Traffic Page #9

The car screeches around the circle --

ACROSS THE PARKING LOT

TWO OFFICERS in a police car see the body tumble out of the

car.

The cop car wheels around and cuts off the egress of the

Taurus wagon --

INT. FORD TAURUS WAGON - NIGHT

Seth is behind the wheel. Caroline and Vanessa are in the

back. They stare out at the cops getting out of the cruiser.

SETH:

Nobody has anything on them, right?

CUT TO:

OMITTED:

INT. TORTURE ROOM - BARRACKS - DAY

Francisco is strapped naked into a chair. Duct tape covers

his mouth. His face is bruised and swollen. A cruel TORTURER

talks to him calmly while dumping chili powder into a

container of soda water.

TORTURER:

We know Tijuana Cartel gunmen killed

our chief of intelligence, Francisco.

We know you killed police commanders

in Tijuana and Mexico City. Why do

you resist?

He approaches Francisco and begins shaking up the soda water.

He rips the tape off his mouth.

FRANCISCO:

My father is rich. He'll pay you.

TORTURER:

Not the correct answer, my friend.

The torturer puts another strip of duct tape across

Francisco's mouth.

TORTURER:

We know that you went after the

neighbor of General Salazar, a simple

alfalfa farmer. His grand-daughter

was shot. This is stupid behavior,

Francisco.

Francisco starts to squirm and whimper. The torturer closes

one of Francisco's nostrils and sprays the pepper-laced water

into the other nostril.

It's like a bomb went off in Francisco's brain. He SCREAMS

and passes out. Blood and mucous oozes out of his nose.

INT. BARRACKS - MEXICAN MILITARY BASE - DAY

Javier stands guard outside a door, listening to the

strangulated SCREAMS of Francisco. He's sickened.

ACROSS THE COURTYARD

Manolo ignores Francisco's CRIES, while shooting the sh*t

with several of Salazar's MEN, who laugh appreciatively at

something he's said.

CUT TO:

EXT. AYALA HOME, SAN DIEGO - NIGHT

Valet parkers in uniform work the driveway. The party is

ablaze and there are lights in the trees. A Lester Lanin-

like band plays a STANDARD that drifts across the grounds.

EXT. AYALA HOME - NIGHT

A conservative monied crowd mingles. Helena is talking with

a GROUP of rich people who include her friends, Nan, Stewie

and Alex, from the country-club, and their HUSBANDS.

STEWIE:

This is fabulous, Helena. What a

turnout.

HELENA:

Thank you so much, but I had a lot

of help.

Helena circles away. As Helena leaves, the women speak their

minds --

NAN:

It's a turnout because it's a

spectacle. Can you imagine?

ALEX:

I've met her husband, as nice as

they come.

STEWIE:

It teaches me a valuable lesson...

(re:
the nice house)

Apparently crime pays.

NAN:

Silly, you knew that already.

ON THE STAGE:

The band stops playing and steps aside as a man in a tuxedo

takes the microphone. Behind the band is a huge "A.L.A. -

Adult Literacy Advocates" Banner.

TUXEDO:

Hello. Thank you. Thank you all. I

have the results of the silent

auction...

CUT TO:

INT. JUVENILE DETENTION, CINCINNATI - HOLDING CELL - MORNING

Caroline Wakefield lies on a bench in a grey-walled holding

cell. She wears paper slippers and her belt has been removed.

Even youth can't disguise her hangover.

INT. SOCIAL WORKER OFFICE - MORNING

Caroline is perched on the edge of her chair. Across the

desk from her is a tired SOCIAL WORKER, 40's, who has been

assigned Caroline's case and is giving her the "exit"

interview.

SOCIAL WORKER:

...How old are you?

CAROLINE:

Sixteen

SOCIAL WORKER:

Live with your parents?

CAROLINE:

Yes.

SOCIAL WORKER:

Parents still together?

CAROLINE:

Yes.

SOCIAL WORKER:

Do you work?

CAROLINE:

I volunteer. I read to blind people.

One day a week for two hours.

SOCIAL WORKER:

In school?

CAROLINE:

Cincinnati Country Day.

The Social worker looks up from her questionnaire and sees

Caroline for the first time.

SOCIAL WORKER:

Private?

CAROLINE:

Yeah.

SOCIAL WORKER:

How are your grades?

CAROLINE:

I'm third in my class.

SOCIAL WORKER:

What's that mean?

CAROLINE:

I get A's. All A's.

SOCIAL WORKER:

You do? What else you do?

CAROLINE:

(her college resume)

I'm a National Merit Finalist. I'm

on the Hi-Q team and the Math team.

I'm in the Spanish Club. I'm a

Thespian. I'm Vice-President of my

class. I'm on the volleyball team.

The social worker pushes the forms she's filling out away

and looks again at Caroline --

SOCIAL WORKER:

You wanna tell me what you're doing

here, Caroline?

INT. JUVENILE DETENTION - MORNING

A cold institutional lobby with hard plastic chairs and bad

lighting. Government workers move behind thick glass windows

with tiny mesh screens cut into them for talking.

Barbara Wakefield sits on one of the uncomfortable chairs.

She's alone and has been crying. There's the sound of heavily

locked doors OPENING and Caroline appears.

Barbara stands and wraps Caroline in her arms.

BARBARA:

Oh, honey. Are you all right?

Caroline begins to cry into her mother's chest.

EXT. JUVI JAIL - MORNING

It's an early morning as Barbara Wakefield escorts her

daughter from the bland government building.

CAROLINE:

Did you tell Dad?

BARBARA:

Not yet.

CAROLINE:

Are you going to?

BARBARA:

I don't know.

CAROLINE:

Is this bad for him?

BARBARA:

What do you think?

The streets are deserted. Their Saab wagon sits forlornly

under grey skies in an uncovered public parking lot.

CUT TO:

INT. DAVID'S ROOM - NIGHT

Helena slips into David's room and quietly watches him sleep.

INT. STUDY - LATER

Still wearing her evening gown, Helena collapses into a chair,

exhausted. A TAP at the door startles her.

It's Arnie Metzger, who goes to the bar and pours himself a

strong one. They sit opposite each other and neither speaks

for a while.

HELENA:

(quietly)

I am on the board of my son's school.

I had a fundraiser for A.L.V. in my

front yard. I have a right to know

if my husband is a legitimate

businessman.

ARNIE:

Of course he is. I've known him for

twenty years and he doesn't jaywalk...

Helena is relieved, but she's not looking at Arnie and when

she does she sees him shaking his head in a very definitive,

"No."

Arnie stands and continues talking as he walks to the windows

and shuts the blinds one by one.

ARNIE:

...Carl is a very important member

of this community and when we're

through suing the police and the

district attorney and the DEA, they'll

have to rename the public parks for

your husband.

The blinds are closed. Arnie crosses to Helena and talks

very softly in her ear. She's a beautiful woman and Arnie

manages to make this act seem both practical and

inappropriate.

ARNIE:

(whispering)

Your husband is very good at his

job...

Helena leans back and looks at Arnie. He whispers more --

ARNIE:

Which is smuggling illegal drugs

into this country.

EXT. AYALA HOME - NIGHT

Rate this script:0.0 / 0 votes