The Protector INT. CAR - DAY SUPERIMPOSE: HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT DONOVAN "DON" PAULSEN, (30) cries in a Ford Mustang. DON Jackie... He looks in his glove box and pulls out a photo. The photo is faded. Don sets it down on the dashboard. ASHLEY "ASH" PAULSEN, (19) knocks on the window. Don unlocks the door. DON (CONT’D) (grumbling) Any memorable parting words from your dear mother? Maybe about your brother? Ash places her hand on his shoulder. ASH Dad, she wasn't the person we knew. He looks down at the flask of whiskey in his lap. Don passes it to Ash. She shakes it. ASH (CONT’D) Still full. I'm genuinely surprised. DON Some things I have to deal with without this. The sandbox isn't one of those. This is. Don opens the glovebox. A 1911 sits in there with three magazines next to it. He takes it, flicks the safety on and puts in the back of his waistband. ASH That's a new one. I'm being serious. Don sits back and lowers the visor. He collects himself and takes a sigh. A sealed envelope falls out. He opens it up. DON Here's the new plan. He passes the envelope to Ash. ASH You sure about this? DON I have to be. He cranks the engine and drives. The two sit as Don drives through the rainy streets of Hartford. ASH Did you have a plan if this did happen? Don shrugs. DON I have one more card to play. That job in Phoenix line up for you? She nods. ASH Some Ford dealership, nothing too crazy. Don nods at this. DON It's best we get going. Jackie can keep my stuff. ASH Everything? DON Yeah. Ain't nothing there I can't replace. The envelope reads, "Knight Pharmaceuticals". Next to it, lies a folded job offer letter: Wrench opens it. Mr. Donovan Paulsen, You applied on OperatorWorks.net today for an opportunity in private security with a pharmaceutical company, Knight Pharmaceuticals located in Phoenix, Arizona. I wanted to reach out and schedule time to meet with you so we could speak further about this career opportunity. Are you available today or tomorrow sometime? We would need to allow a few hours to make sure you know all the details of the opportunity and I can answer any questions you may have. Please let me know what your schedule looks like so we can set something up. Sincerely, (Fancy signature here) Kim Williams EXT. CITY - NIGHT SUPERIMPOSE: FOUR DAYS LATER The mustang passes a "City of Los Angeles" sign. INT. CAR - NIGHT Don's eyes widen as he looks around. ASH You never talked much about growing up. Don takes a nervous breath as he leans back in his seat. DON I never wanted to. Ash looks at downtown as the car rises on an overpass. ASH What's so bad about this city? It ain't Chicago- DON Oh, it's probably about the same or worse. Ash sits back in her seat. ASH What are we here for again? DON A lot of illegal shit that I probably should've gotten out sooner. ASH That sounds pretty cool, how illegal we talking? They get back on the main highway. DON Like the, "If caught I will never see the outside ever again" illegal. A box sits by the freeway. DON (CONT’D) (muttering) ...Contact my 2 o'clock. Don's eyes widen as he presses the gas. The speedometer jumps from 60 to 80. He passes the box. ASH Dad? Don takes a deep breath as he takes one of his hands off the wheel. He takes another breath. DON Don't worry about it. His grip on the steering wheel tightens as he drives forward. EXT. STORAGE OFFICE - NIGHT The mustang pulls up. A U-Haul truck sits there. ASH This doesn't look very illegal. DON Wait here. Don steps out. RICKY, (early-20s) stands there. DON (CONT’D) Sorry about the wait, just got back from Connecticut, long road trip and all. He pulls out two one hundred dollar bills and passes it to him. DON (CONT’D) Everything good? Ricky nods. RICKY Everything's in working order, sir. DON Good, thanks for the help man. Don goes back to the Mustang and opens the door. DON (CONT’D) Follow me in, we gotta load some things into the truck. ASH Some?! Don looks back at the truck. DON Y-Yeah, something like that. Don pulls up to a storage unit, stops and faces the back of the truck toward the door. He turns off the truck, takes the key out, and walks over to the unit. Ash parks the same way next to him. ASH You been Tony Montana behind my