Panther Page #12

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TYRONE:

(miffed, to Judge)

Huey wants to see you.

JUDGE:

Huh?

TYRONE:

He had a feeling you'd be coming by.

INT. BACKROOM - DAY

Judge moves warily into the dim and musty room. As his eyes

acclimate to the gloom he spots HUEY sitting half hidden in

the shadows.

HUEY:

Welcome brother, have you decided to

get down with us?

JUDGE:

I'm down.

HUEY:

Yeah... You were a lot of help with

those guns. Your soldier sh*t is bad-

ass.

JUDGE:

I'd hoped I was finished with all

that. But...

(shrugs)

HUEY:

You know, you're lucky to be back.

Most n*ggers die on the front lines.

Seems like that's what they're there

for.

JUDGE:

Don't I know it. Every brother I

knew in 'Nam's dead. My company... a

land mine. Twenty of my friends dead

in less than a second.

HUEY:

Mind if I ask you something? Why'd

you put up with sh*t like that for

someone else's war?

Judge flashes Huey a look of bare honesty.

JUDGE:

Hey, GI bill pays for school. And

sh*t, if I stuck around here, instead

of signing up, I'd probably be in

jail, or sitting on the stoop drinking

Bitter Dog with Rose, you know?

HUEY:

Yeah I know. You're smart Judge. You

ain't no bourgeois n*gger like those

Paper Panthers across the bay. I

need every good man to help us with

the security on Betty Shabazz,

particularly soldiers. You do solid

on that I might have something else

for you, something real important.

JUDGE:

Whatever you need, I'll be there.

HUEY:

Right on Brother Judge...

Huey and Judge grip HANDS.

EXT. OAKLAND AIRPORT - DAY

TITLE:
FEBRUARY 21, 1967

With tight precision, HUEY, TYRONE, JUDGE, CY, GENE, BOBBY,

CARTER and LITTLE BOBBY form a circle around BETTY SHABAZZ

guiding her past AIRPORT POLICE to a waiting car.

Led by ROY the PAPER PANTHERS seem useless in their dashikis

and fluffed Afros.

INT. RAMPARTS OFFICE - DAY

In an INNER OFFICE, Betty Shabazz talks with ELDRIDGE, a

tall man wearing sunglasses. In the OUTER OFFICE, Huey's

PANTHERS stand by while ROY'S PAPER PANTHERS do little.

ELDRIDGE:

What would you tell young brothers

and sisters to do in following Brother

Malcolm's footsteps?

BETTY SHABAZZ:

I'd say that Malcolm lives in each

of us. We all need to work together

for the community.

(gesturing outside)

Like those brothers out there are...

Overhearing, Roy PREENS a bit at Betty's words. Nearby JUDGE

flicks his eyes to the GUN at Roy's waistband.

JUDGE:

(low)

Huey...

Suddenly ROY spots something outside... POLICE CARS, followed

closely by NEWS VANS.

ROY:

(nervous)

Oh oh...

Snapping up his SHOTGUN, Huey nods to the others. Bobby Seale

pulls back his jacket revealing a .45.

Solemn, professional, Huey and the Panthers file out the

door. ROY'S PAPER PANTHERS hang behind.

EXT. RAMPARTS OFFICE - DAY

Led by Huey, the Panthers take up a line between the cops

and the office. REPORTERS, expecting another GROVE STREET,

push forward.

COP #1

(eyeing Huey's gun)

What's going on here son?

HUEY:

We are breaking no law, you've have

no right to detain us.

A REPORTER spots BETTY SHABAZZ, flanked by JUDGE and TYRONE

leaving the building heading toward a car.

REPORTER:

There she is!!!

Surging forward the reporters PUSH CAMERAS toward BETTY

SHABAZZ. One of them, CHUCK, tries to push HUEY away.

Controlled, Huey holds Chuck in check, watching Betty move

toward the car. Chuck PUSHES FORWARD trying to get a PICTURE.

Seeing Betty safely inside and the car PULLING AWAY, Huey

SHOVES Chuck back. Chuck makes to swing at Huey. Huey SHOVES

HIM DOWN.

HUEY:

(to Cop #1)

Arrest this man!!!

COP #1

If I'm gonna arrest anyone it's going

to be you...

Fast, the PANTHERS take up position behind Huey, their GUNS

highly visible. Huey flicks the SAFETY of his shotgun.

HUEY:

Not today!!

ROY come running out, UNARMED, scared yelling at Huey.

ROY:

Don't point that gun!!!

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