The Things We Protect by Eli FADE IN: INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT A flashlight shines across shipping containers. The light illuminates reflects off each one. DONOVAN "MIKE/MIKEE" PAULSEN, (30) walks forward. He's Caucasian, 6"1, black hair, brown eyes, skinny build. His medium, styled hair carries a gentlemen's cut, and his face carries a five o'clock shadow. A visible scar sits below his left eye. The bags on Don's eyes show through the dim light. Don has an AR slung around the front of him. He wears a pair of jeans and a tan plate carrier sits over a white button up shirt. On his shoulder sits a Sentinel Securities ID. Don wears an earpiece. The radio comes to life as MARCUS MATTHEWS, (34) keys his microphone. Marcus is 6"4, with short auburn hair and brown eyes. He wears a plate carrier with a white button up and a clip on tie. MARCUS (earpiece) All teams, radio check. MICHAEL CHAVEZ, (24) keys his radio. He's Hispanic, 5"9 with short black hair. He wears a black baseball cap and a tan plate carrier. He carries a VEPR AK patterned rifle. CHAVEZ Alpha one, check. PAUL CARTER, (25) keys his microphone. He's a skinny Caucasian with short brown hair and blue eyes, 6"0. He wears a pair of square glasses and carries a CZ Bren, with a Beretta 92 on his hip. CARTER Alpha two, check. Marcus lets off a sigh into the radio. Don fumbles with his microphone. DON Fucking shit- He keys the microphone. DON (CONT’D) (into radio) Alpha three, check. CONRAD MILLER, (28) keys his microphone. He's Caucasian, with a light tan, brown eyes, and 6"2 with a muscular build. His tired eyes show under the warehouse lights. CONRAD Alpha four, check. Don yawns. He meets back up with Conrad. CONRAD (CONT’D) How you liking the job so far? DON About what I expected. Another narrow conex hallway in front of them. CONRAD You want to switch? Don gives a chuckle. DON It's the same damn thing here, dude! Conrad gives a shrug. DON (CONT’D) Fuck it. The two switch sides. The same setup sits in front of Don. DON (CONT’D) (muttering) Told him. Don walks forward, light forward. A thud. MARCUS (earpiece) All units, report. CHAVEZ Alpha one, all clear here. CARTER Alpha two, nothin' to note here. Don takes out his ear piece and listens again. A louder and more noticeable thud. Don puts his earpiece back in. MARCUS (earpiece) Paulsen, report, damn it. DON (into mic) Alpha three reporting, I got something. Don slings his rifle forward. DON (CONT’D) WHO'S THERE?! Don pushes forward and flicks the safety off his rifle. DON (CONT’D) Fuck is that? Louder bangs- Something metallic. His heart races as he moves forward. Don slows down and begins to control his breaths. More bangs come from next to him. DON (CONT’D) Who the fuck is in the container? He looks to both sides of him. Nothing. Don puts his earpiece back in. DON (CONT’D) (into earpiece) Be advised, found the source of the sound. MARCUS Copy that, don't open that till we- DON Fuck that. Don takes out a pair of bolt cutters and cuts the locks off the shipping container. He keeps his hand on his rifle, turns on its light, and keeps it trained at the door. Don swings the door open. INT. SHIPPING CONTAINER - NIGHT His once tired eyes change to those of shock. DON Oh, fuck. Children lay on cots inside the container. One bucket sits on each end of the container. Don covers his mouth and tries to mask the stench of the container. At the very front, a child stands there. Don places his light on him. His blue eyes shine in the darkness, his bowl cut blonde hair shining off the light. IND CHILD 1 Mama? Это ты? DON What?! Don looks past him and shines his light on the others. DON (CONT’D) English? The child's eyes give Don a blank stare. IND CHILD 1 Это ты? DON I don't... Marcus walks into the container. MARCUS Hey, buddy... Don lowers his weapon. The child starts to rub his eyes. DON Hey man, we gotta go to the feds about this- Behind Don, Chavez and Carter appear behind him. Marcus gets closer and holds something sharp in his hand. DON (CONT’D) Hey what the hell are you- Marcus stabs the child in the shoulder with the syringe and takes it out. DON (CONT’D) Motherfucker! Don raises his handgun only for Carter and Chavez to put him in a head lock. Marcus pulls the gun out of his hand. The child falls in front of him. Don struggles to get out of their grasp as one kicks the back of his leg and brings him to his knees. He falls forward and lets out a cry of pain as he falls forward. Marcus picks the child up and sets him down in an empty cot. Marcus walks over to Don. His demeanor is calm, casual. MARCUS Donovan Paulsen. (smiles) You live with your daughter, formerly Ashley Wren Jackson, now Ashley Paulsen at 4333 West Bell Road, apartment 2043 in Phoenix. Don looks up at him with anger. DON These are god damn kids! MARCUS Donny, Donny, Donny. Don tries to struggle only to get held back as he looks up at Marcus. MARCUS (CONT’D) Always the pessimist, aren't you? You never were one for the bigger picture. Don's eyes widen as he looks behind Marcus at the children on cots. DON They're in fucking shipping containers... MARCUS You are standing in front of a moving train, Don. I'm just protecting our bottom line. Now. You get in our way. He reaches into a holster and pulls out a suppressed Ruger Mark 2 and chuckles. MARCUS (CONT’D) And I'm going to kill your daughter and make you watch. He reaches into Don's vest pocket and takes out a picture of Ash. MARCUS (CONT’D) I've known you awhile buddy. I know that you'll be fine, long as your Ashley stays safe, you're happy. I shoot you, well she gets everything doesn't she? Ash is a great kid, always raises her hand to ask questions and gets along with all the guys in her class. A bit different to what you were back in the day huh? Don just looks down at the metal container's floor. MARCUS (CONT’D) Besides, capping four of your guys isn't a very heroic thin- Don's eyes widen. His fists clench up and he lunges forward. DON FUCK YOU! Marcus just laughs. Carter and Chavez pull him back. MARCUS Can you believe this fucking guy? A "hero". If he was such a hero his wife wouldn't have run off on him- DON IT AIN'T YOUR GOD DAMN BUSINESS YOU SON OF A BITCH! Don lunges forward but gets pulled back by the two that hold his arms. MARCUS You're so cute when you get like that. Now, what's it gonna be? Don goes silent as the anger on his face subsides. He goes calm, only for a moment. His face changes to that of disgust. DON I won't talk. Marcus reaches into another vest pocket. He takes Don's wallet. Marcus takes out Don's license snaps a photo of it. He puts it all back and throws his wallet down. MARCUS Pick your shit up and get back to it then. The two let him go. DON Yeah... Sure. The three walk out. Don still looks at the container, shock in his eyes. The kids in cots line the shipping container as Don stands back up and walks out. The light shines on half his face. The other part of it stays dark. He backs away and doesn't take his eyes off the kids inside. The light inside the crate goes away as Don closes it. CUT TO: INT. CORPORATE OFFICE - DAY Don walks past a wall that reads, SENTINEL SECURITIES. DON I can't believe they actually took me. Don walks through a corridor. He wears a suit, the jacket open. DAWN "MICHELLE" PAULSEN, (34) walks beside him. She's tan 5"9, with dirty blonde hair and blue eyes. MICHELLE Well, a lot of things tend to when you're the "Hero of Houston". Big damn hero you are. Don shrugs. DON If it's just that, then I don't really deserve it now, do I? Michelle rolls her eyes then stops. MICHELLE Honestly? You don't, Mikey. DON Excuse me? Michelle pulls out a security card and opens a door for him. MICHELLE First door to the right. Make sure not to kill anyone along the way. Don raises his arms as anger registers on his face. DON You weren't there! She motions for him to enter. Don walks inside. The door closes behind him. He takes a deep breath. DON (CONT’D) (muttering) Cunt. Don walks forward and enters MEETING ROOM - DAY Matthews gives Don a warm smile. MARCUS Just wanted to congratulate you, Mr. Paulsen. You're going to great on our team. Don shakes his hand and shoots a nervous grin. DON So, what am I going to be doing exactly? I wasn't really clued in on that. MARCUS Just security on high value cargo from the Ukraine. Don nods. DON Anything I'll need? MARCUS Just everything you used during the course, no real preference. It's all you. Marcus shoots a warm smile to him. DON Sounds good then. Marcus puts his hand out and offers a handshake. The two shake hands. MARCUS How's tomorrow night sound for your first day? DON I don't see an issue. Marcus shoots him a grin. MARCUS See you tomorrow then. Don walks out and takes the elevator down. CUT TO: INT. FORD MUSTANG - DAY Don gets into his car and takes out his phone. He thumbs through his contacts and calls "Ashley". The contact has a picture of a wrench on it. Below it reads, "My personal mechanic" and "daughter". Don waits a few moments. ASHLEY "ASH" PAULSEN, (18) picks up the call. ASH (O.S.) Yeah, what's up? DON Hey, just got off work, you need anything? ASH (O.S.) Snap-Ons would be nice. DON You actually want me to get you them? ASH (O.S.) Nah, my cheap shit should do me just fine. DON In that case, I'll meet you back home. Don gets on the freeway. The hair on his arms stick up. His vision starts to close in as he continues to drive. JACQUELINE "JACKIE" MILLER, (28) sits next to him. She's 6"0, average build, and has a decent sized rack. She wears a tan jacket with a pair of jeans. On the left side of her belt she wears a Hartford Police badge, on her right wears her police issue Glock 17. JACKIE You know it wasn't going to work out Don. Don looks forward and drives through traffic. DON Did you have the right? You didn't even come to me about it. JACKIE We both know it wouldn't have- I barely had enough to afford the mortgage and your security gig wasn't enough to- DON WE COULD'VE MADE IT... He turns to his side. Tears well in his eyes. The empty seat sits next to him. He shakes his head. DON (CONT’D) ...Work. It's only been a month and I'm having that conversation again. Motherfucker. CUT TO: EXT. APARTMENT PARKING LOT - DAY The Mustang pulls up to the apartment. Don steps out and closes the door behind him. He locks the car. INT. APARTMENT - DAY Don walks in and closes the door behind him. Ash sits on the couch and plays on a PS4. She's a 5"8 blue eyed brunette and wears a pair of jeans with a green "82nd Airborne" T-shirt. Ash's brunette hair is in a ponytail and she wears a red baseball cap over it. Don motions to the dishes. DON You plan on getting these done any time soon? ASH Yeah, yeah, sure dad. Don sits on the couch next to her. DON You doing okay? What you got there? Ash shrugs. ASH As good as I can be. Uncharted. One of the guys in my class won't stop talking about it, some shit about the story. Enjoying it so far. DON Hey, that's good. I wanted to apologize. Ash pauses the game and cocks an eyebrow at him. ASH For what? Don just shrugs. He opens his mouth to say something but can't find the words. DON When I'm able to explain it, I will. I gotta get ready for work. Ash looks down at his hand. ASH Is it about mom? DON Yeah... It's about mom. Don stands up to go to his room. Ash goes back to playing Uncharted. DON'S BEDROOM A newer model TV sits there plugged into a PS2, a PS4, and a PS3. A gaming PC rig sits next to all of those. A walk in closet sits in front of him. To his right is a bathroom. He goes into the restroom and comes out to get ready. He's freshly shaved, his hair in neat order. He puts on his clothes and puts on his white dress shirt with a plate carrier, then puts on a pair of jeans. He reaches for a pair of tan combat boots and puts them on. Don goes into the walk in closet, taking an AR out of it then puts his Sig in its holster and walks out of the room. MAIN APARTMENT Don walks over to Ash. She takes the time to look over. ASH Gonna go shoot someone? Don shrugs. DON I don't know. What I am gonna do is head out, and when I come back I want you to make sure those damn dishes are done. She sighs and rolls her eyes. ASH Fine, dad. Don steps out of the house. CUT TO: INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT The door to the conex box closes behind him. Don stands there. MATTHEWS Now that we're all on the same page... Matthews shoots a look to Don and motions to Conrad. MATTHEWS (CONT’D) Keep an eye on Mr. Paulsen. Don looks back at Conrad and gives him a scowl. Conrad nods at Matthews. CONRAD Yes, sir. MATTHEWS Good work tonight gents, we'll be back it tomorrow. Hooah? Don still carries a look of confusion and fear in his eyes. CONRAD Hooah. CHAVEZ Hooah. DON Hooah. CARTER Hooah. Don walks out into EXT. WAREHOUSE PARKING LOT - NIGHT The rain pours down. Don steps out, walks to his car, and starts undoing his plate carrier. Conrad walks behind him. Don walks over to his car. CONRAD Paulsen. Don opens the trunk to his mustang and puts his plate carrier in it. Conrad reaches his hand out. CONRAD (CONT’D) Doc, you son of a bitch, come on. Don slams the trunk of his Mustang closed. CONRAD (CONT’D) PAULSEN! DON WHAT?! WHAT THE FUCK DO YOU WANT?! Don raises his arms at him in anger. Conrad glares at him. CONRAD Keep your fucking voice down, you trying to get these guys on your ass? Conrad puts his hands up. CONRAD (CONT’D) Paulsen, look I'm trying not to do what