The Corruptor Page #15

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He enters, closing the door behind him.

SCHABACKER:

Mr. Wong, we're running a one day sale. Chance of

a lifetime. The opportunity to buy your freedom.

Schabacker pulls an audio tape from his desk drawer.

SCHABACKER:

This tape was obtained by an agent working

undercover inside the Triad.

It's Cantonese but the look on Wong's face tells us it

isn't good.

LAWYER:

The tape is garbage. If it weren't, you would have

arrested my client by now.

Schabacker lays an arrest warrant on the table and

speaks to Wong.

SCHABACKER:

Lawyers are always gutsy when it's someone else

looking at life. But I don't want you. I want whoever

killed my agent. I want the cops in the Fifteenth on

your payroll. And I'm willing to pay for it.

INT:
FUKIENESE CRASH PAD, BEDROOM - NIGHT

The phone rings as Bobby Vu makes out with a good

looking girl.

BOBBY VU:

Hello.

INT:
GREEN MERCEDES-SAME NIGHT

Lee rides in back, speaking into his cell-phone.

LEE:

Our patience has paid off. Uncle Benny paid a visit to

the F.B.I. His time is over.

INT:
FUKIENESE CRASH PAD, LIVING ROOM-SAME NIGHT

The room looks like home to seven teenagers who

drink, do drugs, fight and play with guns all day. Four

of them, including Jack, are on the couch, watching

porno. The bedroom door opens and Bobby Vu enters,

kicking everybody off the couches.

BOBBY VU:

(Fukienese)

Get dressed, we have a job.

JACK:

(Fukienese)

What is it?

BOBBY VU:

(Fukienese)

We take care of Benny Wong tonight.

EXT:
CHEN'S APARTMENT, MOTT STREET-NIGHT

Wallace drives to the curb as Chen looks at the Phone

Company truck parked across the street.

CHEN:

My friends are waiting for me.

Wallace glances at the truck.

WALLACE:

How long you think the Feds'll be watching us.

CHEN:

Month, maybe two.

Chen can see that fact rattles Wallace.

CHEN:

I didn't want Lee involving you.

WALLACE:

It's not your fault.

CHEN:

I didn't say it was. What I'm saying is you're

alone now. You can't trust anybody in the

department. Not the guys in the Fifteenth, not

the guys in the AGU. And you sure as hell can't

trust Henry Lee. So if anything gets sticky, you

come to me.

WALLACE:

How do I know I can trust you?

CHEN:

You don't.

Chen opens the car door.

WALLACE:

I'm glad it's not just me...Nuts huh?

Half of him feels the same way...But the smarter half,

the self preservation half, doesn't.

CHEN:

No.

WALLACE:

You wanna eat? I'll buy you a plum.

Chen smiles. He wants to, but he closes the door.

CHEN:

I got plans.

WALLACE:

Some other time.

Wallace drives off as Chen turns and pushes into his

building.

INT:
CHEN'S BUILDING, HALLWAY OUTSIDE HIS

APARTMENT-NIGHT

Lying against the door, cold and pasty white, is May.

Chen quickly checks her vitals, then lifts her in his

arms and carries her back outside.

EXT:
GAS STATION, QUEENS-NIGHT

The Fukienese crew sit packed into a stolen Buick

Regal as one of the boys pumps unleaded into the

tank. Jack in the middle of the back seat fidgets like

an inmate on death row.

JACK:

(Fukienese)

I gotta take a leak.

Bobby Vu looks at him with the impatience of a killer.

BOBBY VU:

(Fukienese)

Hurry up.

Jack climbs out the door. He crosses the forty yards

of asphalt and moves behind the filling station to the

side of the building.

EXT:
GAS STATION PAYPHONE - NIGHT

He stops at a payphone nestled between the men's

and lady's rooms. His hands tremble as he slides in

the quarter and dials the number off Chen's card. He

checks the number of the phone, punches it in along

with his code. He hits the pound key, hangs up and

waits.

INT:
HUDSON ST CLINIC: HOSPITAL ROOM -NIGHT

The population, STAFF and CLIENTELE, is mostly Asian,

Spanish, and poor. The pace is fast and the care

minimal by necessity.

Behind a curtain, May lies sleeping, I.V. tubing

supplying nutrition, an oxygen mask supplying life.

Chen watches her when his pager goes off. He checks

the number, recognizing the pager code he gave Jack

as a young DOCTOR enters the area.

DOCTOR:

She's lucky you found her.

CHEN:

I want you to write her up as deceased.

DOCTOR:

Nick.

CHEN:

She recovers, she goes to work. Two weeks

she's back here, maybe not so lucky.

DOCTOR:

You're asking a lot.

Chen reaches into his pocket and pulls out ten

hundred dollar bills. The Doctor thinks, then takes the

money.

CHEN:

Let her stay a few days, till she's stronger.

Then I'll come get her.

Chen looks at May then slips outside.

EXT:
GAS STATION, PAYPHONE- NIGHT

BOBBY VU (O.S.)

(Fukienese)

What the f*** are you doing?

Jack spins and calls on every ounce of strength he

has to keep from turning white.

JACK:

(Fukienese)

I'm sick. I wasn't sure if I had to go back inside

or not.

Bobby Vu starts to smile...until the phone rings. Then

he just stares at Jack, who ignores the ringing phone.

JACK:

I'm alright. Let's go.

Bobby stops him...and picks up the phone. He puts the

receiver to his ear, but doesn't say a word.

INT:
HUDSON STREET CLINIC-SAME (NIGHT)

Chen stands at a payphone and almost speaks, but

the silence on the other end of the line stops him.

EXT:
GAS STATION, PAYPHONE-NIGHT

Jack's legs nearly buckle as Bobby Vu keeps the

phone to his ear. The wait is agony, but gets

interrupted when Black Eyes walks up.

GANGSTER:

What're you doing?

INT:
HUDSON STREET CLINIC-NIGHT

Chen hears the voices through the phone line and

realizes something's not right.

CHEN:

Is this Domino's Pizza?

EXT:
GAS STATION, PAYPHONE-NIGHT

Jack continues to watch Bobby Vu, who hangs up

without saying a word. Slowly, a smile curls his lips.

BOBBY VU:

(Fukienese)

Jack thought he was gonna sh*t his pants.

He puts an arm around his soldier and leads him to

the Buick.

INT:
HUDSON STREET CLINIC-NIGHT

Chen hangs up the phone. He stands a moment, then

takes a pen from his pocket and writes down the

number on the pager.

EXT:
BENNY WONG'S HOUSE, FLUSHING QUEENS-NIGHT

Chinatown Two and definitely the nicest. An upper

income, suburban neighborhood populated by

American-born Chinese.

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