Strange Days Page #14

MAX:

So've I. Too much.

LENNY:

But this is a bad one.

MAX:

Top ten.

LENNY:

He makes her see her own death,

feeds off the reaction... killer and

victim merging... orgasm and agony

merging. And he records it all.

MACE:

And gives it to you.

LENNY:

Wants to share.

MAX:

That's right. He wants to share.

Needs an audience. This is one sick

puppy.

LENNY:

Why me?

Mace is hugging herself. Edgy and tense.

MACE:

Cause you're the man, right? The

Magic Man. If it's got something to

do with the wire, sooner or later it

washes up on your beach.

LENNY:

I've never dealt in black-jacks.

Never. Everybody knows that.

MAX:

He's skull-f***ing you, bud. Trying

to get a reaction. Maybe pushing

you to do something.

MACE:

Maybe he just figures Lenny will

appreciate what he's created. It's

the dark end of the street, Lenny.

How do you like it now?

LENNY:

Jesus, Mace. Back off.

MACE:

This guy is someone you know, one of

your squid-head contacts.

MAX:

Problem is, Lenny knows everybody.

MACE:

Take the tape to the cops.

LENNY:

Uh unh. No way! They'd crucify me.

MACE:

So some psycho wire-freak gets to

keep running around--

MAX:

Naw, he's right. They'll figure

Lenny's the perp, or go through his

client list, ruin his life... such

as it is. Look, I'll call the guys

in Homicide... tell them she was a

friend of mine and they'll keep me

in the loop. Get me the forensics

and all that.

(he opens his car

door)

Get some sleep. I'll call you when

I get something.

(he starts his car)

And Lenny... I'd keep moving if I

were you.

CUT TO:

INT. ELEVATOR AND TRAN'S LOFT

The elevator is huge -- big enough for a truck -- and

Lenny seems small in the huge space, while shadows crawl

across his body as the old machinery pulls him up

toward...

FAITH, in the loft above. She looks into the vast

bedroom...

... at Tran sitting in a chair, tranced out under playback

trodes, his eyes closed. She softly closes the sliding

door and walks across the cavernous main room. The place

is lit by the flickering reflections from a series of huge

television screens along both walls. Otherwise there is

little light. The cavernous loft is sparsely but very

expensively furnished. Haute-tech design. Total contrast

to Lenny's ratty digs.

LENNY'S POV through the cage-door of the elevator as it

reaches the loft and Faith is revealed, waiting for him in

the shadows. He slides open the cage-door and she moves

quickly to him.

FAITH:

(whispering, furtive)

You're crazier than I thought,

Lenny. Coming here... Tran's just

in there.

LENNY:

Iris is dead. She was murdered.

Faith stiffens. We see the fear, now, exposed.

FAITH:

Who did it?

LENNY:

Don't know. But this guy's real

damaged goods. Iris knew someone

was after her... and she said you

were in danger too.

(he grabs her

shoulders)

Now no more games, Faith. Whatever

you're hiding, whatever's going on,

you have to get out of here now.

Come with me right now. Don't even

think about it.

FAITH:

Then what? Then what, Lenny?! You

going to protect me? Big tough guy.

You're a talker, Lenny. You don't

even have a gun.

LENNY:

(hurt)

I have a gun. It's under my bed.

FAITH:

You don't know what you're f***ing

with here.

LENNY:

Tell me.

A VOICE from the shadows, like the whisper of a blade in

the air.

TRAN:

Go ahead, Faith. Tell him.

Tran steps forward, totally at ease with the situation.

Out of the shadows behind him step Joey Corto, Duncan and

Vita Minh.

FAITH:

Look, Tran... Lenny just came by to

give me some bad news. An old

friend of mine has been murdered.

You remember Iris?

TRAN:

A tragic story, no doubt.

(to Lenny)

How'd you get up here?

LENNY:

Charm.

TRAN:

(looks at Faith)

Uh huh. Look, Nero. I'll make you

an offer.

(he grabs Faith by

the arm, steps

closer)

Take her. Right now. If she wants

to go, if she's unhappy here, she

can go. I'll let her choose. Faith

always knows what she wants.

(he turns her loose)

Hands off. See?

Lenny glances at the open elevator right behind him. So

close. She just has to take one step to him... and they

will be out of there. Together.

LENNY:

It's alright. He means it.

TRAN:

(to Faith)

I do mean it.

(to Lenny)

And I mean this... if Faith stays

you go away and never come back.

You scuttle back into your cockroach

hole and never cross my vision

again. You understand?

She glares at them both for a long moment. Emotions play

across her face, complex and unreadable. She steps back,

taking her place at Tran's side.

FAITH:

I made my choice, Lenny.

TRAN:

(to Lenny, nodding

toward the elevator)

You're going down.

Joey Corto and Duncan shove Lenny roughly backward into

the elevator. Corto slams the gate shut and slaps a

button to lower the lift. The last thing Lenny sees as he

descends is Faith's face, above him.

FAITH:

I don't love you, Lenny. Give up.

CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM AREA/TRAN'S LOFT

Faith is crying as Tran comes up behind her.

FAITH:

You said you were going to get her

out of this.

TRAN:

Maybe now you appreciate the danger

we're in.

(he moves very close)

It was touching the way you stood by

me in there. "Stand by your man".

I was moved. You were very good. I

don't think he even understands that

you did it for him.

FAITH:

He doesn't know what's going on.

Leave him alone.

TRAN:

I'd love to. But he keeps showing

up. And you keep talking to him. I

can't have that--

And he slaps her. Really hard. Decks her. He's

trembling with rage... and something else. Fear.

TRAN:

The only time a whore should open

her mouth is when she's giving head.

FAITH:

F*** you.

TRAN:

(walking away)

Maybe later.

CUT TO:

INT. ELEVATOR/TRAN'S LOFT

The huge elevator, with Lenny its sole occupant, descends

through the shadows toward the first floor. Lenny watches

the shadow patterns on the wall through the iron grillwork

door. He's still thinking about Faith...

... even when the elevator reaches the first floor and

Mace comes into view. She's waiting for him. He steps

forward. But he can't open the grillwork door. And the

elevator doesn't stop. It keeps going down. Lenny,

spooked, works the door hard... as Mace disappears from

view above him...

... and the elevator bumps to a stop in the basement.

With Vita and the beef squad waiting for Lenny, stoney-

faced. Last stop. All out.

Lenny tries to keep the door shut, but Duncan wrenches it

open. Vita grabs Lenny and twists his arm painfully

behind him in one fluid move. They hustle him toward a

dank basement room near the elevator.

LENNY:

(speed-rap)

Listen, can we be smart here? I

could make it really worth your

while... I could cut you a check for

500 each... hell, make it an even

grand... I'm not saying you don't

land a couple shots, just go light

is all I'm saying... here, take my

Rolex.

CORTO:

Lemme see.

A glimmer of hope in Lenny's eye as he whips it off his

wrist. Corto doesn't even look at it. Gets it over his

hand about mid-way, then -- using the watch like a pair of

brass knuckles -- clobbers Lenny in the face. Watch parts

go flying as Corto steps away and Duncan slams Lenny up

against a column.

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