he says. Don gets into the driver's seat of his car. CONRAD (CONT’D) Let's talk. INT. FORD MUSTANG - NIGHT Don gets into his car and unlocks the door. Conrad gets in next to him. CONRAD You should've said no to that offer. DON Oh, now you tell me. What happened to you? Conrad looks down. CONRAD It's complicated- DON Kids in shipping containers? Complicated? Killing the dude who got your ass out of, oh I dunno... He starts counting on his fingers. DON (CONT’D) One, two, three, four- EIGHT FUCKING BINDS?! CONRAD The last guy was one of ours back in the day. Don leans back. DON And I'm supposed to care, why? CONRAD It was Cho. Don shakes his head in anger. DON (muttering) Fuck. Had to be Ricky, had to be fucking Ricky. CONRAD I got a plan, but I need you with me, not against me. DON Okay, Dutch. Does this plan involve Tahiti? CONRAD Jesus, still a smart ass after all these fuckin' years ain't you? DON Not much has changed. Conrad opens the door. CONRAD Keep your head down. When the time comes, you'll know. Conrad gets out and closes the door behind him. Don sighs and sits back. DON Motherfucker. He starts his car and drives off. CUT TO: INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT Don comes into his apartment and turns the light on. He looks at the kitchen sink. There's still dirty dishes in it. DON Ah, damn it. Fuck. Don goes into her room. Ash sleeps and wears shorts and a t- shirt. DON (CONT’D) You actually asleep? No response from her. Don rolls his eyes. DON (CONT’D) (muttering) Great, just fucking great. He goes into the kitchen and starts washing dishes. During this, Ash comes out. DON (CONT’D) Ash, I told you to clean these- Come on. Ash yawns. ASH Fuck, slipped my mind, sorry. I had homework. Don sighs. DON There's gonna be a time where I'm not gonna be here, you know that right? ASH Well, if it's any consolation, I found this. She takes out a Gameboy Advanced SP from her front pocket. Don's eyes widen. He stops cleaning the dishes and dries his hands on his jeans. He opens it up and looks at the cartridge in it. DON (softly) Sweetie, was there a charger with it? Don reaches out for it. ASH Five dollars. DON You fuckin' serious? ASH No. She smirks at him then passes it. Don takes out the cartridge. DON Pokemon Sapphire... His eyes look down. ASH Can I have it, dad? Don looks down. His gaze goes blank. IND PERSON 1 (O.S.) Can I have it? I'll give it back. He shakes his head. DON Yeah, sure Ash- Not a uh... Problem. You can have it. A knock at the door. The clock on the microwave reads, "12:00". Don reaches into the side of his waistband and takes out his Colt Defender. DON (CONT’D) Ash, get away from the door. ASH Dad? Don gets in front of her and keeps his gun trained at the door. DON Who's there?! IND PERSON 2 (O.S.) Courier service. The footsteps move away from the door. Don keeps the gun against the door and looks through the peephole. He looks into it. A figure wearing jeans and a hoodie runs down the staircase. Don opens the door, his weapon aimed forward. A yellow envelope sits on the ground below. His weapon still trained at the staircase, he picks up the envelope. Don holsters his gun. DON Ash- Don stops. He opens the envelope. Pictures of Ash going into class appear. They all carry red Xes on them. More photos appear as he looks through them. ASH Dad, what is it? DON Fuck. Don's eyes widen. ASH Dad? Talk to me. Come on. Ash looks at him with concern. Don goes into his room and closes the door behind him. DON Don't fuckin' worry about it. DON'S ROOM Don sits at his desk and dumps out the pictures in front of him. He places his hands on his head as he starts to look through all of them. DON Oh, no. No, no, no... He lays them all out. The photos are all time stamped with the Don and Ash's routine. Ash works on her car in one photo. In another, Don is out on a run. DON (CONT’D) Fuck. Don buries his head in his hands. DON (CONT’D) (whispering) I can't fucking help them- But I can get Ash out of this. I die, they have nothing and no one to leverage anymore... Don takes his gun out of his waistband and puts it to the side of his skull. Tears roll down his eyes. DON (CONT’D) (whispering) They're after me, no more me, no more problems. It'll be easier. She mourns me for a few weeks, gets 1.5 million dollars, all my guns. He takes a deep breath, puts his finger on the trigger. DON (CONT’D) (whispering) It'll be easier this way. A knock at the door. ASH (O.S.) Dad? Don exhales and puts the gun back on the table. His eyes widen. DON (muttering) Oh my fucking god. Don looks at the door. His hands shake. DON (CONT’D) Y-Yeah, sweetheart? ASH There's still food in the fridge if you were looking for it. DON I'll uh... Yeah, I'll be out there in a sec. ASH (O.S.) You need me to call the cops? Don stops and takes a moment. DON I don't think they'll be able to help us, Ash. Don unlocks the bottom of his desk with a key and throws the pictures into it then relocks it. DON (CONT’D) She'll find it- I need her to. Don stands up and opens the door. MAIN APARTMENT DON Hey. Ash cocks an eyebrow at him. ASH Dad, what the fuck is going on? Don just shakes his head. DON The less you know the safer you'll be. ASH What the fuck does that mean?! DON I'll tell you later. Ash rolls her eyes. ASH It's always fucking like this with you, dad! You're gonna get into trouble and- She lets out an angered scream as she goes into her room and slams the door. Don just looks forward with a tired stare. He changes his clothes and goes to bed. CUT TO: INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT Don walks through the warehouse again. He's alone. The lights around him shut off. Another light turns on and shines over a conex box. The same one Don had entered previously. Don walks over to it. A metallic "thud" comes from the box. IND VOICE 1 (O.S.) Doc?! Doc I NEED HELP MAN! PAULSEN! A scream comes from the box. Don runs over and opens it, wide eyed. Men with black eyes wearing military fatigues sit on the cots. They don't notice him, rather just sit there and look at one thing in particular- The Russian kid from earlier sits in the middle of them. The child looks up at him with bright blue eyes. RUSSIAN CHILD Why couldn't you help me? INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT Don wakes up screaming and crying. DON GO AWAY, FUCKING GO AWAY! He holds a pillow and cries. Don gets out of bed and checks his phone. "0300" DON (CONT’D) I think I've slept enough. Don gets up and goes to his bathroom. CUT TO: INT. CAFETERIA - DAY Don just eats and reads a book on his phone. His eyes carry a look of fatigue. Michelle walks over. MICHELLE HIYA MIKEE! She carries a smile on her face and sits in front of him. Don gives a dejected look. MICHELLE (CONT’D) What's wrong Mikee? Hey. DON Did you know? She cocks heard head sideways. MICHELLE Mike, what- what are you talking about? Don leans in. DON The damn kids. Michelle's eyes widen, then look down away from him. MICHELLE ...I didn't know. He takes a moment, then stares her dead in the eyes. Don leans in. DON (whispering) You're fucking lying to me. MICHELLE (whispering) Think of your daughter, Mikee. You really want her to end up dead because of you? Keep your mouth shut, your head down, and your wallet's gonna thank you for it. Don scowls at her and leans back. Matthews approaches and stops with a plate of food. MATTHEWS Ah, Mister Paulsen! I see you've met the love of my life. Don winces at this. MATTHEWS (CONT’D) Hey there, baby. He gives Michelle a kiss. She blushes and giggles. DON Y'know, I ain't hungry anymore. He stands up, throws his food in the trash, and puts his tray on top of it. He walks out to EXT. SMOKING AREA - DAY Don stands out on a balcony. Chairs and tables sit about, some employees eat their meals while they look out at the city in front of them. Don looks out at the city in front of him, then off to his side. Conrad stands there, takes a pack of Lucky Strikes out of his pocket, and lights one. DON Reminds me a lot of LA. Crowded and a pain in the ass to get around. CONRAD It's just the city, try Sedona sometime. DON Maybe. Conrad looks at him. CONRAD You're different now. Don rolls his eyes in annoyance. DON Living the American fuckin' dream buddy. CONRAD Right. With that Mustang and your kid and all. Don shoots a look at the cigarette pack. Lucky Strikes. DON Can you spare one? Conrad nods at this and passes him one. DON (CONT’D) Haven't had one of these in a while. Don puts the cigarette in his mouth. Conrad lights it for him. CONRAD You never mentioned anything about having a sister. DON I didn't like to talk her about her. Still don't. CONRAD Shitty family life? DON Something like that. Conrad nods. CONRAD Come to think of it, you never mentioned much about living in Cali either. She always talks about it, about "I went to UCLA and do you know what that means?" Don just shakes his head. DON I don't like talking about it. Besides, she cheesed her way through it. Don finishes his cigarette and throws it into the ash tray next to him. DON (CONT’D) I'm gonna go head off to the briefing. Thanks for the cigarette. Conrad looks back. CONRAD Why don't you take the pack with you for the road? Don looks back at him and cocks his head. The pack is open. A note sticks out of the pack. Don nods at him. He goes inside to INT. RESTROOM - DAY Don takes out the note. It reads "Wait for the next convoy, I got a plan." Don flushes the note down the toilet and gets out, going to INT. MEETING ROOM - DAY Don stands there. His eyes look tired. He sits next to Chavez. A turned on projector sits with a desktop open. MATTHEWS Tonight's bank duty, we're handling security for the Ward Bank in Tempe. We're not expecting any trouble, but you gentlemen know what to do if any comes along. He pulls up map of the bank. It has two stories. MATTHEWS (CONT’D) Paulsen takes the second floor. Chavez, you got the first floor. Cleaning crew should be gone by the time you guys get there so you won't have anyone coming through. We're not expecting any after hours deliveries either. The two look at this. MATTHEWS (CONT’D) Any questions? Silence from the room. MATTHEWS (CONT’D) Good. Dismissed. Don turns to step out. MATTHEWS (CONT’D) And Paulsen? He turns back. MATTHEWS (CONT’D) You know the rules. Don's fists clench up as he walks out and slams the door behind him. CUT TO: INT. BANK - NIGHT Don walks through the second floor of a bank, rifle in hand. DON (singing) Every night, I hope and pray... A dream, lover will come my way! A girl to hold in my arms, and hold the magic of her charms... CHAVEZ (O.S.) (earpiece) Paulsen? Shut the fuck up, homes. Don sighs. DON (into earpiece) Sorry man, force of habit. Shit's boring down here. CHAVEZ Fuck, homes. Don walks around and holds a flashlight in his hand. His AR is slung in front of him. Bright light appears behind him. DON (into earpiece) Be advised, think I got something over here. CHAVEZ (O.S.) (earpiece) I'm checking on it too, standby. Don stays on his patrol but checks behind him. A crash comes from the front of the bank. The alarm sounds. DON Fuck! Don puts his light in his pocket and raises his rifle. Gunshots ring out at the front of the bank. DON (CONT’D) (into earpiece) Chavez, what's your status? Silence. The gunfire ceases. DON (CONT’D) Fuck... Fuck. Don turns his light off and takes cover behind a cubicle. DON (CONT’D) Here we go. IND GANG MEMBER 1 (O.S.) (echoing) Find the second one, there's supposed to be two guards! Don pops his rifle out from around the corner and places its dot on the stairwell. DON (muttering) Come on up gentlemen... He takes a deep breath. Don sees the shadow of a man coming up the stairs in the light and trains his dot on it. Don crouches behind a cubicle. DON (CONT’D) (muttering) Death, surrounds... My heartbeat's slowing down... The red dot in front of him shakes as he takes another deep breath. Don flicks his safety off. DON (CONT’D) (muttering) ...Won't take this world's abuse... The first one stands makes his way up. Don takes cover behind the cubicle as the light shines around. IND GANG MEMBER 1 Got nothing here. DON (muttering) Won't give up or refuse... IND GANG MEMBER 2 Search around, he's around here. The light shines away. Don pops back out, rifle in hand. He takes a breath as one moves up the staircase. Don places his finger on the trigger. A figure turns, in one hand, he holds a flashlight. DON (muttering) This is how it feels when you're bent and broken... In the other, the carries a handgun. Don watches another one appear behind him. He places his red dot on the first one's chest and pulls the trigger. The light shines on his face. The figure raises his gun- Don places two shots into his chest. He falls back as the other takes cover under the staircase. IND GANG MEMBER 2 HE GOT DANIEL, WEY! Don switches pushes forward. DON (muttering) This is how it feels when you're dignity's stolen... He turns on his light. The strobe flashes as the other gang member pops his hand out and starts firing his handgun blindly toward Don. Don takes cover behind the cubicle. Rounds fly through the cubicle as he peers out. IND GANG MEMBER 2 GET ME ANOTHER CLIP, MAN! Don rushes forward. His rifle points forward. He sees another gang member's shadow running away, the car's headlight illuminates his escape. Don runs over to the ledge overlooking the bank's front door and fires two rounds into the gang member's back. He falls down. Two of the gang members run back to the van. Don fires into the windshield. The van floors the engine in reverse and drives off. Don reaches into his pocket, takes out his phone and dials 911. 