back? Don opens the door to the unit and turns on a light. INT. STORAGE UNIT - NIGHT ASH Oh. That kind of illegal. Gun crates from World War One to Desert Storm are stacked across the room. A Maxim gun's barrel sticks out of a half opened crate. Wooden and dark green padlocked crates are unorganized and sit across the room. DON Christ. Ash, help me get this loaded. Don goes to pop the trunk of his Mustang and looks at a piece of paper that reads "Gun trust". Don pulls the ramp from the truck. The two start to load crates into the back of the truck. ASH You had these the whole time? What else were you hiding? Don grabs a dolly, places three crates on top of it that read, "M1 Thompson", "M1 Garand", and "Springfield M1903". DON We're gonna be here a while. EXT. STORAGE UNIT - DAY The two load one last crate into the truck that reads, "1919 Browning". The truck is full at this point. Don closes the door to the back. The two look exhausted and sleep deprived. DON Let's get... A figure stands there and smokes a cigarette. DON (CONT’D) ...Shit... MARCUS, (30) walks toward them. He wears a pair of jeans and a black T-shirt. MARCUS I swear, I could've sworn. He throws down his cigarette. MARCUS (CONT’D) Ain't those illegal? Don tries to make his way to the truck but finds himself blocked as Marcus stands in his way of the driver's side door. MARCUS (CONT’D) All that NFA, huh? Don looks into his eyes. DON Have a nice day, buddy. He tries to gently push past him. Marcus stands in his way. MARCUS I'm assuming the divorce didn't hit you too well either. DON Fuck off. Don looks down, not making any eye contact with Marcus. MARCUS Well, don't get mad at me. Your sister and I fairly close. DON If you're banging her, I don't care. Marcus gives a grin. MARCUS Well I am. Call me Marcus. Don looks at him and glares. DON Fuck off, Marcus. Marcus steps back from the truck as Don gets in and drives away. INT. DINER - DAY The two sit in the diner as Don looks at the list. With a pen, he checks the guns off the list. DON (muttering) Ithaca model 37s, Browning Hi- Powers, 1911A1s... Ash sits there and eats, curiously watching Don put check marks next to the guns on the list. ASH Everything there? DON Surprisingly. He sets the list down and massages his eyes. ASH Dad. Don's hand rests on a coffee cup. ASH (CONT’D) You never told mom about all this- Why? She finishes her meal. DON I've had a lot happen before you showed up. She nods. He looks at her. DON (CONT’D) You want more to eat? I got more money if need be. Don reaches for his wallet. Wrench shakes her head. ASH I'm good, thanks dad. Don looks out at the truck. His eyes widen as a police cruiser passes it. He watches it for a moment. The lights and sirens come on. DON Oh shit. He stands up- The cruiser drives off. Ash's eyes widen as well. Don sits down and takes a sigh of relief. DON (CONT’D) Jesus christ. You want to stay here or get going? ASH Let's get going. DON You good to drive? We can tow the Mustang. She nods. ASH Should be. We'll find a hotel in Phoenix, right? Don nods as he checks his bank account. He sees $10,350 still in checking. $601,453 sits in savings. DON We'll be alright. EXT. HIGHWAY - NIGHT A highway sign for Phoenix sits there. The U-Haul truck and the Mustang pass it. INT. HOTEL LOBBY - NIGHT Don wears a tan three day pack. Ash carries a duffel bag. Don walks over the receptionist up front and shoots a weak smile. DON Howdy there- Uh, just two rooms, one person in each of 'em. ASH Wait, what? Dad! Don chuckles at Wrench. DON I think you can handle yourself. Anyway. He looks back at the receptionist. IND RECEPTIONIST Alright sir, anything else? He passes him his debit card. DON I'll pay this in advance. The receptionist takes the card from him. Don smiles at Ash. INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT Don goes into the room and goes into the minibar. He digs out some whiskey and downs some of it. Don sits there. The offer letter still sits next to him. He downs one small bottle after another. FADE TO BLACK. INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY Don lays in his bed, now in a pair of shorts and an old black Army T-shirt. DON (sleeping) I love you Jacqueline Miller... Next to him are