RONIN Page #2

SAM:

Sorry I'm late...

VINCENT:

(a challenge)

What makes you think we're here to meet

you?

SAM:

(meeting Vincent's gaze)

Who else would you be?

Vincent turns towards the others, including them in an

expansive gesture.

VINCENT:

Perhaps the police?

SAM:

I know cops -- and you're no cop.

Vincent smiles at Sam's answer, satisfied, and makes room for

Sam to join them. Vincent takes a pack of cigarettes, shakes

them so that one sticks out, and offers it to Sam.

VINCENT:

Cigarette?

SAM:

No thanks.

Vincent looks a little disappointed at this as we go -

EXT. BACK OUTSIDE - SAME TIME

THE PAY PHONE makes a sharp noise as it's cracked back into

the cradle. Deirdre stands at the phone booth, lost in

thought. Then, without warning - Deirdre spins around,

pulling TWO GUNS from inside her coat. The move is fast,

performed with the grace of a professional killer, as Deridre

scans the horizon, but nobody seems to be watching. Deirdre

pockets her guns and steps into the shadows of the street,

the better to watch -

THE BAR - And as Deirdre watches the bar we watch her.

PULLING BACK from Deirdre, UP INTO THE AIR and then MOVING

THROUGH TO -

INT. A CHEAP APARTMENT - SAME TIME

LOOKING THROUGH A WINDOW, donw onto the street below. Barely

visible we can see Deirdre. And staring at Deirdre - THE

WATCHER. Somebody we're going to see periodically through

the movie. Right now he's only a SILHOUETTE with a well-

defined PAIR OF HANDS. And in those hands - A KNIFE. As the

Watcher watches he slowly cleans his nail with the knife,

methodically, perfectly. And he watches. First Deirdre, and

then turning his attention to THE BAR. He's especially

interested in the bar.

A TIME CUT TO:

INT. THE BAR - LATER

The BARTENDER is wiping out a last glass. When this is

finished he looks up at -

A TABLE IN THE BACK -

Where our five guys have relocated. Now the Bartender and

Vincent exchange a look, and then the Bartender takes out a

set of keys and tosses them - THROUGH THE AIR and they SMWACK

into Vincent's hand. The Bartender and Vincent speak in

rapid-fire French, and then the Bartender is gone. Sam turns

to Vincent.

SAM:

He trusts you to lock up?

VINCENT:

Let's just say he knows who I am.

Vincent takes out his pack of cigarettes and offer them

around the table -- again, nobody takes on. Vincent seems

really disappointed by this.

LARRY:

Anybody wanna tell me what we're waiting

for?

VINCENT:

(lighting his cigarette)

The question isn't what we're waiting

for... it's who.

LARRY:

And who the f*** is that?

GREGOR:

Whoever hired us.

SAM:

I got this gig through a contractor.

And he most definitely didn't know who

was doing the hiring, only that they

were paying a lot of money...

There's a kind of general look around the table -- a nod or

grunt of acknowledgement, indicating that all of these men

were hired the same way.

SAM:

(continuing his thought)

So none of us knows who's paying the

freight, this is just some anonymous job.

For all we know, we're working for

different people.

GREGOR:

Now that is an interesting proposition.

SWEDE:

How so?

GREGOR:

Because if there's more than one party

involved, if we really are working for

different people, then perhaps some of us

are on different sides.

(with great meaning)

Your orders might be different from mine.

LARRY:

What're you talking about, man? I don't

understand.

SWEDE:

(quietly, but loud enough to be

heard)

What a surprise...

LARRY:

I got a surprise for you, blondie...

GREGOR:

(sharply, as if he's used to

giving orders)

Why don't both of you shut up?

LARRY & SWEDE

(to Gregor at the same time)

F*** you!

SAM:

Knock it off!

There is a BEAT. Gregor, Swede and Larry look at Sam, who

glares them all down. Lastly, Sam turns and looks at

Vincent. The two men nod at one another, acknowledging a

kind of mutual respect.

SAM:

The point remains: we could be working

for different people. There's a chance

for one of us...

(looks around the table)

Maybe more than one of us -- has been

paid to cross the others. I don't know

about you guys, but I like to know who

I'm working for. It can help prevent a

great deal of...

(finding the right word)

...unpleasantness.

LARRY:

(patting the gun inside his

cheap suit)

Anybody tries to unpleasant me I'll put

two between his eyes -- one to do the job

and the other to make sure it takes.

From OFF SCREEN we hear a new sound: LAUGHTER. ANOTHER ANGLE -

Deirdre has entered the bar, and she's amused by this last

exchange.

DEIRDRE:

It's good to see you've all got such

faith in our little undertaking.

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