911 OPERATOR (O.S.) 911, what is your emergency? DON There's been a shooting, please send help. I'm at 3rd and Central. I'm an armed guard for Sentinel Securities wearing blue jeans, a tan vest, and a tan boots. He hangs up. Utter silence. Police lights show themselves in the distance. Don looks down at the gang member next to him. The gang member has a sucking chest wound and gasps for air. Don looks down at the gangster for a moment and his eyes widen. The two look at each other. Don closes his eyes, shakes his head, and makes his way down the flight of stairs. For a moment, Don takes in the carnage... ...Only to puke at the aftermath of it all on the side of the staircase. Don walks through the bank and goes down the bloodstained staircase. The blood leads to the front of the bank. Don's face changes to that of concern. DON (CONT’D) Chavez? Don looks through the bank and checks behind the staircase. A pool of blood lies behind the staircase. Don coughs some more, going into a fit. Don walks over. He's shot to hell, with one more bullet in his skull. DON (CONT’D) Fuck. The police lights come closer. Don takes off his rifle and throws it on the ground, then unholsters his handgun and throws that down. He walks forward, his hands up as he walks out- The blinding light leads him to EXT. BANK - NIGHT Three cruisers surround the bank. Steele points a shotgun at Don with OFFICER BAYLEY TURNER, (26). Turner points a rifle at him. STEELE Hands in the air! Don places his hands up in silence. Don's hands shake as the world seems to move slow around him. STEELE (CONT’D) Walk towards me! Don walks forward, his hands still up. Don's hands shake. Don passes the door of a police cruiser. STEELE (CONT’D) Stop! Steele approaches Don. STEELE (CONT’D) What happened? Two officers rush past him with long guns. DON I need an ambulance and a lawyer. STEELE Come on, you can talk to me. Don just gives a look of fatigue. Steele nods. His radio comes to life. TURNER (O.S.) (radio) Dispatch, 1535 scene is 98, send for medical. The ambulance arrives. CUT TO: INT. AMBULANCE - NIGHT A police officer walks away. DON Thanks officer. HOLLY ROGERS, (29) looks him over. HOLLY You have a bullet in your vest. DON I do? Don undoes his vest and throws it down next to him. Three rounds HOLLY Hey, let me help you. Don sits up and takes his vest off, then his button up shirt. Under it, he wears a white T-shirt. Don lays back. DON Never caught your name. HOLLY Rogers. Holly Rogers. Don raises his shirt. DON Donovan Paulsen. HOLLY This happen before? Don's back shows old scars. He shrugs. DON Something like that. She closes the ambulance doors. HOLLY Do me a favor, take your shirt off for me, will ya? Don does so. A leather necklace with a tied ring sits below his neck. He takes it in his hand and looks at it. DON (muttering) Jackie... Holly gives him a look of concern. HOLLY Hey- She reaches out her hand. Don looks back at her. DON I'm sorry about that- HOLLY I need to have a better look, turn on your stomach for me. Don does so. Holly presses her fingers into Don's back only for him to let out a cry of pain. DON FFFUCK! Ah, damn it! Tears well up in his eyes. Holly looks at his back. The ambulance door opens again. JONATHAN RATLIFF, (30) looks at Holly with a tired expression. RATLIFF We're good here, let's get him back to Summer Med. She nods at this. Ratliff closes the door. The driver's side door opens then closes. The ambulance starts. Don rolls over on his good side. He reaches into his pocket and takes out his phone. Don looks back at Holly. He motions to his phone. DON Hey am I good to use this? She nods at him. Don scrolls over to Ash's contact. It's a picture of a wrench. Don starts a call. The line rings. ASH (O.S.) (from phone) D-Dad? Why you calling this late? DON Hey uh- I-I got shot in the back. They're taking me to Summer Medical. ASH (O.S.) (phone) Again?! What the absolute fucking hell is wrong with you dad?! (voice cracking) What the hell am I supposed to do if... She hangs up. DON (phone) Ash, hey Ash? Don looks down and sighs, only to break out in a coughing fit. DON (CONT’D) Fuck, that hurts. Don puts his phone away and lays on his side. The radio comes on. DISPATCHER(O.S.) (radio) Any available RA units, requesting urgent medical for one Officer David Park and one Officer Lance Hawkins. Don's eyes widen. DON I think I know that guy. Don turns over and screams out in pain and breaks out in a coughing fit. DON (CONT’D) GAH, FUCK! Holly turns him back on his side. HOLLY Hey, stay the way you were. IND PARAMEDIC 1 (O.S.) (radio) Dispatch, Rescue seven en route. IND PARAMEDIC 2(O.S.) (radio) Dispatch, rescue nine en route. Don's eyes widen as he rolls on his back. He gives off a pained look. DON That's my friend... Don gives a look of fear. FLASHBACK EXT. DESERT MOUNTAIN - DAY Don drags Parks behind a Hummer with one arm. A rifle is slung around his shoulder DON (muttering) Zankoku na tenshi no you ni... Don pulls him behind the MRAP to safety. DAVID CHO, (21) begins to feel Parks's body to check for gunshot wounds. DON (CONT’D) (muttering) Shounen yo shinwa ni nare- Don looks at Parks's face one more time. INT. PARKS'S HOME - DAY Parks and Don have longer hair. Don and Jackie sit next to each other at their dinner table. A light above them illuminates the dining room. The four of them talk and laugh amongst themselves. Parks gives Don a look. PARKS You need anything, you call me, alright? Elena fills a wine glass for Parks. DON Like fuck I'll ever need your help, I'm set with my wife here. He holds Jackie's hand under the table and shoots her a grin. The group goes back to eating. END FLASHBACK. CUT TO: INT. INTENSIVE CARE UNIT - NIGHT Don is wheeled into an ICU. A nurse runs by as two paramedics rush in with Parks on a stretcher. Steele opens the doors into the emergency room. STEELE MAKE WAY, WE GOT A DOWNED OFFICER! She watches him get wheeled in as Don looks behind him. A team of doctors looks over Don. Don peers over. They transfer the IV into the hospital's bag. Don tries to sit up, only to end up on his side. He does it again and holds onto the IV stand next to him for leverage. DON Dave... The door to the ICU closes behind Don as he rolls back and looks up at the ceiling with another cough. He reaches for his phone once again. He looks at the contact: "Michelle". DON (CONT’D) Sis, remember when I dealt with your shitty drug dealer ex- boyfriend? You do this for me, and we're even. A moment of silence on the line. MICHELLE (O.S.) (phone) Yeah, what is it Mikee? FADE TO BLACK. INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT Don sits up in his bed. He reads Band of Brothers. Ash walks in. ASH What the hell is your problem, dad? DON You opted to come with me. Don sets the book down on the nightstand next to him. ASH I don't- Fucking christ, dad. There's another thing... Ash massages her eyes. Don cocks an eyebrow at this. DON Yeah? Ash takes a deep breath and looks down. ASH Mom's here. Don goes wide eyed and looks her dead in the eyes. DON She's what? She nods. ASH She's got a bunch of other cops with her. DON Oh, fuck. What'd they look like? Jackie comes into the room. JACKIE Way to keep yourself out of trouble, Donny. Don just looks down. DON What do you want? JACKIE Ashley, get the fuck out. Ash leaves and keeps her head down. She doesn't want DON Don't fucking talk to her- He takes a gasp for air and coughs. JACKIE Well, it's work related, otherwise I wouldn't be talking to you. Don nods. DON They send you out of anyone else. JACKIE I volunteered- DON ...To arrest me. Jackie rolls her eyes. JACKIE No, Don- I'm trying to investigate some things related to you. You work for Knight Pharma right? Some shit happened in Hartford, Don. The kind of shit involving kids. Don's eyes widen at this. He composes himself once more. DON Fuck off Jackie, get me a lawyer. JACKIE Fine. Be that way then. She walks out. JACKIE (O.S.) (CONT’D) Go be with your dad, Ash. Ash walks back into the hospital room. ASH Fucking bitch. Don shoots a grin at Ash. DON Well that's no way to talk about your mother. ASH Cut the shit. Don tries to sigh, only to grasp his chest in pain. Michelle walks into the room. She has a nervous expression in her eyes. She takes out a syringe with a strange blue liquid in it. MICHELLE Ashley, right? Ash nods at her. MICHELLE (CONT’D) Close the curtain, will ya? ASH Why? Michelle injects the blue syringe into Don's IV. MICHELLE Give it a second. DON Sis, what the fuck is this shit? MICHELLE Lean back and breathe. I can't be here much longer so I gotta be quick. Michelle leans him back, then runs out. MICHELLE (CONT’D) I have to go now. Michelle grabs a clipboard from the wall, stands up, and walks out, looking down at it as she does. Don holds his chest. DON Ash, I don't feel too good. The heart monitor begins to spike. Don gasps for air. DON (CONT’D) Ash, sweeti... Don grips the side of his hospital bed. JACKIE (O.S.) I love you Donny... His ribs put themselves back into place which causes Don to let off a scream of pain. The heart monitor begins to alarm as two nurses run in. Don's eyes go wide. IND NURSE 1 Code blue, code blue! Two other nurses run in with a set of chest paddles. Don's heart rate returns to normal. The heart monitor goes back to normal. Don looks back at the monitor. He takes a few breaths and reaches behind him. DON No pain... Don looks at the doctor. DON (CONT’D) I'm okay... I'm okay... His hands shake. DON (CONT’D) Ash, come here... Ash stands up, her eyes wide. Tears run down Don's eyes. He holds her in silence. IND DOCTOR 1 Second person we've got today that did that. The doctor looks on as Don holds his daughter. Don closes his eyes and holds her tight. DON I'm okay, I'm okay... Ain't nothing's gonna happen to me, Ash. CUT TO: EXT. HOSPITAL - DAY Don walks out of the hospital. He stands tall and holds Wrench close to him as he walks out. ASH Y-You can let go, dad. Don lets go of her. He takes a deep breath. DON You want to come to the range with me? We should go some time. ASH I'd be okay with that. She nods as the two walk into INT. PARKING GARAGE - DAY A Russian child, (8) walks with his mother. Don widens his eyes as he watches the two. IND RUSSIAN CHILD Mama, eto ty? Don's eyes widen as the child stands at the door to the staircase. DON What the fuck... The door opens. IND RUSSIAN WOMAN Ivan, vernites' syuda! Don's hands begin to shake. He almost falls over but braces himself against a concrete wall. Don looks down. Tears well down his eyes. ASH Dad? Dad, come on. Matthews walks behind the two. MATTHEWS Your dad's a real bad man, Ashley. Don's still hunched over. DON He's full of shit. MATTHEWS The mastermind of a criminal enterprise involving the sex trafficking of children? He's behind it. How can you feel safe around a man like him? Ash looks back at him. Don gets himself together, stands back up and stares at Matthews. DON Do me and the rest of the human a favor and cap yourself. He grabs Ash by the hand. DON (CONT’D) Let's go, baby. Where's your car? Don takes her hand and walks with her. He doesn't look behind him at Matthews. MATTHEWS (O.S.) You can't run from what's real! You're as much a part of this as much any of us are, Donny boy! The two walk over to Ash's Honda and get in. INT. ASH'S CAR - DAY DON They say anything about my car? Ash keeps her eyes forward. She carries a look of anger in her eyes. ASH What was he talking about? DON Ash- ASH If there's trouble you're in, dad. I need to know. DON Ain't nothing like that, look the less you know the better off you'll be. ASH You sound like fucking mom right now. Do you hear yourself? Don's hands shake. He holds onto his legs. DON If I tell you, they'll kill you! Ash stops for a moment as the two approach a red light. She slams the brakes. Don lurches forward, the seatbelt locks up. ASH I'm gonna drive you to the impound lot. DON Ash- ASH Save it. You haven't changed a bit. DON I'm doing it to help people- ASH THEN START WITH YOURSELF DAMN IT! It's always the other people with you, it's never about you and that's the fucking problem. You're so fucked in the head you don't see what's remotely wrong with you so you try to focus on others! It's why mom used you and why she ended up leaving! Don goes silent. The two sit there in silence. They pull up to the impound lot. ASH (CONT’D) We're here. Don gets out and looks back at her. DON Thanks, sweetheart. ASH Fuck off, dad. Don steps out CUT TO: INT. FORD MUSTANG - DAY Don drives his car down the downtown streets and holds the steering wheel. Jackie sits in the seat next to him. JACKIE (O.S.) You're a piece of shit father that can't even take care of a girl. DON (O.S.) Is that why you did it? Didn't even let me take care of what was our kid?! He grips the steering wheel tighter. DON (O.S.) (CONT’D) I stopped a lot of the stupid shit I did for you and that little girl, and for what?! So you could sleep around with some 22-year old looking for a fucking promotion?! Tears roll down Don's face. DON (O.S.) (CONT’D) I did everything for you, Jackie and here you are taking a lighter to it all! Don makes a turn and pulls into a bar parking lot. He checks the time. "1700". EXT. MICK'S BAR - DAY Don opens the door to his car and