A Pair of Aces

  FLASHBACK SEQUENCE

  INSIDE CLYDE'S HOUSE on a dreary gray day. We know this because the light of that dreary day is coming through a once white curtain that has gone piss-yellow and the wind is whipping the curtains, and we–

  EXPAND OUR VIEW to see Brian sitting on his sleazy bed in some sleazy underwear in a sleazy room of Clyde's house. The curtains flap. Clyde walks about. He can't stand still. He has the huge razor in his hand, flicking it open, closed.

  CLYDE

  I've been watching her. Watching her all the time. I could draw you a picture, man.

  BRIAN

  The one I'm thinking about?

  CLYDE

  Oh yeah, you know who I'm talking about.

  BRIAN

  I know her all right. What a piece. But she knows us too.

  CLYDE

  So? Knowing someone doesn't mean shit. When they're cut the way I'm talking about they go a certain kind of way, and that way is–

  Clyde points to Brian to help him finish the sentence, and they do so in unison, saying–

  BRIAN AND CLYDE

  FUCKING DEAD.

  CLYDE

  Tonight, man. To-NIGHT…

  They grin at one another, and Clyde whips the open razor through the air in a Zorro fashion.

  DISSOLVE TO:

  EXT. BECKY'S APARTMENT COMPLEX-NIGHT–ESTABLISHING SHOT

  DISSOLVE TO:

  INTO BECKY'S APARTMENT

  and we've got Becky and Eva sitting in the middle of the room playing chess at a small table. Eva sits in a chair, Becky on a couch. The room is about the size of a Conoco station washroom with kitchenette. This is before the badness, and we've got us a happy Becky here.

  BECKY

  Eva Beaumont, did you palm that bishop?

  EVA

  Shit, caught me!

  BECKY

  If you're going to cheat at chess, hon, you're going to have to do better than that.

  Eva looks solemn and holds out her open left hand. She's holding a white plastic pawn as well as the bishop. Becky feigns disgust.

  EVA

  Does that mean I have to give back the pawn, too?

  BECKY

  (laughs)

  You sneaky bitch. How long have you had that?

  Eva reaches between her legs with her other hand, produces another pawn.

  EVA

  About as long as I've had this one.

  Becky laughs and we–

  CUT TO:

  INT. BLACK CHEVY–NIGHT

  Car is cruising a night street and ROCKIN' 88 is playing on the radio, and Clyde is driving, Brian beside him. Stone looking stone-faced, Loony, rocking to the music, are in the back seat.

  CUT BACK TO:

  BECKY'S APARTMENT

  Becky, in the kitchen, fixing them both another glass of iced tea. Eva sits in the background at the chess table.

  EVA

  Sort of fun to get away from the guys for a while. I love my old jackass, but it's good not to hear him bray for a bit. Why didn't you go with Monty, hon? Get out of town.

  BECKY

  (frowns)

  It's for soci-olo-gists, Eva. I'm a teacher. Those swell-heads don't spit on teachers.

  (pause)

  Monty's speaking on the alienation of the juvenile.

  Becky brings drinks back to the living room, stops, still standing. A large cat winds it way between her ankles.

  BECKY

  God, you want to know about alienated juveniles? Teachers like us know all about those little creeps. They scare the hell out of me. I don't so much teach any more as I herd wild animals.

  Eva stares thoughtfully at Becky.

  EVA

  Hon, you and Monty okay?

  BECKY

  I guess.

  EVA

  Okay's good.

  Becky raises her ice tea glass.

  BECKY

  Here's to days when we got drunker than hammered dog shit and didn't have to go to work the next day.

  They toast, then Eva starts to stand.

  EVA

  Only thing is…I do have to go to work tomorrow.

  BECKY

  Bummer.

  EVA

  But, hey, next weekend I'll send Dean here, and you can come over for a sleep over. We can watch bad movies and get drunk.

  LOT OUTSIDE BECKY'S APT.

  The Black Chevy coasts to a stop in the parking lot, and the lights go out. The lot is not empty, but there aren't a lot of cars, just a few here and there.

  INT. CHEVY

  Clyde and the gang.

  LOONY

  This the place, Clyde?

  CLYDE

  No, Loony, I've always wanted to park in this very fucking spot.

  LOONY

  Guess I'm not thinking.

  CLYDE

  Don't try, dummy, You might put your eye out. Leave the thinking to me and Brian. Got it?

  LOONY

  Sure, Clyde. I'm cool.

  Clyde rolls down the car window, turns to look out of it, and we have–

  CLYDE'S POV

  The front door of Becky's apartment.

