MCDONALD’S
This time despair doesn’t overwhelm Nick. The car has gone, left him for dust, but his brain is over the shock now and it makes a judgement. Nick turns into the car park, still running.
EXT. MCDONALD’S, DRIVE THRU - NIGHT
He rushes alongside the only waiting car in the drive thru and approaches the window, causing the MCDONALD’S EMPLOYEE to jerk back in shock at having a guy loom abruptly in his vision.
The DRIVER in the waiting car sticks her head out the car window and complains at Nick, who stands between her car and the drive-thru window with his ass almost in her face.
driver
You need a car to use this bit. Get away.
nick (to employee)
Did an estate car just come through here? Did you see anyone holding a baby?
The Employee just stares, seemingly bewildered. Nick grabs him through the window.
nick
Don’t just stare at me. Please, did you see a baby in a car?
employee
Hey, man, get your hands off me. I don’t see anything for my minimum wage. I just take the orders and say window three.
Nick lets him go.
driver
There’s a queue here, you know.
Nick rushes onward, past windows 2 and 3 and out of the drive-thru.
EXT. main street - NIGHT
Nick rushes out into the road. Traffic passes him in both directions as he bolts across the road, but he barely sees them, his eyes tight on the side street we saw the Polo escape along. HORNS HONK.
EXT. residential street - NIGHT
A typical street lined with houses that have small front gardens. Cars are parked here, but none is the Polo. And no cars move.
Nick moves at a jog along this street, scanning. He looks distraught.
FURTHER ALONG
Nick reaches a short side lane between two houses that leads to a private parking area. The Polo is down there, abandoned, one of the rear doors left open. He moves that way.
EXT. residential car park - NIGHT
The car park is enclosed, dark, a good place to dump a car. As Nick rushes into the area, he is focussed on the Polo dead ahead and doesn’t see what lurks in a far corner. A Ford Focus Estate, boot open, and Three Men standing by it. A good place to swap cars also, it seems. These men are:
ICE, a skinny Jamaican kid of about 19. He wears jeans and a white T-shirt with ICE written on the front in mock-blood.
ELI, a bald, mid-30s, muscled guy in a tight T-shirt. He looks mean. Eli has a mobile phone strapped to his wrist like a watch and he’s got it up to his ear, in mid-conversation.
ZACK, who is nondescript. Eli and Ice might fit the bill of criminals if a photo in a paper caught them sneering, but this guy looks like he should be their solicitor, in trousers and a neat short-sleeved shirt.
Nick doesn’t see these men, but they see him and FREEZE. They look at each other. Eli lowers his phone arm and put a finger to his lips.
Nick approaches the Polo cautiously. Peers in the open back door. But the car is empty.
nick (angry, shouting)
Bastards!
He kneels, dejected. The three men smile at this.
nick (SHOUTING)
Help me. call the police. My son’s been -
eli (interrupting)
Steady on, mate, you’ll wake the locals.
Nick jerks, looking round, getting to his feet. Shock at seeing three men not fifteen metres away.
eli
You look all messed-up. You look like you just discovered that three big bad guys kidnapped your son.
Nick looks at the Focus with its boot open. He seems to realise what’s going on. He launches himself at the men, CURSING, CALLING JOE’S NAME.
Eli grabs Nick and with Zack’s help gets him down on the ground. Ice gets something from the car. Nick is SHOUTING FOR JOE.
Nick is fighting like a cat and it takes all three men to restrain him. His hands are thrown behind his back and handcuffs snapped on. A strip of cloth is wrapped around his eyes, and tied. He’s pulled up, and thrown into the back of the Ford Focus, forced roughly into a dog cage assembled in the rear of the estate car, still struggling.
INT. focus - NIGHT
Once Nick’s in the car, he ceases fighting.
nick
Joe? Joe?
Quickly Ice locks the cage door and climbs in the back. Eli shuts the boot. Ice sits between the cage and the door.
Ice and Zack get in the front, Zack driving. He starts the engine. All through this, Nick is SHOUTING JOE’S NAME and ASKING FOR HIS SON, fast repetitious shouting.
EXT. RESIDENTIAL CAR PARK - NIGHT
The Focus pulls out of the car park, headlights off.
INT. focus - NIGHT
Nick’s feet kick at the cage.
nick
Where’s my boy? What’s happening here? What are you doing to me?
eli
Stop kicking, mate. I’ll put pain in your body.
nick
What do you want with me? Who are you? My son’s name is Joe. He’s only a baby.
ICE
Shit, man, he’s the dad. He’s the bloody dad.
ELI (surprised)
You only just realised? You twat.
ice
He’s seen the car. Seen us. We have to do him.
Nick starts kicking the cage again, hard, fast.
ELI
He’s seen nothing, and it won’t matter. Hey, pal, stop kicking the cage or I’ll break those knees for you, free of charge.
nick
He’s just a baby. He can’t survive without me. Where’s my son? Please!
More kicking. The NOISE reverberates throughout the car.