closes it. Don watches JAMES, (27) steps out of his hatchback and closes the door. James puts his hands in his pockets and walks toward the entrance. DON Oh, fuck why you of all people...? Don slouches over and keeps his head down. Don goes inside INT. MICK'S BAR - DAY The bar is almost empty with a couple of people inside. KELLY, (mid-60s) stands behind the counter and wipes off the counter in front of him. KELLY What can I get you, son? In front of him, SARAH FLYNN, (late-20s) sits there and smokes a cigarette. She puts her lit cigarette into an ashtray and looks at Don. Sarah shoots Don a grin. FLYNN I knew you were in town. DON I was just leaving actually. Don's eyes widen as he looks at her. He does an about face and turns around, only for the door to open. James walks through the door. James looks at Don. His face brightens. JAMES Doc, holy fuck! James hugs Don as Don holds his arms out. Don pats him on the back and shoots a nervous grin. He tries to turn and position himself in front of the door. Sarah grins at the bartender and puts up two fingers, then shoots another glance back at Don. James lets go. JAMES (CONT’D) Where the hell have you been man? I know you gave me the number and all, and I heard you were in town, but- Don motions for him to simmer down. DON Easy now. Yeah, I work out here now. JAMES Come on, let me buy you a damn drink. DON I think the nice lady over there beat you to it. James glares at Sarah. JAMES (muttering) Thot. DON Be nice. Don walks over to a bar stool and sits between Sarah and James. KELLY What'll it be? DON Shot of Jay-mo. He looks over at Sarah. DON (CONT’D) Funny how things go. One second your ex-wife has you working as her undercover pet, and the chick you banged two weeks before your divorce who also almost carried out a hit on you just happens to be in town. With his right hand, Don reaches into his waistband for his Colt Defender and places his hand on it. DON (CONT’D) Funny how the world works isn't it? Kelly slides a shot glass in front of him. SARAH For all intents and purposes, you're already dead you cunt. DON That a threat? Don's eyes widen as he takes the Defender out of its holster. James reaches for Don's right hand. Sarah just rolls her eyes at this. SARAH Really now? Is this amateur hour to you? Don lets his sidearm go and takes a sigh, then pushes James's hand away. Don looks over at James. DON It's fine, don't fucking worry about it. SARAH (CONT’D) You've been on a few adventures, haven't you now lad? Jumpier than usual now. Don downs the shot of whiskey in front of him. DON (CONT’D) You wouldn't believe me if I told you. Don sighs. Sarah puts her hand on his back which causes Don to flinch and look at her with fear in his eyes. SARAH Whatever it is, I've probably heard worse. Don gives a glance to James. DON Miller's involved too you know. It damns both of us. Don downs another shot. JAMES How long you been sober for? DON Three years. SARAH Sobriety, is it that thing men lie about when they want to feel better about themselves rather than having the self-control to stop themselves? James scratches his head and shakes it. Don looks over at Sarah and shoots her a glare. JAMES Fucking CIA niggers, how far deep did they get you? DON My daughter's trying to piece it together. Worst case scenario, she ends up dead. Best case, we both do. The less she knows the better. James nods at this. SARAH You sound like my father you dumb cunt. Then he had the courage to throw a bomb at the fucking British when I was only a wee lass. Didn't tell no one and died without a proper burial. She downs a pint of Guinness. DON What's that gotta do with this? SARAH Tell that girl what's going on or she'll do nuthin' but resent you for the rest of her poor life. DON Wonderful, I'm getting advice from a serial killer now too, in that case. Don slides the shot glass over to Kelly. SARAH You're no different than I am, only difference between you and I are what side of the law we're on. The shot glass comes back to Don. DON Really? Because- SARAH Your people say it's okay to do it and so do mine, Donovan. Don sits there, whiskey in hand. DON So why am I still in your presence and breathing? SARAH Because my boss and I had a falling out over your sorry arse. Don just shrugs. DON You should've just let him whack me, maybe then my wife- SARAH Ex. Don rolls his eyes. DON -Ex-wife would've been a shit ton richer. He downs another shot of whiskey. SARAH With that girl havin' some scumbag for a father? Some kid out of college? Is that what yer lookin for? DON It'd be a better fucking father than me! Y'know? All I know how to fucking do is- Don massages his eyes and pushes his glass forward. DON (CONT’D) Then I got Dutch fuckin' Van Der Linde, the man with the plan right? I'm supposed to somehow believe that if I follow his guide that we'll both be absolved of our fucking sins. Conrad walks through the door. Don glances over. DON (CONT’D) Howdy Dutch, what plan do you have now? Conrad looks over at Don. He walks over and smacks him upside the head. CONRAD Really? After four fucking years this is what you're down to? Drinking your sorrows away with your retarded friend and a... He looks over at Sarah. She shoots him a wink. CONRAD (CONT’D) ...Irish chick that I'm definitely fucking later tonight... Sarah grabs Don by the crotch. Don's eyes widen and a grin shows on his face as he spills some of his whiskey on himself. SARAH Sorry, not too big a fan of greasy Mexicans. James looks away from this with a pained groan. Conrad gives a pained look as well. He puts his hands up. CONRAD Crazy bitch is all yours, Paulsen. Sarah lets go of Don's crotch and looks at him. SARAH And who might you be? CONRAD This retard's co worker. Conrad. She nods at this. SARAH Donny boy said you had a plan. CONRAD Well, we did however... Conrad shrugs and takes a seat. CONRAD (CONT’D) We have a bit of an overbearing boss. SARAH Need me to take care of him? Conrad shakes his head. CONRAD Doubt you'd be able to even if you wanted to. Don looks over at Conrad. DON She could pull it off, though we'd have the heat on us in no time. CONRAD Cho tried. Pointed a nine milimeter at his skull while he was looking away. Conrad sticks up one finger to the bartender. CONRAD (CONT’D) I'll take what Paulsen here's having. He motions to Don. CONRAD (CONT’D) Anyway right? He puts his fingers in the shape of a pistol. CONRAD (CONT’D) Fired a volley right into his back from his wheelchair. Pulled a Beretta from under his desk, fired. Should've hit his spine. I'm sitting right there. Next thing you know- He shakes his head and looks down. CONRAD (CONT’D) His back literally closes itself back up like it didn't even happen. Now, the holes in his clothes from the rounds are still there but Cho? He fired about some... Fuck, he dumped a whole mag into the dude's back from a sitting position at five feet. Conrad downs a shot of whiskey. CONRAD (CONT’D) Matthews, the motherfucker. He turns around, pulls Cho out of his wheelchair and just chokes the fucking life outta him, gives him this cold glare and I swear I heard him say, "I gave you your chance." JAMES An entire mag of nine? Well maybe if he used .45- DON Shut up, James. SARAH Sounds like a load of shite if you ask me. She puts another cigarette in an ash tray. SARAH (CONT’D) And you're telling me he wasn't choking blood or nothin' like that? Conrad nods. The group sits there in silence. Don downs one more shot. He reaches into Sarah grabs his leg. SARAH (CONT’D) Yer not gonna just leave a girl like this are you? DON I got a fuckin' kid to take care of, Flynn. Sarah gives Don a grin. SARAH You'll come around. Don steps back and looks at her. He shakes his head. DON No, I won't Sarah. That was a one time thing. SARAH Doesn't have to be. Don takes out his wallet and passes the bartender some cash. DON Keep the change. Don pats James on the back. He looks back at Sarah. DON (CONT’D) I'd rather it stays that way. Now if you don't mind, I got a daughter to take care of. Don walks out. CUT TO: EXT. APARTMENT COMPLEX - AFTERNOON Don walks over to his mailbox and takes some envelopes out of it. DON (muttering) Almost heaven... West Virgina... DON (CONT’D) (muttering) Blue ridge mountains, Shenandoah river... INT. APARTMENT - AFTERNOON Don enters his apartment. Don comes inside and starts to sort his mail. He throws some of it in the trash and stops on one. It reads, "Sentinel Securities benefits package". DON That was... Fast. Don takes out a pocket knife and opens the envelope up. A flyer reads "Health benefits". DON (CONT’D) Let's see here... Contact your security manager for details. Oh boy. Don sighs. He walks into DON'S BEDROOM Don rummages around his desk. A tie sits on top of an employment packet. He looks through the names. DON Don't let it be Kolton, don't let it be Kolton... He stops on a name: "Kolton Karl Kobel, Security Manager for Sentinel Securities". DON (CONT’D) Motherfucker it's Kolton. He walks back into the kitchen, a packet in his hand. DON (CONT’D) Fucking Kolton Kobel. Jesus christ. He throws the packet on his desk. Don winces in pain as he dials the number. DON (CONT’D) Please don't ream me. The line rings. KOLTON KOBEL, (30) picks up the phone. KOLTON (O.S.) (phone) Kolton speaking. Don stays silent for a second. KOLTON (O.S.) (CONT’D) (phone) Hello? DON Uh, yeah- Sergeant Kobel? A chuckle from the other end of the line. KOLTON (O.S.) (phone) I'd recognize that voice anywhere. Fuck Up, how you doing? DON I'm good, uhm... Yeah, I'm great. Been a while hasn't it? KOLTON (O.S.) It has. It has indeed. Well, you didn't call me to say hello, now did you? DON No, Sergeant. KOLTON Just Kolton, Paulsen. How long you been out? DON Four years. If we're gonna go by that, then just Don. KOLTON You got it. DON You able to hook me up with a shrink? KOLTON (O.S.) (phone) Yeah, I can do that. Everything alright? Heard about the incident at the bank. Don opens his mouth to say something, then just goes silent. DON Just some things going on between my daughter and me among other things. KOLTON Daughter? Is that so? DON Yeah, I got a kid now. KOLTON How old? DON 18- Got her enrolled in college as of recently. KOLTON Nice, what's she studying? DON Automotive Tech. KOLTON You're cursed to have a gearhead daughter too. Anyway. I'll see about referring you to a shrink and let you go from there. You doing anything tonight? Don chuckles. DON What, you fucking hittin' on me now? Don's eyes widen as he realizes what he's just said. Kolton laughs at this. KOLTON No, no, nothing like that. Was wondering if you and your kid wanted dinner on me. DON Sure, yeah I ain't gonna knock that. KOLTON I'll send you an address. DON Thanks Ser- Kolton. KOLTON Best of luck, Don. Don hangs up and takes a sigh of relief. He leans back in his chair. DON Who was that dude? Don sits there. His phone vibrates. An address on the text message along with a time. 5123 Saguaro Way Scottsdale, AZ 82553 7PM DON (CONT’D) I see you're doing better for yourself, Kobel. Don stands up and changes out into a new pair of jeans, a brown leather jacket, and a pair of running shoes. The front door opens. ASH Dad, I'm home! Don steps out to. APARTMENT LIVING ROOM DON Hey. Ash looks at Don. She sighs, rolls her eyes, and looks over at Don. ASH What, dad? DON Friend from the old days invited us to dinner, we should go. Ash just sighs. ASH Is this one of your weird Army friends like Uncle Nick? Don shrugs. DON I actually don't know how he is these days. He's in Scottsdale though. ASH What's that supposed to mean? DON Well, he's either doing well off for himself or made some shitty financial decisions at some point. Ash sets her schoolwork on the counter top. ASH Well, it wouldn't hurt for us to get to know people out here I guess. DON You want anything to eat? She shakes her head. ASH Ate at school already. Don nods at this. DON Well, uh- Just be ready at seven and we'll do that. Gotta take you out to the range while I still can too. ASH What is it with you and the range suddenly? Don gives her a grin. DON Mom never wanted me show you how. Ash shrugs at that. ASH Are you sure, dad? I don't know... DON Yeah, yeah we can do that. ASH I don't want to end up shooting myself or you. I see you carry your gun a lot but I never really thought it was that interesting. Don scoffs and chuckles. DON Sweetie- Don walks over to the blinds and closes them. He turns on a light. DON (CONT’D) My dad taught me to shoot when I was six. Started off with a .22 long rifle meant for birds and shit. I didn't really shoot anything like an M4 until I joined the Army. It was fun though. C'mon. He walks over to the couch and takes his Colt Defender out of his waistband. He takes the magazine out and pulls the slide back. The round comes out and he catches it as it does. ASH Hey, that was pretty cool! Ash gives a look of excitement. DON Don't do that. Actually, if you do learn to do it, learn this shit first. He locks the slide back. DON (CONT’D) Before I get into specifics. He motions to his trigger finger which stays off the trigger. DON (CONT’D) Finger off the trigger until you're ready to fire and these fucking things are always loaded, no fucking matter what. They tell you it's empty? He sends the slide forward and locks it back again. He faces the opened magwell to her. DON (CONT’D) You check. He sticks a finger in the magwell. DON (CONT’D) You make for god damn certain that there's not