you're connected with the

Jackson Aryan Brotherhood responsible

for six cop murders in the past three

years?

MORRIS:

Doesn't mean I did those hits-

GANNON:

Or that you have military history

dismantling Improvised Explosive

Devices in Iraq.

MORRIS:

Dismantling. Not making.

GANNON:

Best way to learn how to make

something is learn how to take it

apart. An affinity for assault rifles,

and an admission to me, an ex cop, a

year prior to the attack that you'd

carry one out exactly like tonight's?

(beat)

Evidence isn't a question. I've seen

people disappear over a lot less.

Morris blinks. Tries not to look over at the DEER, as it

gets down to MUSCLE AND TISSUE.

GANNON (CONT'D)

So. Again. You see what happens to

you if you deny this. You become a

stain on a basement floor. So confirm

my hunch, and I'll help you avoid

that.

Morris looks at him long and hard. His eyes considering.

Gannon waits to hear the reason...

MORRIS:

If I was gonna admit anything...

Gannon awaits Morris's conditions...

30.

MORRIS (CONT'D)

You really think I'd admit it to

you? Some f***ing, hermit, ex-cop?

GANNON:

Who would a hillbilly, ex-Aryan bro

feel more comfortable around?

Morris readjusts himself almost like seeing an escape route.

MORRIS:

And if I did it, why would I have

done it?

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