  Moments later, the door opens, shedding light on the parking lot. We see the shadow of a woman coming out, and down a flight of stairs, walking across the lot to her car, which is not parked too far away from a large dumpster at one corner of the apartment building.

  It's Eva, and as she walks to her car, climbs inside, starts up and drives away, we hear the boys.

  LOONY O.S.

  How about her?

  CLYDE O.S.

  Got someone else in mind.

  LOONY O.S.

  What's it matter who? She looked good enough to me. All pink on the inside, ain't it?

  INT. CHEVY

  CLYDE

  Got my reasons. I like the way the other teacher looks.

  (Wistful)

  One time, this other one was nice to me, and I haven't ever forgot it.

  LOONY

  She was nice and you're going to fuck her and cut her up? I like it!

  Clyde puts a hand on the door handle, turns to look at Brian sitting beside him.

  CLYDE

  Me and Stone are going up, that okay with you?

  BRIAN

  Yeah. Sure.

  CLYDE

  I got to have a good man downstairs. Loony's too full of glue tonight. Stone does what he's told, but I need more than that.

  Clyde snaps the razor from out of nowhere, wheels around to lean over the back seat, the razor open and shining.

  CLYDE

  (to Loony)

  You keep your eyes open, glue-head. Don't mess me up.

  LOONY

  Sure, Clyde. Whatever you want, man.

  Clyde relaxes, snaps the razor closed. He's focusing on Brian again.

  CLYDE

  You be ready with the car.

  BRIAN

  No sweat, man. Cut her for me.

  As Clyde turns to open the door–

  BRIAN

  That stuff about her being nice to you. That true?

  Clyde turning back to Brain.

  CLYDE

  Yeah. Long time ago. Kept some big guy off me. I could've licked him, though. I've wanted her ass ever since.

  BRIAN

  Hey, dreams do come true, brother.

  CLYDE

  We're not brothers, Brian. We're one and the same.

  EXT. CHEVY

  Clyde and Loony and Stone get out of the car, Loony has a pump twelve gauge shotgun.

  INSIDE THE CHEVY

  Brian slides behind the wheel.

  SIDEWALK NEXT TO THE APARTMENT

  It's out of view of Clyde's car. An elderly man, RAYMOND, is walking a small poodle, THOR, and he's got the leash in one hand and a pooper-scooper in the other. THOR is sniffing the ground. Raymond, he's a wiry looking old guy and he's in shirt sleeves and we can see a faded tattoo of an anchor on one arm with NAVY written above it on a ribbon.

  CLYDE AND
STONE

  they're going up the stairs toward Becky's apartment, a little cautious, but not too cautious.

  LOONY

  he's over by the dumpster, near the edge of the apartment. He doesn't know, and Raymond doesn't know, but they are about to meet.

  ANGLE RAYMOND

  Thor sniffing along, and as they come to the end of the apartment building, Thor starts barking at something we don't see.

  RAYMOND

  Christ, Thor, put a lid on it.

  INSIDE BECKY'S APARTMENT

  Becky hears the barking, and, at the same time a knock on the door. She gives a resigned smile, and opens the door.

  BECKY

  God, Eva, what did you forget this ti–

  IN THE DOORWAY–CLYDE AND STONE

  Becky starts to scream but Clyde rushes in and slaps a hand over her mouth, pushes her back into the apartment, and Stone closes the door.

  EXT. BY THE DUMPSTER

  Loony looks around to see what the barking is about. He and Raymond are right on top of each other. Raymond sees the gun. Loony, he sees the pooper-scooper, and laughs.

  Loony brings the gun around. Raymond slaps it with the pooper-scooper, knocking it aside, and before Loony can bring it back into play, Raymond makes with a back swing, striking Loony on the side of the head, causing him to stagger and drop the shotgun.

  Thor leaps on Loony's leg, and takes a bite. It's pit bull city. This poodle is not letting go. He growls as Loony tries to shake him off.

  The pooper-scooper, Raymond's Excalibur, swings again. This time it catches Loony upside the head with a strike that would send a baseball to the outer bleachers. Loony goes down, Thor still chewing on his leg.

  INT. BECKY'S APARTMENT

  SERIES OF FLASH SHOTS

  The rape. Vague flashes. Her face. Stone's face. And Clyde's very wild and happy face. Scatters of sound-remarks from Clyde and Stone. Becky. Nothing completely heard. Just frantic snippets.

  Clyde's hand over Becky's mouth.

  Becky jerks her head and his hand slips free, and Becky SCREAMS.

  RAYMOND

  looks up in response to the scream. He tosses the pooper-scooper aside, picks up the shotgun, starts around the corner toward the noise, trying to place the location.