some extra round that happened to be hiding in there because the next thing you need is someone to get hurt or killed because of your own stupidity. Ash nods at this. DON (CONT’D) Second. The gun should always be pointed in a safe direction. You never ever fucking point this in a direction where someone might be. There's exceptions to this rule as you might imagine. If you know the damn thing's clear, if you checked it enough times to say it's clear, you can dry fire practice with it. Don sends the slide forward. DON (CONT’D) Goes into rule three as well. He points the gun at the TV. DON (CONT’D) What am I pointing the gun at? ASH The TV, why? Don shakes his head. DON What's behind the TV, Ash? Ash cocks her head at this. ASH A wall, dad. Where are you going with this? DON Behind that TV and behind the wall is the apartment complex across the way. This is a 230 gram .45 round. It'll drop off, but it's going to go through shit until it stops, probably on some dry wall if this thing went off. What, or who do you think is gonna get hit by that? Ash watches. DON (CONT’D) Keep the barrel in a safe direction and always know what you're shooting and what's behind it. Sweetie, I'm sorry if I'm being a dick about all this. She shakes her head. ASH No, I'm listening dad. This is the most you've talked to me an awhile, I really like this. Don nods. DON Alright then, lastly. If you do start carrying. Don't you ever fucking lose your gun. Always be cognizant about where the hell it is on your person. ASH Cognizant, that's new word you've never used. DON Just, know where your shit is. Whatever it takes, don't lose control of your gun, Ash. Had a guy- Dunno if I told you this story. Don takes a deep breath. DON (CONT’D) We were clearing a room and he lost control of his handgun. I heard a scream, I took him out. He got ganged up on by two guys who shot him with his own service weapon. Whatever you carry, you make sure you can comfortably hold and use it. Ash nods. ASH That was less graphic than most of the stories you told with mom. Don shrugs. DON Well, mom always wanted to hear about the bad shit that I did and the shit that happened. He shows her his handgun. DON (CONT’D) Make sure you hold it correctly. It's a compact model so it shouldn't be too difficult. Hold it like this. He grips the handgun and aims it forward. Ash looks at how he holds it. DON (CONT’D) Your go now. He passes her the pistol. DON (CONT’D) It's unloaded, but when you pull that trigger, it should be smooth. It's not like Point Break or Die Hard where you just pull the thing and it goes off. Slowly, so your shots stay on target. Ash holds it forward. ASH Like this? DON When you aim it, make sure your eye is on that front sight and lined up with what you're aimed at. Hang on. He walks by her. The gun points forward. DON (CONT’D) Muzzle control, Ash. ASH Sorry. She lowers the pistol. Don stands up and comes back out of the kitchen with a water bottle in his hand. He sets it on the counter. DON Aim at this for me, will ya? She raises the handgun and aims it at Don. DON (CONT’D) Easy, cowboy. Watch where that thing gets pointed. Or I'll fucking beat you to death with it. Ash carries a look of fear and lowers the gun. ASH S-Sorry! DON Just- Fucking be careful. ASH Alright. Don walks behind her. DON Now... Aim for the bottle. Click. CUT TO: The clock on the microwave reads "6:00". DON (CONT’D) Good job, Ash. We'll head out to the range the next chance I get. The two step out to INT. FORD MUSTANG - NIGHT The two get in and Don starts the car. Ash closes the door next to her. ASH Hey dad? Don takes a quick glance over. DON Yeah, what's up? ASH Who's this guy we're gonna be meeting anyway? What's he like? DON He was the guy that got me out of a really shitty group of people and how I met Nick. She nods. ASH Is he as cool as Nick? DON I think they're on the same playing field, quite honestly. Guy's name's Kolton Kobel. I knew him as Staff Sergeant Kobel back in 2010. Guy was solid but my god was he fucking terrifying. I got into a fight once and he was more pissed that I took a few punches before throwing a few rather than just fighting in the moment. Don chuckles. DON (CONT’D) Yeah, he's how I got out of the 82nd and into a less shitty unit. I got him to thank for it. ASH What happened? DON Life, nothing you can do about that. He's a good guy, but god damn does he scare me. ASH What do you mean? DON The stories I've heard about the dude are wild. Half of them at least can't be true. I've heard shit like he summons dragons and I've heard slightly more realistic shit like how he tortured one of his guys for working with the Taliban. Don just shrugs. DON (CONT’D) It's all in the fuckin' air. The two pull up to a gated community. EXT. SECURITY CHECKPOINT - NIGHT ELI, (21) sits inside the air conditioned guard house. He stands at 5"8, a tan Filipino with his black hair in a part. A 9mm handgun sits in its holster. A laptop sits visible in the window. Eli yawns and opens the window as Don pulls up. Don lowers his window. ELI How you doing sir? Who you here to see tonight? DON Kobel, uh, Kolton Kobel. ELI Alright, let's see here. He opens up a computer and checks. Eli looks back. ELI (CONT’D) Mr. Paulsen? Don nods. ELI (CONT’D) Come on in. Your daughter in there? DON Excuse me? ELI Oh, I go to school with an Ash- ASH Hi! She peers behind Don and waves. ELI Hey Ash, see you in class tomorrow! You have a good night, Mr. Paulsen. INT. FORD MUSTANG - NIGHT DON He seems like a nice guy. Ash nods. ASH Kinda weird though. Doesn't talk to a lot of people. DON I was the same way. Ash shrugs. ASH He likes to help people in class. Pretty good about that. They look at the houses around them. The neighborhood is upscale with proper lawns. Fancy cars line the driveways. Ash looks around. ASH (CONT’D) You sure we're in the right neighborhood? Don just looks around. DON Fuck if I know... Now, 5322. They pull up to a EXT. KOBEL RESIDENCE - NIGHT Don checks the time. It reads, "6:40". DON We're good. KOLTON KOBEL, (30) steps out and greets the two. He wears a polo shirt and jeans. KOLTON Hey, Don! Don waves at him and gives a nervous grin. Don looks over to face Kolton but keeps Ash in his line of sight. DON Hey, Kobel. KOLTON How've you been, buddy? Come on in. He looks at Ash. KOLTON (CONT’D) And what's your name sweetheart? ASH Ash, Ash Paulsen. Ash positions herself behind Don. DON Sweetheart- Don chuckles. DON (CONT’D) He might be a scary motherfucker, but he doesn't bite. KOLTON The wife bites harder, honestly. Don's eyes widen. DON What? Kolton laughs at this. KOLTON Nothing. The two walk inside to INT. KOBEL RESIDENCE - NIGHT The house is nice and well-put together. Family photos sit next to the door. Don takes a quick glance at them. KOLTON Well, welcome to my place. Make yourself at home, you two. IRMELIN "IRMA" KOBEL, (18) walks in. She wears a pair of jeans, a T-shirt, and some white socks. IRMA Hello! Ash appears from behind Don and waves at her. Ash waves at Irma. ASH Hi. Don takes his other arm and gently nudges her. DON Come on, now. You gotta at least force yourself to be social. Don and Ash take their shoes off. KOLTON You don't have to- Don and Ash look at each other. ASH Force of habit. Kolton just shrugs. KOLTON Oh well then. The two go into DINING ROOM The table is set and chicken alfredo pasta sits in a bowl in front of the group. Don and Ash take their seats across the from Irma and Kolton. KOLTON How long's it been, Paulsen? Don sighs. DON Fuck, uh... You helped me get out of the eighty second in '09 and 2010... About a decade. Don watches them put food on their plates. KOLTON Yeah, I got out around that time. Got a job with the company. Good stuff. You? DON Stayed in, changed my MOS to 68 Whiskey and was a reservist for a bit. KOLTON Everyone loves doc, huh? Ash begins getting herself some food. DON Depends on what they want out of it. KOLTON I guess that never changes. Don starts to make get himself some pasta. KOLTON (CONT’D) How about you, Ash? Donny here tells me you're going to college. ASH Uh, yeah. Automotive tech. Irma perks up at this. IRMA What is your dream car? Don eats and watches this. Ash smiles. ASH V8 Dodge Viper. Can't go wrong with a girl like that. Irma shrugs. IRMA BMW. Ash laughs at this. ASH Those expensive overpriced pieces of shit? Please. Don nudges Ash with his elbow and clears his throat. Kolton chuckles at this. DON (muttering) Ash, be nice... Kolton looks at Don and stifles a laugh. IRMA American cars are unrefined, like you. ASH I'll show your ass uncivilized! Don grabs Ash's arm. Kolton cocks his head and watches this. Irma giggles at this. ASH (CONT’D) Tell me what you drive then for someone with that much knowledge! IRMA Nissan 240SX. ASH Oh, was daddy not able to buy you that BMW you've always wanted? DON (muttering) Holy, fuck. Kolton laughs at this. IRMA What do you drive? Ash's eyes turn to that of fear. DON She drives the Honda Civic her dad bought her. ASH I-I mean, yeah- I do. IRMA So much for that Dodge Viper then. Ash tries to come up with something to say. ASH Fuck, you win. The group laughs as Ash looks down in embarrassment. IRMA Come on, I'll show you the car. Ash chuckles at this. ASH Fine, fine, you win. I'll take a look with you. The two step out. Don looks at Kolton. DON Hey, I'm really fuckin' sorry. KOLTON Don't sweat it man, that's how the gear heads talk. DON It is? Kolton nods. KOLTON 'Course. How else do you make it in a shitshow of an industry like that? DON Fair one. KOLTON I get how it goes by the way. Don cocks an eyebrow at him. KOLTON (CONT’D) Glad you reached out, man. Don gives him a grin and checks behind him. DON Dude, cut the gay shit. Kolton chuckles at this. KOLTON Good to see you haven't changed. DON Only thing that's changed is my age. What about you? Kolton nods. KOLTON Aside from the obvious and getting married? Kolton grins. KOLTON (CONT’D) Met a nice lady and we agreed to adopt us a daughter. Sweet little angel. DON Oh, you say that shit now. KOLTON No, really. Kolton's face grows bright. KOLTON (CONT’D) She was the best thing to ever happened to me. DON I'll admit, I wasn't too thrilled, it was Jackie's idea. Kolton looks at Don's finger. A ring still sits there. KOLTON How are you and the wife? Don looks down at it. His eyes look down. DON She left a month ago. KOLTON Ah jeez, bro- I didn't know. Don shakes his head. DON Yeah. KOLTON You'll find someone. DON At my age? KOLTON You will. They always find you in the strangest of ways. Don just shrugs. DON I guess. KOLTON Anyway. I'm surprised a guy like you would reenlist. 68 Whiskey. DON Remember Cho? Kolton looks down. KOLTON 'Course I remember Cho. Best IT guy we had. DON Well, the dude had it easy. While my ass was out doing patrols, he'd be inside in an air conditioned medical tent treating to the already treated. Kolton nods at this. KOLTON Yeah, he never really had any crazy stories with regards to being in the Army. DON Completely unrelated though. What do you think of Matthews? Kolton gives a chuckle and shrugs. KOLTON Officially or unoffically? DON Should you even be telling me anything unofficially? I just got here and we haven't talked in almost a decade. KOLTON I trust you. Anyway. Officially, (sarcastic) Great employee, always shows up on time, blah, blah, blah... He takes a sigh. DON Unofficially though? KOLTON Unofficially, the dude is a loose cannon. Military experience or not, the guy is cagey. I don't know what insane sister of yours sees in him, but I sure don't see it. Don nods. KOLTON (CONT’D) I know he's under you though, what's got you so worried about him? Don looks away around him for a moment. DON He's a great guy... And he seems to care about his team. It's uh... It's a shame what happened to Chavez. Kolton gives a look of confusion. KOLTON Paulsen. Man to man, what are you not telling me? DON I'm not telling you that he should be avoided and I'm not telling you that I'm in some trouble with him. Kolton nods at this. KOLTON Can't talk about it can you? DON No. KOLTON How can I help? Don looks around him, then takes out his phone. He types something into his phone. "Being watched, Matthews involved. Watch yourself." Kolton nods at this. KOLTON (CONT’D) Well Don, it's been an interesting night, Paulsen. Kolton takes out a pen and one of his business cards. He writes something on the back of it. KOLTON (CONT’D) Well, if you need a good lawyer here's a good number to call. The two stand up. DON Need help cleaning things up? KOLTON Ah don't worry about it, I'll make the daughter do it. Don chuckles. DON Jesus christ man, you haven't changed. The two walk over to each other and Kolton pulls Don in close. KOLTON (whispering) If what you're telling me is the truth, this is the number of a guy who knows how to deal with these things is on that card. I'd also speak. DON (whispering) He's gonna kill my Ashley, I can't. KOLTON (whispering) Then call that number. Kolton pulls back. KOLTON (CONT’D) Anyway, you and your daughter have yourself a good night Don, let's go see what they're up to! DON Yeah... Let's see. The two make their way to the garage and cut through a LAUNDRY ROOM The two cut through here. Kolton opens the door into the GARAGE Ash pops out from under the car in a creeper seat. ASH FUCK OFF, EUROTRASH! BUY AMERICAN OR LEAVE. Ash puts a flashlight and a socket wrench in her pocket, then stands back up. IRMA At least the cars I get won't have blown head gaskets at thirty k! Don watches this, a look of existential horror in his eyes. DON I'm really sorry about this. Kolton laughs and watches. IRMA She's really nice, dad! Thanks for bringing her over Mr. Paulsen! Don does a double take. DON Wait, wait what? IRMA Your daughter's really nice, she figured out the problem in my transmission. Ash walks over. ASH Yeah, she needs that shit fixed or replaced. It's FUBAR. Don's eyes widen. DON Jesus. Don beckons Ash over. DON (CONT’D) Come on sweetheart, let's get going. EXT. KOBEL RESIDENCE - NIGHT DON Thanks for having us, Kolton. Don gives a warm smile. KOLTON Oh right, forgot one more thing. Kolton takes out his wallet and pulls out one more card. "Mika Wallace: Counselor specializing in PTSD Treatment" KOLTON (CONT’D) Call them, they'll give you an address, doc. They do some experimental treatment but it's all how you want to do it. Don nods at him. Kolton looks at Ash. KOLTON (CONT’D) And if Irma ever needs help, feel free to come by- Kolton reaches into his wallet and takes out a plastic card. KOLTON (CONT’D) Flash this at the guard when you come in. ASH Thanks Mr. Kobel. KOLTON Just Kolton, sweetie. You two drive safe now. DON Thanks. You too Kolton. Don gets in the car with Ash and drives off. CUT TO: INT. FORD MUSTANG - NIGHT The car goes down the freeway. DON Ash, what the hell is wrong with you? ASH That's how I listen to you talk to people! DON Ash, I'm a horrible role model! ASH You should have thought of that before you adopted me! Besides, it all worked out, right? DON Sweetie, it worked out this time! You swear at the wrong person like that, they could draw a nine on you. Don sighs and looks down. ASH Dad. DON Just next time baby, please. I know mom and I weren't around much and I'm trying to turn that shit around. ASH I get it, dad. There's more important things than me. DON Sweetie, it ain't that. That's why I taught you how to shoot and brought you with me for this dinner. Ash looks down. DON (CONT’D) How can I make it up to you then? What can I do, baby girl? Ash mutters something. DON (CONT’D) What? ASH It's stupid, dad. DON Fuck you. ASH Excuse me? Don takes a quick glance at her. DON You've heard my stories, the dumb shit I did before I met your mom. Fuck, you want me to get into that? ASH FINE! I want you to spend more time with me, dad! DON Alright. I'll do it. I promise I'll try and spend more time with you. ASH Swear on it. Swear you will, because you don't know what it's like. DON What? ASH To not have your parents, dad. Don looks down. DON Ash, I do. Ash looks over at him. Don's eyes look forward, but the drain in them is clear. ASH What do you... DON Car accident when I was eight, baby girl. Only your mom ever knew about it. Don continues to drive forward. ASH I'm... I'm sorry, dad. DON It's been a long time coming since then. Don shakes his head and sighs. DON (CONT’D) I'll spend more time with you though, whatever it takes. Don reaches over and ruffles her hair. EXT. FREEWAY - NIGHT The Mustang drives off into the night. INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT Ash sits alone and plays Uncharted. The time on the microwave reads 11:00. DON'S BEDROOM Don goes to sit down and takes a card out of his pocket. He looks at the counselor's card, then at the second one. It's a business card: "Kolton Kobel: Security Manager" A phone number, an e-mail, and a business address on the front of it. Don flips the card over. A phone number is scrawled in black pen. Don takes out his phone and calls it. The line rings for a moment. JAMES O'REILLY, (28) picks up the phone. JAMES Thank you for calling the cat girl tip line, O'Reilly speaking. Don massages his eyes and goes silent for a moment. JAMES (CONT’D) (phone) Hello? Don just gives another look of annoyance. DON What? JAMES (phone) Oh hey, doc! I know that voice anywhere! The lamp next to Don is lit as he looks at a picture. DON Kolton gave me this number, told me to call you. I got a problem. JAMES (phone) CIA niggers on your tail? DON Excuse me? James giggles at this. DON (CONT’D) I got people after me, James. I need your help. JAMES (phone) Everyone has people after them, Don. Name your price. DON Can we talk about this when you look at what I'm dealing with? A knock at the door. DON (CONT’D) Stand by. Don sets his phone in his pocket. He steps out of the bedroom and comes back with another envelope in hand. He pours the contents of it out on his desk. DON (CONT’D) How well can you check a location with just pictures? More pictures with Kolton, Irma, Don, and Ash are in them. All of them are crossed out with red x's. JAMES (O.S.) (phone) I can do a bit. I'll be there in the morning. DON You got it. I'll text you my address. JAMES (O.S.) (phone) Stay safe, doc. It's Don, Ash, and Jackie at some point. The three smile at the camera. DON (muttering) Is it possible to have this back? He taps the picture with his finger, reaches over and turns the lamp off. CUT TO BLACK. A light tap at the front door. Don gets up and takes a moment. The knock at the front door grows louder. JAMES (O.S.) DON! OPEN THE DOOR. IT'S THE MAIN CHARACTER OF THE MANGA! Don looks up in confusion at this. DON WHAT?! Don goes out to the LIVING ROOM Ash rubs her eyes. ASH Who the hell is that? DON One of my weird Army friends like Nick. Weirder than Nick, actually. Don opens the front door. James stands there in a trap cosplay. He holds a duffel bag behind him. Don looks at this in horror. DON (CONT’D) Get in. JAMES Well, you are paying for my services. DON GET. THE FUCK. INSIDE. Don pulls him into the apartment. JAMES Oooh, I like a man who can play rough. DON Shut your mouth. Don looks back at Ash. ASH No, you were right. This is much weirder than Nick. Don't you have any normal Army friends, dad? Don looks at James, then back at Ash. DON Nick is as normal as it gets. ASH That's worrisome, yet somehow explains a lot about you, dad. Don just sighs. James sits on the couch. JAMES Made the first team. There might be more. You check your house for bugs? Don shakes his head. DON Why would there be? JAMES Whoever these guys are. James takes out his phone. A selfie sits in it. James is bent over in the selfie. Four guys in the car have varying levels of disgust on their face. DON Are you sure this group is with them? James zooms in on the picture. JAMES Look. They got comms. He points at a radio on the dash. JAMES (CONT’D) It's government but not local PD. It's easy to make a local cop. They bail if they even think their cover's blown. Federal from the looks on these guys. Mid-40s so they're fairly experienced. I got another idea too. House isn't bugged either, surprisingly. DON What makes you say that? JAMES Well, we'd already be dead. Plus, it takes a bit to get those things set up. I rigged a few of my own. ASH Dad, what's he talking about? DON I'll tell you later. ASH Are we being watched? DON Yeah, we are. Ash looks around in discomfort. ASH What am I supposed to do? DON I'm gonna take you out to the range. We don't know where they are or how they're tailing us. Best bet is to be safe. James looks at Don. JAMES Where's your bathroom? DON Down the hall, take a right. ASH You off today? DON We'll go tomorrow, I promise. I'll get you a little something too while we're at it. Don shoots a smile to her. DON (CONT’D) Get to class, alright? They won't bother you as long as I don't talk to the cops. ASH Dad, I think I should call Uncle Nick. Don shakes his head. DON We call Nick if things get extra bad. ASH What's going on though? I don't get it, why are they after you? DON When the time's right, okay? I tell you now, you're going to panic, and shit will unravel. I'm involved in some shit I don't want to be in. Don hugs her. DON (CONT’D) Sweetheart I'm doing this for you, okay? If it were me, I'd have gone John Marston on those motherfuckers. Don chuckles at that. ASH You would've died in a blaze of bullets? DON Shit. Come on, get outta here. Get to class. James comes back out and wears a weeb T-shirt, a pair of jeans, and some converse sneakers. He looks over at Ash. JAMES You gonna need a ride to class? ASH No thanks, I'm good. She walks back to her room and walks back out with a pair of sneakers, jeans, a red baseball cap, and a T-shirt. DON Hang on, Ash. Don gives her some cash. DON (CONT’D) Get yourself something to eat. ASH Thanks, dad. Don sighs and massages his eyes. DON Get back to me with what you find, James. I gotta go to work. JAMES You got it boss. Don goes to his room. CUT TO: INT. CAFETERIA - AFTERNOON Don sits there and eats a sandwich in silence. Matthews walks over to him and sits there. He watches Don and sits there. MATTHEWS Where is she, Paulsen? Don cocks an eyebrow. DON What? MATTHEWS Your sister. Don shrugs. DON Am I supposed to keep track of estranged family now, Matthews? MATTHEWS It's your sister. Don shrugs again. DON Okay, and? You didn't assign me to her. Don continues to eat his sandwich. Matthews grabs it. DON (CONT’D) What the fuck, dickhead? Matthews points at him. MATTHEWS One of your old war buddies, huh? Parks, that Asian fucking cop. DON I haven't heard that name in awhile. Can I have my fucking sandwich back? Ain't it enough I got people watching my apartment? MATTHEWS That mouth of yours just got you convoy duty, prick. Matthews looks Don in the eye for a moment and throws Don's sandwich back on the tray in front of him. DON (muttering) Fuck face. Don puts his sandwich in a bag and sighs as he walks off. DON (CONT’D) Can't have one fucking moment of peace here. Don takes his sandwich with him and steps out to INT. SENTINEL SECURITIES ARMORY - AFTERNOON Two security guards stand behind a tempered glass window. Eli stands there next to Josh. JOSH, (24) sits there and eats chocolate cake. JOSH (speaker) What's the password? A sign sits behind tempered glass. ELI (speaker) Dude, just get him what he needs. JOSH (speaker) Who made you the fun police? A piece of paper reads, "Password: The Marines are the best branch." DON The Marines are the gayest branch you fat fuck. JOSH (speakers) BULLSHIT BITCH! WHAT DO YOU KNOW ABOUT MARINES?! DON I was in for almost a decade. JOSH Then you know MARINES ARE REAL MEN. Don gives a look of pain and annoyance. DON If the barrier for being a man consists of finding new ways to jerk off inside of firearms, then I'm gonna be out to chop my cock off. Don looks at Josh, then back up at Eli. DON (CONT’D) Can I have my fucking gun? Josh goes silent. JOSH Yeah, sure man. I was just fuckin' with you. Fucking Army. Eli shakes his head, sighs, goes into the other room, and takes a P226 Sig Sauer alongside a few magazines. DON Next time you want to talk combat, I hang out at a bar called Mick's, try looking it up sometime. Josh nods at this. JOSH Then I'll reminds you what real men drink. Don takes his gun, chambers a round, and puts it in its respective holster. He hides it in his suit jacket, then heads off. Don goes into INT. OFFICE - AFTERNOON Don sits down in front of the work computer and begins to fill out a report. He heads it with "Use of Force: After Action Bank Report". Office workers slowly begin to clear out as he does. He sighs and begins to fill out. The sun goes down. Don finishes up his report and massages his eyes. He stands up and Matthews walks up to him. MATTHEWS I want you in my office. DON Can it wait? MATTHEWS I don't know, ask Ash for me. Hell while I'm at it why don't I have one of my men pay her a visit? DON Fine, asshole. Don follows him out to INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT The two walk down the hallway. Don keeps his hands in his pockets. He checks his phone and hits a record button. DON So, what happened to Cho exactly? MATTHEWS He got on my bad side. DON So you had him whacked. MATTHEWS Did what I had to in order to protect the company. DON Bullshit, you're protecting yourself. Matthews stops at his door and looks at him. MATTHEWS After you. Don walks into the room. Matthews follows him in. Carter shuts the door behind them. MATTHEWS (CONT’D) Your phone, Paulsen. DON What? MATTHEWS Don't fucking play stupid with me, Doc. Matthews points to Don. Don turns around and punches Carter across the face, only to get put in a head lock by Matthews. Carter punches Don across the face. Don begins to black out, only for Matthews to let go. Carter reaches into Don's pocket and takes his phone out. Matthews puts his Ruger in Don's face. MATTHEWS (CONT’D) Given you seem to be too stupid to figure out where your place and your sister- My fiancee, are. You're on fucking convoy detail in two days. Anything goes wrong, I will make your daughter's final moments the worst in her life. Don continues to cough. MATTHEWS (CONT’D) I will fucking repeat, ARE. WE. CLEAR? Don nods. Matthews throws his phone back to him. MATTHEWS (CONT’D) Then get outta my fuckin' office. Don gets up and looks at Matthews in the eye. DON Go fuck yourself. Don watches Carter's face. He notices the cut and bruise on the side of it go away. DON (CONT’D) The hell? Carter walks forward, his face red with anger. Matthews puts his arm up and stops him. MATTHEWS Good luck out there, hero. Don looks at him and steps out of the room. He goes back out to INT. HALLWAY - NIGHT Don clenches his fists in anger. DON Motherfucker! He kicks a chair in the middle of the hall. ASTER, (mid-20s) polishes the floor in front of him. He sighs as he looks at the knocked over a