Pocha: Manifest Destiny Page #2

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Bueno.

Was that Andrs?

It's no one.

Get to work.

(INHALES SHARPLY)

(MOANS)

Congratulations.

I got something.

(CLATTERS)

(ENGINE COUGHING)

-(TIRES SCREECHING)

-(THUDDING)

(MOANS)

(SCREAMS)

Stop! Stop!

(NEIGHING)

You're an American?

Arturo.

(SPEAKING SPANISH)

You going for a jog in the desert, bro?

(RICKY SCOFFS)

Think he's a good guy, right?

(SPEAKING SPANISH)

What's going on, Ricky?

Why show up like this?

Why don't you tell her what's going on?

Nothing is going on.

Tell her who you work for.

In English.

Here.

Say it.

Say it.

I work for Ricky.

You can call me Rick.

You work for me? Mmm?

That's not what I heard.

I heard you were working for someone else.

(SCOFFS)

Why would I wanna do that?

Look,

the truth is that the Sergeant talked to me,

and, yeah, he offered me money

to give him information,

but you don't think

I'd do something like that? I'm not a traitor.

Ricky, you know I would never do that, right?

(SHUSHING)

But we're friends, right?

(SIGHS)

But you know the deal.

You mess with my stuff,

I have to kill you.

And I have to kill la pocha here.

We're friends?

(CAR DOOR OPENS)

(CAR DOOR SHUTS)

(ENGINE STARTS)

(SNIFFLING)

-(ENGINE REVVING)

-(CLATTERING)

You're gonna tell Ricky

that you're gonna help him.

Just tell him that you know the ranch.

- I don't.

- Well, learn it.

Listen to me.

Just help him get his stuff

from one side to the other.

Don't tell him, please.

Don't tell Andrs.

(GRUNTS)

(GUN C*CKS)

I know my way around the ranch.

I can make things really easy for you.

I like American girls.

I'm gonna take care of your truck.

RICKY:
Be in touch.

I gotta run.

(SPEAKING SPANISH)

Good afternoon, sir.

Good afternoon.

Nice day, no?

What brings you here, gentlemen?

I'm looking for Arturo.

Claudia.

Come here.

(SPEAKS SPANISH)

Where's Arturo?

I don't know.

He took your truck.

I don't know where he went.

You see?

He's not here.

Are you visiting?

She's only here for a little bit.

Go inside. Lita needs you.

You have a beautiful ranch.

A lot of land.

Must be hard to maintain.

To keep secure.

Here, we don't have any problems

with the ranch.

Excuse me. I have work to do.

(CAR DOOR SHUTS)

(CAR ENGINE STARTS)

Don't let them involve us into their mess.

People are always driving through my land

looking for a shortcut to the main road.

ANDRES:
it's always been a problem.

If you see Arturo,

you send him to me.

F***ing reception, man.

Okay, Mom.

Bye.

(SPEAKING SPANISH)

Tell her to try it.

Make her try it.

You're her father.

I've eaten a chili before.

(PHONE RINGING)

(INDISTINCT SHOUTING)

- This is my nephew.

-(SPEAKING SPANISH)

That's not true.

You fixed the truck?

RICKY:
It's not done yet.

Come take a ride with me.

Got a meeting.

(SPEAKING SPANISH)

No, no, no, look, shut up for a second.

This is what we're gonna do.

You're gonna go to his house.

You're gonna tell him to return the money

because we already agreed on a price.

Under no circumstances are

we giving him any more money, okay?

F***ing Mexicans.

Aren't you Mexican?

No, I'm not f***ing Mexican.

I'm just... I'm stationed down here for a bit.

Too valuable for this shithole anyway.

You know what I mean, right?

I came down here

because things used to be so f***ing easy.

People just took the world as it is.

They just took what you gave them,

no questions asked.

And now, that's all gone. it's a f***ing zoo.

If you could be anywhere else right now,

where would you be?

Would you be with me? Or would I be alone?

-(INDISTINCT CHATTERING)

-(VEHICLES HONKING)

(MUSIC PLAYING ON STEREO)

I didn't bring my passport.

It's all right. You don't need it.

Open the glove compartment.

RICKY:
Hand me those cards.

Good.

Relax. With the cards,

I come and go whenever I want.

Good evening, sir.

- Where are you headed?

- San Diego.

It's, um...

It's our anniversary.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER ON RADIO)

Have a nice night.

Thank you.

(SIGHS)

(CHUCKLES)

Yeah, you could make a run for it.

RICKY:
But then what?

I know about you, Claudia.

About all of it.

You wanna be some poor illegal

working shitty jobs?

(SCOFFS) Sh*t, I couldn't do that.

But if that's what you want,

then go.

(DOORS UNLOCK)

RICKY:
I'm not going to stop you.

Or you could help me out a little bit.

Do a few runs.

Make some easy, easy money.

And then I'll bring you back.

Think it over.

Go grab a cup of coffee or something.

Need to have a chat with my dudes here.

(INDISTINCT CHATTER ON RADIO)

(CAR DOOR SHUTS)

You just come and go as you please?

I still haven't heard from Arturo.

There's some food if you did not eat.

(SPEAKING SPANISH)

You want some more?

No, thanks, Mom.

(SIGHS)

You mind if I come out with you today?

(WHISPERING)

What did she say?

People are sneaking in.

Stealing it for food.

It all has to go or

they'll keep coming.

If theyre hungry,

why don't you let them have it?

'Cause the cows are hungry, too.

Okay, hold it up higher.

-(GAS HISSING))

-(PHONE RINGING)

Away from your body.

Wait. Wait. Wait.

Ola.

When I was a boy,

I used to love setting things on fire.

My father asked me to weed his garden,

and I burned it all.

ANDRES:
I didn't mean to bum it all.

RICKY:
Ready to roll, pocha?

Keep doing what you're doing.

You know your way around.

Just make sure my stuff

gets across the ranch.

What's the matter? Don't you trust me?

- Where's our truck?

- Relax.

We'll drop it off

Don't worry. My dudes are cool.

Don't think about it.

Just get them through, fast and easy.

Yeah, I got it.

ANDRES:
Lita and I,

we committed ourselves to this place.

They said that the land was too rocky.

That I would always be at its mercy

and I would make no money.

(WHIP CRACKS)

But I'm still here.

Everything from the outside can ruin you.

If you let it.

(MOANS)

(SPEAKING SPANISH)

Good evening.

Good evening.

Hands on the wheel.

Turn off the car.

(ENGINE TURNS OFF)

Come on.

Get out.

Search it.

Get out.

Sergeant!

(INDISTINCT CHATTER OVER RADIO)

Let her go.

Your father know where you are?

Yeah.

Does he know who you're with?

I was in town, and he offered me a ride.

Bring back the truck.

Come.

They sent me here to stop this.

Ricky's truck is clean.

Okay.

Let him go.

It wasn't always this way.

Some places, maybe.

But here, things were always contained.

I can help you.

Ready to roll, pocha?

(LAUGHS)

Whatever you were paying Arturo,

it's not enough.

You want a raise already?

(PHONE RINGING AND VIBRATING)

This is Arturo's phone.

Why do you have it?

(CAR APPROACHING)

(CAR ENGINE TURNS OFF)

Andrs, come!

(SPEAKING SPANISH)

I've given the Sergeant permission

to run patrols on our land.

Nice truck!

This is my truck.

Now, I need you

to tell me everything, right now.

And don't lie to me.

This is my whole life.

Don't you see that?

ANDRES:
I could lose everything.

CLAUDIA:
He's dead.

No.

I told you she never should

have come to stay with us.

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