Holding the Bricks

shakes hands with Tom and Rob. He leaves the table and exits the restaurant.

  ROB

  (Midwestern Accent)

  That guy Sergio is one dangerous fuck.

  TOM

  Don't worry about him. He's nothing compared to guys I know in Chicago.

  ROB

  Why did he want Jaime to hold the coke?

  TOM

  Because Jaime is an easy going jackoff, who does not do drugs. Sergio is just using him.

  ROB

  Then we should use Jaime to bring the drugs across the border into the United States.

  TOM

  Exactly.

  CUT TO

  EXT. MEDICAL SCHOOL BUILDING - GUADALAJARA - DAY

  TITLE CARD: GUADALAJARA MEDICAL SCHOOL - OCTOBER 1971 THREE MONTHS LATER

  Jaime, much thinner, stands in front of a medical school building. There are MANY STUDENTS walking from one building to another. The mixture of students is sixty five percent Mexican and thirty five percent American. These percentages are about the same for male and female students.

  All the male students have short haircuts. All the female students wear dresses. The weather is cooler in October. Everyone wears a light jacket or sweater.

  A MALE STUDENT stops to talk to Jaime.

  MALE STUDENT

  Jaime, do you know anyone that sells pot?

  JAIME

  No.

  MALE STUDENT

  Tom's not here this semester is he?

  JAIME

  He took the semester off.

  MALE STUDENT

  Fucking Tom.

  The students walk into an auditorium.

  INT. MEDICAL SCHOOL CLASS AUDITORIUM - GUADALAJARA - DAY

  Jaime sits far back in the auditorium. A lecture in cardiology is presented.

  There is a screen. The PROFESSOR points at the human heart and explains the circulatory system. He speaks in Spanish.

  INSERT

  A LARGE CALENDAR on the blackboard shows OCTUBRE, 1976.

  PROFESSOR (V.O)

  El circulacion de la corazon...

  CUT TO:

  INT. RESTAURANT - LE TRIGNON - GUADALAJARA - EVENING

  TITLE CARD: TWO DAYS LATER

  It is early Friday evening. Jaime has dinner in an upscale French restaurant, Le Trignon, located a few blocks from his apartment on Avenida Vallarta. The restaurant is not crowded. There are Three Waiters serving Customers.

  The MUSIC playing is something like Charles Aznavour.

  Jaime sits alone. There is a full glass of red wine on the table. He holds a box of matches in his hand.

  INSERT

  LE TRIGNON is written on the box of matches.

  VARIOUS ANGLES

  Sergio enters the restaurant with a YOUNG BLOND WOMAN. She is in her mid twenties and very beautiful. Both Sergio and the Blond Woman are well dressed. Sergio carries a briefcase. A WAITER escorts them to a table on the opposite side of the room from Jaime. The Blond Woman sits at the table.

  Sergio, with briefcase in hand, walks over to Jaime's table. Jaime stands up and they shake hands. Sergio places the briefcase on the floor. They sit down.

  SERGIO

  Jaime, when I called you last night to meet me here, I had just heard from Tom.

  JAIME

  Good.

  SERGIO

  In the summer, when I saw Tom in Puerto Vallarta, he had this blond kid named Rob fly down. They paid me five grand for the bricks.

  JAIME

  Tom said the bricks cost twenty.

  SERGIO

  Tom wired the rest of the money yesterday to my bank in Mexico City.

  Jaime and Sergio both light cigarettes.

  SERGIO (CONT'D)

  There is a problem with Tom and this kid Rob.

  JAIME

  What's the problem?