chair. Don looks at Aster, then back at the chair. Don takes the chair and moves it back where it was. He continues on his route and walks out to EXT. PARKING LOT - NIGHT Don takes out his phone. The recording he took is gone. DON Fucking bastard. Don takes his phone out and calls Ash. The line rings, then- ASH(O.S.) (Phone) Hello? Don starts his car. DON Ash, I got something to tell you when I get back. I can't tell you over the phone. I'll be there as soon as I can. Don puts his car in reverse and guns it back to EXT. APARTMENT PARKING LOT - NIGHT The tires scream as he enters the complex. Don parks in a spot and jumps out of his car. He gets out of his car and sprints to his apartment. He gets his keys out and opens the door, gun out. INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT Don trains his weapon forward. James puts his hand on the pistol. The two look at each other. JAMES You're a fucking idiot. Don looks at James. DON Where's Ash, James? Ash comes out of her room, a pen in her hand. ASH Dad? Don makes her way over to her and gives her a hug. DON Did they hurt you? Ash shakes her head but gives a look of confusion toward him. ASH Dad. What are you talking about? Two guys from the Department of Homeland Security talked to me at school today. James walks over. JAMES What did they say? ASH They asked if you were involved in any suspicious activity. Said it was a matter of national security. Don looks at her. DON Ash, what did you tell them? She gives a grin. ASH I told them to stick their questions up their ass and that I don't talk to cops. Don kisses her on the head and hugs her. DON Never thought I'd tell you good job for being disrespectful, but good fucking job. Don gives a nervous chuckle. JAMES It's gonna be news to me too. DON You guys want some coffee or something? It's a bit of a thing. Ash shakes her head. JAMES Yeah, I'll take some. The three congregate around the kitchen. CUT TO: Some hot coffee sits on a kitchen counter. The two take cups of coffee. DON Ash, I'm not a good person. ASH Bullshit. DON Just fucking wait. Ash puts creamer in her coffee. DON (CONT’D) I'm a human trafficker. Ash looks down and gives a dejected look. ASH That's what mom was fighting on the east coast... DON Sweetheart. As much as it pains me to say it. Don takes a sigh. ASH What? You put people in container- DON Can you wait and let me fucking finish? ASH Yeah, shoot. Don takes a deep breath. DON They're leveraging you against me. I don't play ball with them and they'll kill you. Ash looks down. ASH I saw what they did back when I was still in Chicago. DON I know. I know, Ash. Don stares down. DON (CONT’D) It's why I wanted to take you out to the range. ASH I'm not you, dad. I'm not going to win in a shootout against these guys. DON No, but you'll have a chance. That's all I can count on. There's another set of affairs that only the three of us should know of. Don takes out his phone, then opens a bank account. The number reads, 1.5 million on it. ASH Dad, what the hell is this? Don gives her a stone cold look. DON I don't like talking about it much. I believe in working for what's yours- If anything happens to me and these fuckers waste me, that's all yours. You find a place, you disappear. If this happens to blow over and something happens to me, there's a million dollar life insurance policy in my name that goes to you. James looks at this as well. JAMES Jesus christ. DON There's also a storage unit with about four million dollars worth of firearm history in it. Shit all the way from the Philippine American war all the way down to Desert Stor- Ash slams her fist down on the table. ASH Fuck you, dad. She places her hand on Don's shoulder. ASH (CONT’D) You're going to make it out of this, one way or another and you're going to come back. You always do, this ain't you. Ash looks Don in the eyes. ASH (CONT’D) Look me in the eyes and say you're going to be back. Promise me you'll be back. Don looks down. Ash puts her hand on Don's shoulder. ASH (CONT’D) Because I'm not losing another set of parents in my life, dad. Don nods. DON Yeah- I'll come back. I promise. I want you to make sure to call Nick and tell him everything. Sound horrified of me too, he'll come running from whatever shit job he's working at the time. Guy always wanted a reason to beat my ass anyway. Don pats Ash on the head. DON (CONT’D) Now, go to bed. I think that just about covers everything. Don looks over at James. Ash walks off to her room. The door closes behind her. DON (CONT’D) Watch over her. Feel free to spend the next few nights here. Don't harass my daughter or I'll fucking kill you. James nods. FADE TO BLACK. A gunshot. Another fills the air. INT. SHOOTING RANGE - DAY The two wear electronic ear protection and shooting glasses as Don walks over. There's a few people inside the range. They mind their own business and shoot at their own targets. Don sets the target up while Ash gets the guns out of their cases. Don sets the target up and watches the target go back to 10 feet. Next to them, Sarah steps inside the range with a case of her own. Sarah sets her lane up. Don looks at the case and nods. DON Walther P22. Ash puts her hand over the four guns. The AK goes off next to them. Don's hands shake once again. Don takes a deep breath. She places her hand on it and picks it up. Ash's hands shake. Don gives her a smile and takes another breath. DON (CONT’D) Easy. Load a mag. He motions points to the target. DON (CONT’D) Hit that that X on the target. Ash nods and aims the gun downrange. DON (CONT’D) Ash. What did you forget? She looks down. A loaded .22 magazine sits on the range counter in front of them. ASH Right, stupid me. She loads the gun and racks the slide. ASH (CONT’D) Hang on. Ash opens the slide a little bit to check for a round. DON Where the hell did you learn to do that? ASH Heat and John Wick. Don nods. DON Right, right. Good habit, good job, Ash. That can keep you alive in a fight. Just don't put your finger in front of the barrel like Hannah did. Ash trains the handgun downrange onto the target and pulls the trigger. The gun goes off, smoke comes out of the barrel. She checks the target. DON (CONT’D) Low right, easy on the trigger. Ash pulls the trigger again and flinches, the round goes a little bit higher. DON (CONT’D) Take a breath, you're flinching. Gun's not gonna bite you. Don backs up and watches her next shots. Sarah stands behind him and watches. SARAH Easy on the trigger there, lass. Don looks behind him, his eyes widen as he looks at her. DON Did you follow me here? Sarah shakes her head. SARAH Looked like a nice enough range. Sarah wears a tank top and a pair of skinny jeans. Ash continues to fire. Don watches her target. SARAH (CONT’D) Mind if I help her out? DON The hell you got to add? Sarah makes her way over to Ash. DON (CONT’D) (muttering) Please don't whack my daughter here. Don looks at both sides of the range. Ash looks over at Sarah, then back at Don. Don gives a thumbs up. Sarah begins to load a magazine of .22. SARAH You ain't holding it toight enough. You gotta hold it like it means something to you. Sarah takes a magazine then loads it. She places her sights on the target. The rounds hit dead center. SARAH (CONT’D) Did you work with my dad? Sarah looks back at Don. Don shakes his head. DON (mouthing) NO. SARAH I worked with your mom. Ash nods. ASH Well you don't seem that bad in comparison to the other Hartford cops. Don's eyes widen. SARAH That's right... Don makes a slow nod. Sarah takes a Colt Defender off the table. Don walks next to Ash. Ash picks up a Colt Defender and loads a magazine with 9mm. Ash racks the slide and takes a few shots at the at the target in front of her. The shots are scattered. Don nods. DON Good job. Ash smiles. ASH I like this gun, dad. DON It's 9mm. I don't think you'll be getting into shootouts, so I think it'd be a good gun for you. ASH Huh. It's the gun Joel uses in The Last of us. What about yours? Don takes his gun out of the holster. Don passes it to her, muzzle pointed downrange. Ash takes it and aims it downrange. DON Yeah, that's the one Joel uses. Ash nods. ASH Do you think I can have it? Don looks at the gun. DON Try a few of the others before you make your choice. Ash nods at this. Ash starts to load magazines. Don watches her. SARAH You're real lucky to have her. DON I want her to have what I didn't. Sarah nods. Ash fires another set of rounds. SARAH You're a good man for that, you know? She appreciates it. Ash grins and loads up a P229. Sarah looks at Don again. SARAH (CONT’D) What happened to your face? Don looks away. DON I fell down a flight of stairs. Sarah rolls her eyes. SARAH Who did it? Don looks away and shakes his head. DON You wouldn't be able to do anything, Sarah. SARAH Like hell I wouldn't. DON Just stay out of it. Sarah sighs, then gives Don a look of concern. Ash's groupings begin to get better. She goes back to the Colt Defender. Don and Sarah watch this. Ash points it downrange and pulls the trigger. Her groupings get better with the Defender. Empty ammo boxes stack themselves on top of the counter. Ash runs out of ammo and stops. Don walks over and starts to clear all the guns. The two lock the slides on them back and put the guns back in their respective cases. Sarah goes to get her guns. The two make their way out to CUT TO: INT. GUN STORE - AFTERNOON IND STORE CLERK 1 That'll be three hundred for the ammo and rentals. ASH Jesus christ dad, that's a lot. You didn't have to take me out to all this. Don shrugs and swipes a card. DON It's nothing. Ash's eyes widen. ASH Is it alright if I look around? Don looks over at her. DON Yeah, I don't see why not. Ash walks off and looks at a rifle rack. Sarah stands next to Ash. Ash points to a shotgun. ASH Could I have a look at that one? DON (CONT’D) Thanks, bud. IND STORE CLERK 1 No problem, bud. The clerk passes him a receipt. Don makes his way over to Ash. Another clerk passes Ash a Benelli M4 shotgun. Ash holds a shotgun and aims it away from Don and Sarah. ASH You like it, dad? DON Lemme see that thing... Ash passes it to him, the muzzle pointed down. Don trains the shotgun forward. He tests the action on the shotgun, his sight picture in line with the wall. ASH Look at you, Donovan Wick. Sarah puts her arm out behind SARAH You may want to let him do his thing here. Don stays quiet as he stares down the sights. Don takes the shotgun and inspects the bottom of it, pressing down on the under barrel magazine. DON Good grips... IND STORE CLERK 2 It's a good gun, you seem familiar with it. DON Yeah... Don looks over the shotgun. DON (CONT’D) I'll take it. IND STORE CLERK 2 Will that be it for you? Don shakes his head. DON The Daniel Defense pistol behind you, the Mossberg 590A1 behind me, a 9mm Colt Defender, and that Windham AR rifle. The clerk nods. Ash's eyes widen. IND STORE CLERK 2 I'm gonna need some help here, gimme a sec. The clerk walks off. ASH (whispering) Dad, what the fuck? We don't have this money! Don smiles. DON I do. He looks at Sarah. DON (CONT’D) Can you help me out, sweet cheeks? If you're nice enough, maybe I'll get you something for the trouble. Sarah blushes at this. SARAH How's about dinner? Don grins at her. DON Done. I'll cook. Sarah gives a grin back to Don. CUT TO: INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT The group come in, guns in tow. ASH You sure we got enough ammo for a range day? She sets down two ammo cans on the counter. James watches the group. He plays something on a PS4. JAMES Why'd you bring her? Don shrugs. DON She's not a complete piece of shit. James shrugs. JAMES She might be a succubus. Sarah grins and makes her way over to James. Ash goes to her room, gun cases in hand. James sets the controller down and looks at her. JAMES (CONT’D) You are after my soul, thot. Sarah whispers something into his ear. Don watches this. James's expression changes to that of fear. JAMES (CONT’D) Don, stay away from her, she wants your dick... And your soul! Don shrugs. DON It could be worse. Don goes into ASH'S ROOM Don sets the guns down in her room. Ash sits on her bed. She stares at the guns in front of her. DON I gotta get the ammo from the car, you gonna be alright? ASH Dad, don't do this. Don cocks an eyebrow. DON Do what? ASH Your parents' will. Don sits next to her. DON It's what they would've wanted, baby girl. ASH Why did you never bother to use it? DON It wasn't my money. ASH But they gave it to you. Don shrugs. DON Yeah, they did. But I paid a price of my own for that. I'll never get to know what it's like for my parents to be proud of me. ASH I'm proud of you, dad. Don shakes his head. DON Ain't nothing to be proud of. Ash hugs Don. ASH Come back tomorrow, alright? Don nods. DON I will baby girl. I'm gonna go check on these two idiots. JAMES (O.S.) (muffled) Marky Mark, can you hear me bud? Don pats Ash on the back. DON (CONT’D) Hang in there, we'll get outta this soon enough Ash. MAIN APARTMENT Don steps out of Ash's room and closes the door behind him. James holds his phone in his hand MARK (O.S.) (phone) Yeah buddy, I can. DON Reporter? A knock at the door. MARK (O.S.) (phone) Don in there? Don opens the door and checks it. Conrad stands in the doorway. DON You got your plan laid out there Dutch? Conrad nods. CONRAD Yeah, Arthur. Conrad comes in and takes a seat on the bar stool behind the counter. MARK (O.S.) (phone) Everyone there? DON Before we start, how