  INT. APARTMENT

  Clyde fastens his pants, produces the razor.

  Becky SCREAMS. Stone slugs her. Clyde moves toward her.

  CLYDE

  A strip of skin at a time, baby, like human confetti.

  APARTMENT DOOR BANGS OPEN

  They wheel, and through the open bedroom door they see the front door of the apartment standing open. There stands Raymond with the shotgun, Thor by his side.

  Stone jerks up a lamp and pops the plug free and charges at Raymond. Raymond raises the shotgun, but he's too slow, and the lamp bounces off his head, staggering him back out on the landing, and here comes Stone running like he's got the football, going for the goal, Clyde behind him, holding the razor.

  Before Raymond can recover, Stone hits him with a shoulder and knocks him back against the stair railing, causing him to slide down on the landing and drop the shotgun through the railing.

  SHOTGUN falls to the parking lot below, and the jar causes it to go off, spitting a burst of fire skyward before it slides along the cement to a stop.

  BRIAN in the car. Jerks his head toward the shotgun blast.

  BACK TO SCENE

  Thor goes for Stone, bites him right in the crotch, hangs on like a tick. Stone loses his namesake demeanor, starts screaming, bounding for the stairs with both feet in a bouncing motion, Thor hanging onto his balls.

  As Clyde runs up with his razor, Raymond puts out a hand, grabs his ankle, trips him. Down Clyde goes, hits the railing with his forehead, out cold. The razor flies from his hand, and we–

  WATCH THE RAZOR fall SLO MO toward the ground.

  CUT TO:

  BRIAN

  He's coming on like a marathon runner toward the stairs. He gets there just as Stone reaches the bottom and jerks the dog loose and flings it backwards where Thor hits and slides and scrambles back on his feet.

  THE LANDING

  Raymond crawls on top of Clyde quickly, straddles him, starts raining down one blow after another, and doesn't stop, even after Clyde quits moving.

  LOONY

  comes awake, stands up slowly, shakes his head. He hears commotion. He moves around to the side of the building, and Thor, like a shark attack, hits Loony's leg, causing him to cry out.

  Brian is almost across the parking lot when we hear SIRENS.

  LIGHTS AND SIRENS coming along the side of the apartment complex fence.

  BACK TO SCENE

  Loony comes limping along, Thor on his leg.

  LOONY

  Run! Run! Get to the fucking car!

  Brian looks up, sees Clyde up there on the landing, lying on his back, and Raymond is still pummeling. He hesitates for a moment, agonizing over this, then races back to the car with Stone and Loony and Thor hanging onto Loony.

  They dive in the car and burst out of the lot with a scream of tires.

  CUT TO:

  LANDING

  Raymond doesn't even know he's hitting Clyde anymore. His breath comes in wheezes. He gets slower, and slower, startles slightly, throws his hand to his chest, collapses on top Clyde. Dead. Victim of a heart attack.

  THE LOT

  is full of lights and sirens.

  INT. BLACK CHEVY

  Brian is driving in a tearful rage, one hand tight on the steering wheel, with the other he is beating on it. Loony is on the front passenger side, trying to pull the growling dog off his leg. Stone in the back, holding his balls.

  BRIAN

  We ran! We fucking ran!

  LOONY

  It's what Clyde wanted, man. He didn't want us all to get caught.

  This little cocksucker bit me to the fucking bone.

  Loony, whose face bears the marks of the pooper-scooper, has finally extricated the dog from his leg, and is holding him out by the scruff of the neck. The dog is squirming and growling like a tiger. Loony works his knife out of his pants pocket and flicks it open.

  LOONY

  I'm gonna kill him and stuff him and fuck him every goddamn day.

  Stone leans forward and pats Loony on the shoulder, indicating he thinks this is a swell idea.

  BRIAN

  GET RID OF THAT FUCKING DOG.

  EXT. BLACK CHEVY

  Window goes down. Loony holds out Thor. We go–

  CLOSE ON THOR

  Dead. Throat cut.

  BACK TO SCENE

  Loony drops the dog.

  Now we focus on the departing Chevy's tail lights.

  Going.

  Going.

  Gone.

  COURTROOM–DAY

  Quick shot of Clyde who bears the marks of Raymond's beating. He's standing proud before a judge, a slight smile on his face, acting like a dark god among lesser beings.

  Babble in the courtroom, becomes the babble we've heard before, and we are–

  CLOSE ON CLYDE

  and we fall down inside his thoughts, and there are quick flashes of Becky's rape, and of the razor, and of something that moves dark and shadowy behind the images.