mini bottles of whiskey. A knock at the door. ASH (muffled) Dad! DON Oh, shit. Don opens his eyes, feels his head, and stands up. He hobbles over to the door and opens it. Ash stands there in a pair of slacks, a button up, and a pair of slip ons. Don holds a look of confusion. DON (CONT’D) Jesus, this is something new in comparison to the tomboy shit I see you normally wear. ASH Job interview. Alright if I take the car? Don nods. DON Speaking of, I gotta do that myself. Just uh- Call me, tell me how it goes. Don motions her inside. He walks over to the night stand next to all of the emptied out mini bottles of Jameson. ASH You drinking because of mom? Don shakes his head. DON Old memories. Ash nods. Don passes her the Mustang keys. DON (CONT’D) You somehow manage to find a party, invite me. ASH I don't think they want an old fossil like you at a party, dad. DON Doesn't hurt to try. Don't crash my car. ASH Don't fuck traps. DON No promises here. ASH None here either. She takes the keys and steps out. The door closes behind her. Don sits there and sighs. He looks at himself in the mirror and notes the beard on his face. DON I'm not getting the job with this damn thing. He walks back to his bag and pulls out shaving cream and a razor. Don shaves his beard and looks at his grown out hair. DON (CONT’D) Haircut time. Don walks back over to his night stand and takes out his phone. He glances at his phone and thumbs dials a number. A voice on the other end, KIM (mid-30s) picks up. KIM (O.S.) Knight Pharmaceuticals, security division, Kim speaking. DON (into phone) Howdy there, this is Donovan Paulsen. KIM (O.S.) Oh, Mr. Paulsen. Been expecting your call. DON (into phone) ...Yeah, I've had things going on. KIM (O.S.) I'm sorry to hear that, are you able to come in anytime soon for an interview sometime this week? DON I would, yes. When are you available? KIM How about tomorrow at two? Don puts this into his phone. DON Sounds good. KIM Alrightee then, Thursday at two. Have a good day, Mr. Paulsen. DON Thanks, appreciate it. Don hangs up the phone and takes a deep breath. Don massages his eyes and his hands shake. DON (CONT’D) Fuck... He sits there and cries into a pillow for a moment. DON (CONT’D) I'm not good enough, I'm not good enough, I'm not good enough... JACQUELINE PAULSEN, (28) appears in front of him. JACKIE No, you're fucking not. Maybe if you weren't such fucking trash you'd have that life Don. Maybe I wanted someone and something better, maybe someone that didn't kill people for eight years. Don stays there. He curls up in a ball as Jackie continues to berate him. JACKIE (CONT’D) You'd still have your kid if you hadn't reenlisted! Maybe then Wrench would actually like you as a dad! How about this Don? I can't believe you went as far as to name something that wasn't there. She scoffs at him. JACKIE (CONT’D) Naming an unborn kid. Life's about not getting attached Donny, get too attached and- Don covers his head with a pillow. INT. JACKIE'S HOUSE - NIGHT Jackie stands there with a bottle of whiskey in her hand. JACKIE -Get too attached and you'll only wind up disappointed. DON What? JACKIE Yes Don, I did. Don gives a confused look. JACKIE (CONT’D) You don't have to worry about Ben OR ME anymore. DON Jack, what did you do? JACKIE Put the pieces together Sherlock, I know you're smarter than that. Have fun in court. DON YOU FUCKING PSYCHOPATH! JACKIE What? You didn't see this coming? DON NO! She laughs and pours herself another glass of whiskey. Ash walks in on this. ASH Dad? Don holds his head. JACKIE Your dad's only now realizing he's a shitty person, Ash. ASH What? JACKIE Your dad works a shitty security job, for some dead end security firm and doesn't make enough to provide. I got rid of this "Ben" he keeps talking about because he wouldn't be able to afford it. Ash walks over to Don. ASH You're a psychopath, mom! The two argue as Don stands behind Ash. He sits on the floor and leans against the wall. Their voices drown out. INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY Don sits back. The room just stays silent. He takes a deep breath and stands up. DON Let's go. INT. BARBER SHOP - DAY Don gets his hair cut into a business professional style. His hair