The Salton Sea Page #20

BO:

Yeah? First door on the right.

It ain't that dirty. Just kinda'

filthy is all.

DANNY/TOM

(to Liz)

You mind?

BO:

No, I don't mind. That's how come I

told you about it.

DANNY/TOM

I was talking to my wife.

LIZ:

Try to make it fast.

Danny heads down the hallway, Liz looks a little uncomfortable.

LIZ (cont'd)

(trying to make small talk)

So. What do you do for a living around here?

BO:

You know. This and that.

ON THE SHELVES, SUNDRY ITEMS USED TO DISTILL METH.

Bo scratching his arms.

Liz notices TRACK MARKS ALL OVER BO'S ARMS. He sees her looking.

BO:

Skeeters. They're bad up here.

INT. BATHROOM - SAME

Danny peeing WHEN HE HEARS ANOTHER CAR PULL UP OUTSIDE. CAR DOORS OPEN

AND CLOSE. HUSHED VOICES OUTSIDE THE BATHROOM WINDOW.

Danny finishes up. He steps up onto the tub and peaks out the bathroom

window.

THROUGH THE WINDOW - TWO FIGURES CROSS IN FRONT OF THE HEADLIGHTS OF

THE CAR. THE ENGINE REMAINS RUNNING.

Danny frowns, not sure what to make of it. He steps down from the tub

and is just about to exit when THE FRONT DOORS IS KICKED OPEN AND SHOTS

ARE FIRED.

VOICES SHOUTING.

Danny freezes, not sure what to do. His eyes dart around for a weapon.

He picks up a large plumber's wrench and goes to the bathroom door.

MORE SHOTS. SEMI-AUTOMATIC FIRE.

SEVERAL BULLETS slam through the bathroom wall, one striking Danny in

the shoulder.

He slumps to the floor.

THE PANDEMONIUM continues in the front room.

There is a BULLET HOLE about the size of a fifty cent piece in the wall

next to Danny's head. He puts his eye to the hole and looks out.

DANNY'S P.O.V. THROUGH THE HOLE - scanning the room. Stopping on ...

... LIZ. In the confusion, she has managed to hide from the intruders.

She is squeezed into a tiny space between the sofa and the wall. She

clings tightly to the curtains, her hands shaking violently.

ONE THE CURTAIN RINGS - pulled taught by Liz's grip.

Danny adjusts his gaze through the hole.

THROUGH THE HOLE - scanning to the other side of the room. Bo and the

other guy sprawled on the floor. INTRUDER ONE stands over them, only

his legs visible.

BACK ON LIZ - scared to death, clinging to the curtains.

The curtain rings are pulled to the breaking point.

INTRUDER ONE:

Let's go!

INTRUDER TWO emerges from the back carrying a small nylon bag. They

start to head out the front door when ...

... one of the curtain rings breaks with a METALLIC "TING".

ON DANNY - freaking. His eyes shooting back to Liz.

SILENCE.

Listening.

Then the CREAKING FOOTSTEPS of Intruder One approaching. It takes an

eternity.

Liz can't possibly see Danny through the hole but it looks like she is

staring directly at him, her body rigid with fear.

Danny grabs the wrench again. Tries to get to his feet but slips back

down, either too weak from loss of blood or just plain scared. His

hand is shaking violently.

He looks through the hole again.

THROUGH THE HOLE - Liz still staring at Danny. THE FOOTSTEPS CONTENCE

at a agonizing slow pace, then stop.

A GUN, ever so slowly, enters FRAME. EXTREME CLOSE UP on Liz's eyes as

they widen.

EXTREME CLOSE UP on Danny's eye peering through the hole. A SHOT IS

FIRED. His eye closes.

ON DANNY-his mouth opens to scream BUT NOTHING COMES OUT.

And with that it is all over.

Danny tries to get to his feet again. Fails, His eyes flutter. All is

silent except for A FAINT LIQUID SPATTERING.

LONG SHOT-Back on the Salton Sea, placid and silvered with moonlight.

INT RESIDENTIAL HOTEL ROOM- NIGHT (LATER)

Danny and Colette face-to face- in profile, silhouetted by the IMAGE of

the sea.

DANNY:

She died knowing that I was a coward...

that I didn't lift a finger to help her.

COLLETTE:

There was nothing you could have done.

She is inches closer to him.

DANNY:

No, you're wrong, I tried to tell

myself the same thing but I could

have gotten up. I could have done

something.

COLETTE:

They would have killed you too.

DANNY:

(finally looks her in the eye)

Nothing could be worse then this

slow death I'm living now.

Colette puts her arms around him and hugs him tight. The IMAGE OF THE

SEA FLICKERS AND FADES behind them.

CLOSE ON DANNY-holding Colette.

DANNY:

(looking up)

Colette...I want to help

you, with Quincey.

Colette pulls back.

COLETTE:

No Danny, Don't-

DANNY (cont'd)

But you gotta be serious about it.

COLETTE:

Really, I don't want to.

DANNY:

I want to do this for you. I

want to do something good

for a change.

Danny goes over to the dresser. Takes out a baggie of meth.

DANNY (cont'd)

I want you to hide this

somewhere where Quincy

won't find it.

COLETTE:

What is it?

DANNY:

Never mind. Just do what I say.

He holds out the baggie. Colette backs away.

COLETTE:

I don't want to.

Danny stalks her.

DANNY:

I'm offering you the chance to take

care of your problems. Take it.

(she still hesitates)

Don't make the same mistake I did,

Colette. Do something while you

have a chance. Do it for your daughter

before something happens.

(beat)

Believe me, you don't want to

live with this burden.

(firm)

He helds the baggie out again. Colette

reluctantly takes it from him.

DANNY (cont'd)

Tommorrow night, when he is asleep.

I want you to beep me at this number.

He writes the number down on a dollar bill.

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