Panther Page #6

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DORSETT:

Naw... They're kids mostly. Idealists.

They actually think they're for real.

RODGERS:

Hmmm. As you know the Bureau -- and

Mr. Hoover -- is particularly

"sensitive" to anything that might

agitate or solidify the coloreds on

the left.

Dorsett pauses for a second, trying to read the angle.

DORSETT:

You want me to put a man on it?

RODGERS:

That would be an excellent start.

(a pause)

Tell him to keep a low profile.

EXT. FIFTY FIFTH AND MARKET - DAY

Panthers direct traffic at the corner. On the other side of

the street a VW BUS with a UC BERKELEY sticker sits.

SABU's talking to a WHITE HIPPIE in the bus.

SABU:

What do you want? Panama Red? I can

get you Panama Red Sinsemilla? Got a

line on some chocolate hash... get

you high as a motherfucking monkey...

WHITE HIPPIE:

Uhh... man I was wondering...

(dropping his voice)

can you get some Cocaine?

SABU:

Coke? Shee-it.

(dropping his voice)

Yeah, I can get you cocaine. But

it's dangerous. Cops everywhere.

Gimme twenty dollars and meet me

back here in an hour. And don't f***

around white boy, this is the serious

sh*t.

WHITE HIPPIE:

Uh okay, alright. You'll be here in

an hour?

SABU:

Yeah I'll be here.

Sabu grabs a TWENTY from the van. He SMILES as the van pulls

away.

SABU:

(to himself)

Now that was one dumb motherf***er...

Cy, Tyrone at his side, APPEARS.

CY:

Sabu, what the f*** you doing? Ain't

nobody gonna push on this street.

SABU:

Sh*t, I ain't doing nothing. White

bread asks for cocaine, I take his

money. Sh*t... you know... It was

just a hustle.

CY:

Sabu... High white dude's the only

thing you could hustle.

SABU:

Man... f*** you. Why you always

bustin' my balls? All that high and

mighty militant sh*t. I ain't doing

nothing.

TYRONE:

I dig, you just hustling. But you

make sure it stays like that brother,

or you will have much grief on your

sorry ass.

Cy lets Sabu go. He scrambles down the street.

SABU:

(to himself)

Motherfucking Panthers, worse than

the police...

INT. UNMARKED CAR - FIFTY FIFTH AND MARKET - DAY

Nestled among empty paper COFFEE CUPS, BRIMMER - a once

athletic white cop -- watches the Panthers at the corner. He

stubs yet another CIGARETTE into an overflowing ashtray.

Brimmer sees CY taking over traffic duty from CARTER. There's

a NOTEPAD on the seat next to Brimmer. He makes a HASH MARK

in it -- COUNTING Panther heads.

EXT. STAIRS - DAY

Bottle of BITTER DOG in hand, Rose sits with the other

drinkers, STARING at Brimmer's car. Taking a swig and smiling

at his buddies, Rose walks toward the car.

EXT. UNMARKED CAR - DAY

Sauntering up to the car, Rose flashes a wicked grin.

ROSE:

What's the matter Casper, you lost

or something?

Brimmer IGNORES him.

ROSE:

Hey! I'm talking to you.

Rolling his eyes, BRIMMER holds up his BADGE. A gold

DETECTIVE'S shield gleams at Rose through the glass.

ROSE:

Ohhhh... Looky there...

(to the other drinkers)

It's a Cop...

Behind him the other drinkers RISE, checking Brimmer out.

INT. BRIMMER'S CAR - DAY

Brimmer fumes, so much for keeping a low profile.

BRIMMER:

F***.

The Detective STARTS his car.

EXT. FIFTY FIFTH AND MARKET - DAY

Rose and the others goofing at him, Brimmer PULLS AWAY from

the curb.

EXT. PANTHER HQ - DAY

BRIMMER'S CAR glides by the storefront.

INT. PANTHER HQ - DAY

HUEY talks earnestly with TYRONE and GENE.

HUEY:

...Yeah, it's a perfect next step,

let the community know that we're

dedicated to Malcolm's ideals...

(checking his watch)

Damn where's Bobby Seale?

BOBBY SEALE, a whirlwind of energy, come careening through

the door.

BOBBY SEALE:

Huey!! Man you gotta check this out...

You're gonna love...

HUEY:

(interrupting)

Hold up a second... We got a decision

to make.

BOBBY SEALE:

What's up?

HUEY:

Dig it, you know those brothers over

in San Fran... call themselves the

Black Panthers too?

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