falls down around him. He looks into the mirror in front of him. A younger version of Don looks back for a split second. Don takes a deep breath. IND BARBER Hey buddy? Don looks back at the barber. IND BARBER (CONT’D) How's it look? You don't look like a hippie anymore- That's a plus. Don looks into the mirror and grins. DON Fuck man, that looks great. IND BARBER That'll be 15. He pulls the cloth from around Don and takes the paper off his neck. DON Yeah, man. Don takes out his wallet and gives the barber 25 dollars. IND BARBER Have a good day, sir. DON Thanks. INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT Ash comes back and finds Don on a laptop. ASH Well this is a welcome change. Not on Steam, not watching anime, but... She looks at the monitor. ASH (CONT’D) Working on a resume... Ash nods at this as she sets her bag down and loosens her hair. Don stops what he does. DON Do you knock? She shrugs. ASH Never had a need to. DON What'd they say? How'd your interview go? ASH They said yes. DON Nice. Mine's tomorrow. ASH Thanks dad. Don shoots a weak grin. ASH (CONT’D) I mean it. I didn't think any of this would actually work. Don just shrugs at this. DON Surprisingly, me neither. ASH It all worked out though, right? DON I guess you could say that, sure. Let's just see how tomorrow goes. I don't know too much about the job. Don massages his eyes. DON (CONT’D) Shouldn't you be getting ready for your first day of work? Ash shrugs. ASH I've worked off less sleep you know. She takes a water bottle out of her hand bag and drinks from it. DON Not asking you, go rest. I'll get us both apartments, just give me some time. Couple weeks. Max. Ash nods at this. DON (CONT’D) Get some sleep sweetheart. Ash toward the door but stops. ASH Dad? With what happened with mom... Don't be so hard on yourself. DON Thanks Ash. And take a Lyft for tomorrow, I'll need the car. ASH No problem dad. She leaves the room. Don lies down in bed and falls asleep. FADE TO BLACK. INT. HIGH SCHOOL - NIGHT Vitamin C - Graduation plays. Don dances with ROXANNE "ROXY" MILLS, (18). He smiles as he holds her hand. DON (whispering) As we go on... We remember... Roxy smiles at him. Don sweeps her blonde hair with his hand and looks into her eyes with a smile. Roxy looks at Don. The two slow dance together and look into each other's eyes. Don continues to dance with her. ROXY I love you Donny. Don just stares into her eyes. DON I'm good, yeah. It's great. I mean, I-I love you too. Roxy giggles at Don. She places her hand on his cheek. ROXY I don't mind that, you know. It's cute on you. She hugs him and places her mouth close to his ear. ROXY (CONT’D) (whispering) Now let's stop by the motel and seal this deal... DON That sounds like a plan sweetheart. She grins at Don and gives Don a quick peck on the cheek. The two make their way toward the door to INT. CAR - NIGHT The two get into the car. Don closes the door. He looks down and turns on the car. His hands shake. DON Oh christ, oh christ... ROXY Baby, you're okay. Here... Roxy holds his hand and turns Don's radio on. RADIO IT AIN'T MEEEE IT AIN'T MEEE- She changes the station. RADIO (CONT’D) SHOW ME THE MEANING OF BEING LONELY- ROXY Definitely not. She changes it again. RADIO Well you done done me and you know I felt it... ROXY Too cheesy. DON I got my IPod, aux cord should be here... Don lets go of her hand and reaches toward the backseat. Don takes out an IPod Touch and tabs through it into a playlist that reads, "Eurobeat". DON (CONT’D) You're alright with this, right? She looks over and gives a grin. ROXY Course I am. Don calms down as he tabs a song and sets his phone down. He puts his car in gear. Heartbeat by Nathalie plays. INT. MOTEL - NIGHT Don's hands shake as he lays in the bed. DON I-I've never done this before Rox... What do I do? She strips her clothes off in front of him. ROXY Neither have I baby... Just do what feels right. DON Alright hun... The two kiss. INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY Don wakes up. His phone alarm reads, "0445". He takes a deep breath and shakes his head as he looks up at a crumpled suit in front of him. He goes into the shower. Some time later, he steps out and begins to iron his suit, extra careful to get the creases. DON Is it good enough? He examines the creases in depth. He gets his suit together and looks at his shoes. A little bit dusty. Don goes takes a cloth from his bag and dusts them off. The shine still remains. He puts on his clothes, looks in the mirror, and does his hair. Don adjusts his tie and makes his way out. INT. DINER - DAY Marcus sits across the way next to DAWN PAULSEN, (34). DON What the... Don stands up and makes his way over to them. DON (CONT’D) Oh shit... Marcus shoots Don a grin. DON (CONT’D) Hey... Don looks over at her. DON (CONT’D) Been a while hasn't it? Dawn just stares at her coffee cup. DAWN It has. She turns to face him. DAWN (CONT’D) Life been treating you well? Don puts his hands in his pockets. DON I've had a few things happen. DAWN Yeah, divorce hits everyone differently, Michael. Don rolls his eyes as his expression changes to that of disgust. DON Thanks Michelle. Don goes back. The waitress, ROSIE, (33) walks back. ROSIE What can I get ya today? DON Breakfast special and coffee. ROSIE Alrightee. Don gets on his phone and begins to read. He looks up "Knight Pharmaceuticals" on his phone. A myriad of articles: "Knight Pharmaceuticals looking to increase security protocols" "Knight Pharmaceuticals: A Helping Hand or a Force for Evil?" "Sentinel Securities: Security Force or Private Army?" He thumbs through these articles. His food arrives as he takes his time to read through them. He eats and continues to read. Don places the phone in his pocket as he eats. Marcus walks over to Don. MARCUS What's your plan now cowboy? Gonna get a job, get that normal life that you always talked about. Didn't work out for you the first time. Don finishes his food and downs his coffee. He just shoots Marcus a look of annoyance. DON What do you want? MARCUS Ain't the first time we've met before. DON Nice, you're stalking me. Marcus chuckles. MARCUS At least the sense of humor stuck around. Don cocks an eyebrow. MARCUS (CONT’D) Anyways, just wanted to tell you. Stay out of my business and I'll stay out of yours. You tend to have a problem with that. Good luck with your interview. Marcus gives Don a grin and walks off. DON Wait. What? He shakes his head. DON (CONT’D) Fucking guy... Don finishes his food and walks out. INT. CORPORATE WAITING ROOM - DAY Don sits there, his resume in hand. He sits there as his leg shakes. Don looks over at the guys next to him. IND APPLICANT 1 Me? I was infantry. Served eight years, I got this in the bag man. IND APPLICANT 2 Me? I was a fuckin' real operator man, an MP! You don't see guys like me anymore! Don scoots away from these guys and looks down at his paper. Kim walks in. KIM Mr. Paulsen, they're waiting to see you now. Don walks into the room, a chair sits in the middle of it. Four older men in suits look at him. JASON WHITE, (43) sits in the middle of them next to ANTHONY, (mid-20s). The other two just watch. WHITE I'll take a look at that. Don walks over and passes him his resume. WHITE (CONT’D) You can call me Agent White. Don walks over, his resume in hand. He passes it to White who reads it. WHITE (CONT’D) You used to be a pizza guy. Interesting. He flips through this. WHITE (CONT’D) Who reenlists? Don shrugs. DON I was tired of carrying a rifle, sir. White takes a moment to look at Don. WHITE Four years with the 82nd and an Army Cross with another four later. DON Y-Yes sir. He looks through Don's resume some more. WHITE I understand that must have been a difficult time for you, those first four years. DON They were an adjustment sir, and one I learned to work with well. WHITE I see, yes. What do you expect to get from us Mr. Paulsen? DON I'd like the opportunity to protect people again, Mr. White. WHITE I can tell judging by the Personal Security Detail course you took in Oceanside. Don nods. DON There's no feeling like it- The worst part is failing. White jots something down on the resume. WHITE I'll be adding this to your file and we'll be moving you up in the hiring process. Are you available for a few more hours? DON Yes sir. WHITE We'll be running you through an assault course. Depending on how you do, we'll have you started this month. DON Thank you, sir. EXT. ASSAULT COURSE - NIGHT