did Conrad find my address? CONRAD Matthews shared it with all of us in case you found out. DON You out to kill me too? CONRAD We've established this. No. Don sighs. DON Fuck it. Don stands next to James. James smiles. JAMES You remember reporter, right? Don nods. DON Yeah, I taught him some things. JAMES You did a good job of it. MARK (O.S.) (phone) Yeah, got a scar to show for it. Don shrugs again. DON I didn't do shit. Don looks down. The others look on. Sarah looks at the other two. SARAH This that hero of Houston thing? Don nods. SARAH (CONT’D) I see. Sarah scans the faces in the room. MARK After this Conrad, we're even. I've helped you idiots out enough. DON What's the plan? Conrad takes a map of the city of Phoenix out and puts it on the counter. Ash steps out of her room and watches this behind the group. Conrad takes out a red sharpie marker. CONRAD We're coordinating with the cops to stop here. He marks two intersections, then the middle of one. CONRAD (CONT’D) We'll stop here, step out, and give ourselves up to the pigs. Don gives a look of confusion. DON This is your plan? And then what? CONRAD Immunity. DON Immunity... Don massages his eyes. DON (CONT’D) So your plan is for me to turn myself into my ex-wife and her pals and hope and just pray they don't send us off to a rape cage. Don scoffs. DON (CONT’D) You're trying to get us both killed. Don laughs. DON (CONT’D) How much did you think this through? MARK (O.S.) (phone) Enough to where in a situation with no options, this is the one acceptable one. DON And what the fuck do you know, reporter? Man out to report the truth can't even see the truth in what he's doing. CONRAD Once they detain us, we're talking to a lawyer and negotiate ourselves an immunity plea. We give all of them up and we get off. Don looks at the two. DON Matthews knows where I live, I have a surveillance team posted outside my house for this exact purpose. No matter how many guns, how much ammo I have in here, there is no keeping my daughter safe. Conrad massages his eyes. CONRAD Shiit. Don looks up at Sarah and James. He passes them pictures. One of the pictures is that of a sniper's scope that faces the apartment's living room. Sarah looks at it. SARAH I could probably do somethin' with this. Don looks at James. JAMES I can take care of them. Don looks down at the pictures. DON One condition. You make a move on this team and I got one condition. JAMES Yeah? SARAH Shoot. DON Whatever happens. No one dies. SARAH There's only one way they don't come after us though. Don shakes his head. DON You kill them and the heat on us gets worse. James scratches his chin. JAMES I got a few ideas. James steps out of the apartment, then comes back. JAMES (CONT’D) I know where that guy is. Don motions to Sarah. DON Give her the position then. MARK (O.S.) (phone) If that's the case. Then let's do this. Ash walks behind the four and looks at the map. ASH What do you need me to do? DON Call Nick and if worst comes to worst, call your mom- Tell her everything. Ash nods. DON (CONT’D) Don't go to class. ASH Alright. FADE TO BLACK. DON (O.S.) Let's roll. GO TO: INT. WAREHOUSE - NIGHT Don and Conrad wear OCP fatigues and look at each other. Conrad carries a Mark 18 clone and wears a Beretta 92FS on his hip. Matthews wears a blue shirt dress shirt with a tie alongside a pair of dress shoes and a tie. MATTHEWS You gentlemen are going to be dropping the cargo off at Fort Huachuca. Paulsen, you know the rules. Anything funny happens, you remember what happens to Ash, Don. The two look at each other. Don wraps a green shemagh around his face. Conrad puts on a ballistic mask. DON Yeah, sure jackass. INT. TRUCK - NIGHT The two get into the truck. Don sits in the middle of the truck with Conrad next to him. MIKE PETERSON, (late-50s) sits in the driver's seat. PETERSON You two my security? DON Looks like it. Don takes his phone at sends a text to James. DON (CONT’D) (text) On the move. The truck starts as the two make their way down the road. Don looks at the streets and waits. He watches a police SUV park in an alley. DON (CONT’D) (muttering) Here we go. They go into a city and go through the streets. A police cruiser begins to trail behind the truck. The lights come on. Don takes his 9mm out and puts it to the driver's head. DON (CONT’D) Stop the god damn truck. Peterson gives Conrad a look of shock. PETERSON Ain't you gonna do anything? CONRAD I'd kindly do what the man says. Don checks the side mirror. DON Oh, shit. CONRAD What's up? Jackie sits next to Parks in the cruiser. DON It's my god damn ex-wife. PETERSON What? DON Shut up. Don keeps the gun on Peterson's head. DON (CONT’D) Do what the cops say. If they tell you to make a move, do so. PETERSON Screw you, pal. Don smacks him with the handgun, then puts it to his forehead. DON Wrong answer. The next one paints your brains against the glass. PETERSON Alright, easy buddy. Don watches Jackie get on the loudspeaker. JACKIE Occupants of the big rig truck, this is the police! Come out of the truck with your hands u- A gunshot goes through the glass. The round goes through Peterson's skull. Peterson slumps against the seat. Conrad opens the door as more rounds go through the glass. Smoke grenades fall on the ground around the truck. DON Oh, christ. CONRAD LET'S GO! Conrad opens the door to the truck. He kicks it open and drags Don out with him. EXT. STREET - NIGHT The two step out of the truck as rounds enter through the windshield. CONRAD Through the smoke, let's go! Don runs behind him and holsters his handgun. He looks behind him at the police officers that take cover behind their cars. CONRAD (CONT’D) Come on! Don looks to his right as he watches a white van goes inside a parking garage. DON Christ. The gunfire intensifies, as Don pushes through the smoke to INT. PARKING GARAGE - NIGHT The two run up the ramp and into the main garage. A militia soldier hits him with his rifle and knocks him to the ground. IND MILITIA SOLDIER 1 STOP! Don stops and puts his arms up. The militia soldier focuses on Don. IND MILITIA SOLDIER 1 (CONT’D) I got you now, you trafficker piece of trash- Conrad takes his gun out and fires a volley into him. Don's eyes widen. The man drops dead in front of him. Conrad grabs Don by the arm. The two continue to run as the white van Don saw earlier pulls up and stops. Don and Conrad run into INT. OFFICE - NIGHT Conrad checks the ammo in his handgun. CONRAD Get your god damn gun out. Don gets his gun out and chamber checks it. DON ...Y-Yeah. Don holds his gun in his hand. The screech of the van's tires echo through the parking garage. IND MILITIA SOLDIER 2 (O.S.) They got one of ours! We need the two Army guys dead! DON Fuck. They hear the van drive off. Parks's voice echoes through the garage. PARKS (O.S.) You got a van on its way down there, stop it! White Ford van! The two look over. Gunfire rings out through the garage. Don looks behind as one of the gunmen drops to the ground, the other two shoot back. Don raises his gun. Conrad moves his hand on top of Don's arms and lowers it. CONRAD Let 'em shoot at each other, it'll be easier that way. Come on. The two run toward an exit sign. Don runs over to the door and tries the door. It doesn't open. DON It's fucked! Conrad tries to kick the door open. No dice. CONRAD Damn it! Parks runs behind the two, gun drawn. PARKS POLICE, STOP! Conrad bolts through the cubicles. Don follows behind him into INT. STAIRCASE - NIGHT NICHOLAS "NICK" FLETCHER, (35) tackles Don and puts his hands around on Don's neck. Don looks up at Nick and shoots a weak grin. DON Hi... Nick Nick keeps his hands around Don's neck. NICK All this time, I trusted you to take care of that girl... Nick punches him in the mouth. Nick takes his hand off Don's neck. Don coughs and struggles to catch his breath. DON Please trust me Nick. Nick throws another punch to Don's face. The side of it begins to bleed. Nick places his hands around Don's neck again. Don tries to reach up. NICK Stupid cunt! Imagine the pain she's going through! Conrad shows up behind the two and holds a fire extinguisher. He hits Nick in the back and causes him to fall over. Conrad throws the fire extinguisher to the side. Conrad grabs Don's hand and gets him on his feet. CONRAD COME ON, LET'S GO DOC! Don stands up and takes another second to get up. Don looks to his left inside the office. Parks holds his rifle and advances on the two. The two look at the wide eyed Parks and make their way down he staircase. Gunfire rings out behind them as two police officers make their way up the staircase. Turner holds a shotgun in his hand while Steele carries a handgun. Conrad makes his way straight down the stairs. They make it to the next stairwell. The door behind them stays behind it is open. STEELE, (mid-40s) holds his gun out. STEELE STOP! CONRAD DOC, GO! Conrad tackles Steele into the room. Don looks back and makes his way down the staircase. Don makes his way another floor down to another stairwell. Turner makes his way up the staircase, his shotgun points forward. The window behind the stairwell is open. Don makes his way to the stairwell. TURNER LEMME SEE YOUR HANDS! DON Buddy... Don keeps his hands up, the shotgun muzzle in his face. TURNER GET ON YOUR KNEES! Don looks at Turner's face. The shotgun shakes in his hand. DON Sorry, buddy... Don pushes the shotgun's muzzle away from his face. The gun goes off next to Don's ear. The world goes silent. Turner tries to rack the shotgun. Don shoves him against the window and holds the shotgun. Turner racks it as Don pushes him forward further. Don pushes his him forward and takes his knife out, his eyes wide. Don cuts the sling off and pushes him out the window. DON (CONT’D) Oh, oh fuck... Turner falls into a dumpster face first. The top door closes on top of him. DON (CONT’D) Oh, I'm getting the death penalty. Don takes the shotgun and eyes it for a moment. He shakes his head, clears it, and throws it off to the side. He makes his way down to the first floor. The sirens continue in the distance. A SWAT MRAP arrives. Bullets fly through the glass as those in the MRAP start to take cover. Don runs out to EXT. STREET - NIGHT Behind him, SWAT officers shoot back at the roof tops. Don sneaks past them and heads into INT. ALLEY - NIGHT Don looks up at the open window, then at the dumpster below. Don walks up to the dumpster. He checks behind him. DON Hey buddy, you okay? Turner groans. TURNER Fuck.... You, asshole... Don undoes his shemagh and throws it off to the side. His face carries a cut on the side of it. DON That's a yes. Don makes a run for the end of the alley. His phone vibrates. JAMES (text) I see you, make your way down to the end of the alley. Don continues to break out in a sprint. The gunfire continues behind him. A rusty hatchback pulls up the front of the alley. Parks runs out behind him, his rifle up. He lowers his weapon as Don slides across the hood of James's car and gets in. INT. HATCHBACK - NIGHT DON DRIVE DRIVE DRIVE! James puts the car in gear and guns it out of the area. Sarah sits next to Don. James makes his way towards the freeway. SARAH Where the hell's your friend? DON Cops got him probably- I don't fucking know. Don massages his eyes. DON (CONT’D) This is fucked, this is so fucking fucked! Don freezes up and tries to take a breath. DON (CONT’D) We fucked up, we fucked up, we fucked up so god damn bad... A police checkpoint is set up in front of the group. JAMES Now, be calm now Don- Don jumps out of the car and runs down another alley. Sarah closes the door behind him as Don makes his way down an alley. JAMES (CONT’D) ...And there he goes... EXT. ALLEYWAY - NIGHT A lady starts to get into her car. Don walks up to her and gets his gun out. DON Ma'am, can I borrow your car? IND WOMAN 1 Boy, you got a gun pointed at my head, am I supposed to say no? DON Please give me your purse. Don keeps the gun up. His face is darkened. Don's hand shakes as he does so. The lady gives Don her purse and her hands shake. Don takes her purse and takes the keys out of it. He passes the purse to her. DON (CONT’D) Thanks, I'll leave it somewhere you can find it. The lady looks at him with confusion in her eyes. Don gets in the car and drives off. He stops at EXT. GROCERY STORE - NIGHT Don takes the top of his jacket off and gets out of the car. He makes a run down the street and throws the OCP top into a trash can. CUT TO: INT. APARTMENT - NIGHT Don runs inside, his eyes wide. James and Sarah look at Don with confused looks. SARAH We waited for you at the other end of the alley. Ash chuckles and shakes her head. ASH The gentleman car jacker, huh? You never took me as the guy who boosted cars. DON Save it. Don runs into his room and comes out. He wears a pair of jeans and a T-shirt. DON (CONT’D) Oh shit, oh shit, oh shit... Don carries wide eyes. DON (CONT’D) This is so fucked. JAMES Don. James tries to reach his hand out to Don. Don begins to pace up and down the room. DON I've stolen a car, Conrad's murdered someone, I'm a fucking killer, and some poor lady can't drive home to her family... This is so fucked! Don begins to hyperventilate. Sarah walks over and takes his hand. JAMES SERGEANT DONOVAN PAULSEN! The room goes quiet as Don gives him a look of anger. DON Don't fucking call me that. JAMES That's what you are and always will be to me. DON And you know that's bullshit and I wasn't deserving of that promotion. James smacks him.