Reindeer Games Page #19

JACK BANGS:

I'm putting liquor in the drinks,

I'm giving 10-times odds on craps, I

got the girls showing sixteen-percent

more skin! Show me another buffet's

gonna offer you Coke and Pepsi!

Whaddya want me to do?!

YOUNG GOVERNOR:

We want to see our casino making

money again, Mr. Bangs. Making money

for our community.

OLD GOVERNOR:

Like the Paiutes and the Waitela.

The young man stands, stares Jack Bangs in the eye.

YOUNG GOVERNOR:

We want you doing the job... that we

brought you here to do.

INT. TOMAHAWK - DAY

Rudy and Ashley move away from a change booth, with a bucket

of quarters. Rudy messes with his cowboy getup, noting two

SECURITY GUARDS punch a code in a private door, step inside:

ASHLEY:

So does it look a lot different?

RUDY:

Here and there. Restaurant, uh, that's

the main expansion. Tables've been

moved around; the big man's office,

I dunno, might be upstairs now.

They settle at a slot machine. Another SECURITY GUARD walks

past them. Rudy turns his back. Ashley notices.

ASHLEY:

That guy knows you?

RUDY:

Yeah, uh. Mike. That's Mike.

At the door, Merlin and Jumpy enter, wandering through the

slots.

Rudy sees them.

RUDY:

You start spending your brother's

money. I'm gonna take a circuit around

the joint, check for any new ins and

outs. I'll snag us some drinks.

As he strides away --

ASHLEY:

(sotto)

Be careful, Nick...

MOVING THROUGH THE CASINO

with Rudy, ambling among the tables, making a show of checking

out the layout. In reality, he's surveying the GAMBLERS.

Passing the cage, he walks right by Jack Bangs and the Indian

governors. Jack Bangs is all smiles, while the governors

turn their backs an him and storm out.

ARRIVING AT THE BAR

RUDY:

Couple rum and Cokes, please.

INDIAN BARTENDER

You want that rum and Coke or rum

and Pepsi?

Rudy gives him a strange look. The bartender shrugs. Rudy

still scans the tables, settling on --

A BLACKJACK TABLE

where a trio of COLLEGE KIDS are forking over chips. One of

them's dark-haired with a goatee, a sweatshirt and jeans.

Rudy studies this kid for moment.

JACK BANGS (O.S.)

Gimme a goddamn bottle of anything.

BACK AT THE BAR:

Jack Bangs sidles up, distraught. The barkeep hands him a

bottle. Bangs takes a swig.

JACK BANGS:

I can't go back to Vegas, Bear.

They'll f***in' kill me, 'kay? I

can't go back...

BARTENDER:

What does the tribe want?

JACK BANGS:

They want gold-paved roads is what

they want. Talking 'bout the f***in'

Paiutes. F***in' Paiutes are on the

interstate. Nothing I can do about

that, man, I didn't pick the spot

for your reservation.

BARTENDER:

Neither did we.

JACK BANGS:

Yeah, yeah, whatever.

Rudy gets his drinks, as Jack Bangs turns his way:

JACK BANGS:

Hey. Hey, cowboy. Jack Bangs, I run

the place. Nice to have you in the

Tomahawk. Tell me something...

Rudy winces, glancing to see Merlin and Jumpy watching him.

Frowns on their faces.

JACK BANGS:

...does upstate Michigan need another

roadside casino or does upstate

Michigan need an international gaming

destination?

RUDY:

(wants outta here)

Roadside casino?

Jack Bangs, smile falls flat.

JACK BANGS:

Well, so how'd you hear about this

place, then. Word-of-mouth? Mass

mailings? Cable TV?

RUDY:

Prison.

JACK BANGS:

Prison?!

Rudy shrugs, smiles, takes off with his drinks. Bangs looks

sick, turns to a FAT GUY on the next stool over. But before

he can ask, the guy shakes his head --

FAT GUY:

I just stopped in to use the can.

Bangs turns to the bartender, puts his head in his hands:

JACK BANGS:

I can't go back to Vegas, Bear... I

can't...

From the slots, we hear a JACKPOT PAYOFF.

JACK BANGS:

Aw f***.

THROUGH THE TABLES

walks Rudy, as Merlin sidles up next to him:

MERLIN:

What the hell was that about --

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes