(A screenplay By M.Thierry, JL.Blake, M.Gordon & H.Ebanks)
They stole a young woman's Heart, Now its time for reparations!
THE HEART THIEVES
From a Concept By
Michael R. Thierry
ACT ONE
FADE IN:
EXT: Wide angle view MIDTOWN ATLANTA---LOCAL RESTAURANT/EATERY---NIGHT __Titles up across screen- Atlanta GA. Midtown December 2018...The words fade camera zooms down to reveal...
Near a park with water fountains, sidewalk and Christmas decorations and greenery a young black woman, slim, pretty, long natural hair and smiling has exited a restaurant with friends. They laugh and hug goodbye as they enter an adjacent lot. PUSH across the roadway we see her as she waves at her friends who get into their own respective cars as she enters a parking lot. They drive away as she gets into her car, a sporty Tesla. She pauses looking at a little heart keychain then fumbling with her keys to start her ignition she drops them. When she sits up a headlight from another car shines its high beams momentarily startling her and her window crashes in she turns screaming when an arm comes across her throat and we see a gloved hand insert a hypodermic needle into her neck camera pulls back to see several figures surrounding the car as a limp body is dragged across the lot into a blue or black van the door closes and the screen goes black.
2. INT KITCHEN MORNING
Flat screen TV is on visible from Kitchen we see two kids about ten and eleven years old (girls) sitting down watching the morning news as a young male black activist speaker explains “
Activist:
“ …statistics show there are more than 75,000 young Black Americans are ... of young Black girls and women who are missing and no one not the FBI, not our local police no one not even the black church seems to care….That’s what Black Lives Have Value is all about...there is no other agenda but saving lives...”
Female Anchor:
...(casually interrupting)...and now for our Waking Up Boston special musical guest Cardi B with some revealing fashion tips for all the young ladies out there…
Television is turned abruptly off! (we see a tall lean black man with a stern expression that breaks into a smile as his (little boy and little girl) paternal twins kids rush to his arms yelling “Daddy! Daddy!” The man is wearing a white construction helmet identifying him as a boss he is also wearing a white shirt with a name tag and tie, clean shaven but world weary, holding a remote control he leads the kids to the breakfast placing a box of cereal on the table already set with bowls and glasses of orange juice as they moan and groan about missing the best part of the show...
Derrick Blake:
Karen! What do you have these kids watching?
Karen Blake:
“Honey, when did you get back?” (Karen a pretty black woman with a natural but professional hairstyle rushes into Derrick’s arms... half dressed in a linen white blouse no skirt with sexy legs galore, holding a shoe in one hand and a blazer in the other as they hug and kiss)
Derrick:
“My flight got in this morning, we got the contract signed and the job is a go for the builders collective. After this job you Asst. Principal Allen, will be married to the first CEO of a multi-million dollar company that got his start in structural engineering from the penitentiary!”
Karen:
Okay Mr. Bossman CEO but do you think you could pack the kids lunch while I finish dressing? By the way, you owe me a new pair of shoes since your sister borrowed my favorite pair the last time she visited and never returned them. I have to look my best. I have a parent / teachers conference today and the parents are up in arms about the school board bringing armed security guards into the school.
Derrick:
I don’t blame them every day schools are looking more and more like prisons, while our neighborhoods are being taken over by Starbucks! And if the meeting works out Big Daddy CEO will buy you those pink bottoms all the women love.
Karen:
(Kiddingly)“That's RED bottoms, and I thought you liked Starbuck’s Mr Caffe’ Mocha every morning CEO?”
Derrick:
“The only Starbuck I liked was on Battlestar Galactica. That white girl had a booty!”
Karen:
“...You know the original Starbuck was a man?”
Derrick:
How did I end up marrying the only Nerd in the hood that would know that…?
Karen:
Take one to know one...besides you know it was MY booty that you fell in love with!
(They move in close embrace lovingly kiss...Derrick pats her on the rear)
Derrick:
Amen to that!
As they kiss again the kids are seen with coats on giggling and peeking in on their parents from the adjacent room.
Derrick:
(In a phony comical angry voice)C’mon you two Maxine and Maxwell let’s get your lunches from the table Daddy’s gonna drop you off at school today. “Y’all gon’ make me lose my mind…(Grrrr!).”
The Kid’s laugh and runs back to the table to grab their lunch daddy following, as Mom finds her other shoe putting it on awkwardly and grabbing her purse as they all head for the door… scene cuts to close up of police lights on top of squad car camera zooms out to reveal traffic Jam…
3. EXT MIDTOWN ATLANTA PARKING LOT MORNING, OVERCAST DAY WINDY WITH TRAFFIC SLOW MOVING ADJACENT
Exterior trucking camera ground level follows two people one a female middle aged white gray haired and with her is a young man mid 20’s we see the gold badges being held and displayed identifying them as homicide detectives the younger of the two is black and looks like a popular ATL rapper dread-headed could pass for a gangbanger (perhaps he used to be undercover) but seems to be too hyper for the senior detectives liking. It is cold out despite it being Atlanta GA. Parking lot (panoramic wide shot) overhead panning right we view where the two detectives are seen walking up to a van surrounded by uniformed cops and medical team/forensics... it is early morning rush hour and horns are blaring...
Detective Will Allen
“Hey hold up, the corpse isn’t going anywhere…” (Wil pauses when he sees what’s in the van…
OH MAN!....(Starts to gag as officers around him smile lower their heads and try not to laugh at the obviously green kid)
Detective Stephanie A. Prince
You throw up and embarrass me and your name will be Pukeboy until you retire…(Detective Prince gruffly scolds under her breath grabbing him by the shoulders pretending to remove some lint.)
In the van we see sprawled spread eagle a partially clad woman the floor of the van is covered in sticky blood and a light like the kind used in theater productions is attached to the interior of the black van shining down on the corpse whose chest is sewn together as if she is a giant gym shoe with crooked lacings. She is a black woman very pretty even in death her face still made up and in repose as if sleeping. Her body is on wooden fruit crates and her legs are tied together but not to keep her bound, tied as if to keep them from falling off the crate as if she were a trussed turkey. Someone was playing surgeon only the end result was a grisly nightmare.
Prince turns to the watch Sargent she knows he's an old timer lifelong blueblood like her if she remembered correctly his name is David Horry but the H is silent.
Detective Stephanie A. Prince
Sargent Horry, what do we got here?
Sgt. Horry
“Got a call in approximately 4:45 this AM from the parking lot attendant a guy named Luis Vega he’s an illegal ICE is detaining him over there by the Krispy Kream.”
(He licks his lips and gets a faraway look then catches himself slightly embarrassed).
Detective Stephanie A. Prince
“WILL!”
Detective Will Allen
“Yeah?” ( Wil says still freaked out from the scene before him)
Detective Stephanie A. Prince
“Go get some donuts and coffee for these fine gentlemen and take it over there by the squad cars. Get all the first responder statements, while I have a little talk with Sarge.”
(The officers perk up on hearing this and back off giving Detective Prince and the Sarge some space to talk privately.)
Detective Stephanie A. Prince
“Okay Dave, I know that look...you’re not surprised by this shit show so what the Fuck is going on?”
Sgt. Horry
“This is not the first death...I wouldn’t know about it myself if I hadn’t been the alternate covering a watch last week where we had a similar case only it was a 25 year old male...also African American we got some kind of Dr Frankenstein shit going on in the city and the Mayor and the top brass don’t want another Atlanta child murder type scenario.They put you on this because you’re close to retirement and no one else would touch it.”
Detective Stephanie A. Prince
“Close to retirement my ass! (she responds under her breath with gritted teeth} This is some more Good ol boy bullshit! Put the highest ranking female officer on the case and get rid of her and the case at the same time. She fails, no harm no foul, is that it? Plus I’m stuck with a green kid who looks like he got his gold badge from a cereal box...Goddamn!...sons a bitches!”
Sgt. Horry
“Hey it's not me...The brass doesn’t want these cases tied together. The kid was homeless and had some ties to the Folks hung out at West End Mall, mostly running errands for a black bookstore and delivering food for the vegan restaurant in exchange for meals.”
Detective Stephanie A. Prince
“Any intel on the girl?”
Sgt. Horry
“Only that she was a Spelman girl, probably came from a little bit of money. Her shoes were Prada, not a local, a Yankee gal from Boston….we’re checking all the cameras to see if she was at one of the local clubs.”
Detective Stephanie A. Prince
Was she carrying an ID?
Sgt. Horry
“Nope”
Detective Stephanie A. Prince
“Then how did you know…?”
Sgt. Horry
“That’s her car the Tesla with the school bumper sticker and parking decal…fingerprints all over it we’re doing a license and print search now for the ID confirmation
(Horry points to the Sports car surrounded by broken glass)
..ain’t too many on this side of town can afford one of those, and that fancy sorority license plate doesn’t say Buckhead! Also some of the glass from the window was found on her body including the parking receipt from last night. If the attendant had come an hour earlier her body would have been still warm. Dead...but still warm.”
EXT: LONG SHOT zooms out over the shoulder of both officers who turn slightly toward someone calling out/// we see the Sarge and Detective prince turn as Wil runs stumbling across the lot with boxes of donuts and a big box container of coffee.
Detective Stephanie A. Prince
“I couldn’t interest you in my putting in a good word for a promotion to detective Homicide?”
Sgt. Horry
Not a chance...
Det. Prince
Anyone ever told you you're a mean son of a bitch?
Sgt. Horry
Only my Mama…never much liked her…
Det. Prince
“Somehow that doesn’t surprise me.”
Sgt. Horry
“Your protégé is back…(they both turn as will slowly saunters over, hands in pocket, he has a confused look on his face) …see that he doesn’t wet his pants he looks a little wet behind the ears.”
Sgt. Horry turns and walks away toward the coffee and donuts as camera zooms out to a wide overhead shot of the parking lot there is a large pool of blood that has leaked from the van into the dirt, it is surrounded by yellow crime scene tape, a forensics team can be scene in blue jackets and blue latex gloves removing the lifeless body covered in a white sheet. We see the white doors of an ambulance close on the corpse as the two remaining investigators Wil Allen and Stephanie Adrienne Prince stand in the morning sun casting long shadows, silently survey the scene.
ACT TWO
Scene 1 EXTERIOR FADE IN…
…on the words Blake & Ebanks Construction close up of the van door being opened. We see our protagonist Derrick take rolls of architectural drafts out of the van and tuck them under his arm. He looks up, face filled with pride, smile beaming, he waves to someone. Cut to over the shoulder that catches his waving arm and as it zooms back we see a short Hispanic man in an impeccable and stylish business suit who keeps glancing at his watch nervously as if he has been waiting a long time for Derrick to arrive.
The man Quinn Howard is a thin Hispanic man with a neatly trimmed beard, manicured fingers standing next to a black Saab convertible he strokes his beard absentmindedly as if it is a security blanket he seems anxious and uncomfortable. He scowls and points to his expensive timepiece as he stoops to pick up an equally expensive looking briefcase and begins walking frantically hurrying toward a billboard of a high rise that an expanding camera angle reveals to be right behind him with an ad proclaiming the lot to be the future site of a Blake and Ebanks High End Condo-Luxury Apartment Development.
Quin Howard
Derrick, come on man the most important day of our lives and you want to keep these people waiting?
Derrick Blake
“Nobody has waited longer than me bro, derrick laughs.”
[Derrick sighs, takes a deep breath and strides quickly with Quin toward a satellite office trailer where a limo is conspicuously parked.]
Scene 2 INTERIOR MOBILE OFFICE
(Office is spacious and dusty with one big desk w laptop and paperwork strewn about and three obviously worn chairs in the corner is a gray file cabinet with a hardhat on top various office supplies can be seen and a coffee mug that says “World's Best Dad" with pencils and pens inside it.) One man is seated behind the desk. He is pensive and obviously uncomfortable; he wipes his hands as if afraid of contracting a communicable disease from his surroundings. Two rather large and focused men, obviously former military, stand on either side of the desk facing Derrick and Quin stoically with arms crossed in front of them as the anxious duo entered hurriedly.
Quin
(Quin clears his throat quickly gauging that their benefactor a portly Asian man with horn rimmed glasses in a plaid suit is irritated at their tardiness)
“Gentlemen, Mr. Wu we apologize. Thank you for your patience. My partner and I just wanted to make sure we had all the design specs and numbers in case you had any questions about this build. As you know I’m Quin Howard the Lead Project Manager and this is Derrick Blake the CEO of Blake and Ebanks Construction Inc.”
Derrick
Places plans on the desk and offers his hand awkwardly to the man seated
“Mr. Howard is correct Mr. Wu, we apologize for any imposition we know your team at Whitestone are busy people. We just wanted to make sure we were able to answer any questions you may have about the project , timeline, numbers and of course the ROI”
Mr. Wu
”All that is unnecessary, we are here to simply get you started. The banks have been notified and your proof of funds has been cleared. The last is the presentation of documents and clearances to break ground in your company's name and all that is in the letter that I am handing to you now. We know what you can do and look forward to a long and prosperous relationship.”
Derrick
“Just like that…I sign and in six months I’m a multi millionaire? Seems too good to be true.
Mr. Wu
“Actually by the close of the bank tomorrow your company will have access to 100 million US in funds, with both of your signatures of course. As far as it being too good to be true we don’t waste time your company and your reputation have been thoroughly vetted.
Derrick
I find this a little hard to believe why me?
Mr. Wu
The simple fact of the matter is your architectural and drafting skills and inspired use of materials to gain net zero in builds is 20 years ahead of the nearest competition. You have become a force to be reckoned with and we don’t waste time when there is money to be made. This is just the beginning. We see you as a revolutionary, an ally... Now do we have a deal?”
Derrick
(Laughs as he sees Mr. Wu’s hand extended and shakes it firmly) Yes sir, I believe we do!
(Everyone laughs even the bodyguards but especially Quin who wipes sweat from his brow as if nervous the deal was about to crash)
[Camera zooms into handshake between derrick and Mr. Wu close up on Ruby ring on Mr. Wu’s finger shining brightly…fade to…]
SCENE THREE Late in the Evening
EXTREME CLOSE UP (then cut to expanding shot) INTERIOR:
Fade in Closeup Wine glasses clinking, expanding shot of light refracting dolly out as we see seated in a fine restaurant Mr. Wu and Quin in a private booth, the bodyguards blocking public view. The lighting is ambient but cheerful. We see Quin’s expensive briefcase on the table, he (Quin) opens it up and Mr. Wu hands him a thick manila envelope that Quin silently places the package into the briefcase and closes it firmly smiling as he lifts his glass once more as in toast to Mr. Wu and starts to rise.
Mr. Wu
One moment Mr. Quin, before you go although our business is concluded rarely in my line of business do people surprise me, but you are a conundrum...I am curious.
Quin
About what? This is worth a lot of money. (Quin laughs patting his briefcase).
Mr. Wu
You misunderstand; it is not your greed that surprises me, but your willingness to cross such an obviously dangerous man as your business partner when the deal alone would have been enough to satisfy most men. Our research is quite thorough Mr. Quin. We know that Derrick Blake is responsible for the deaths of over a dozen street hardened professional killers not to mention their bosses and he did this at 17 years old. In my line of business and if he were Chinese we would think of him as a prodigy someone to recruit.
Quin
“Let me tell you something I did this, I may not have the degrees or the talent to design, or a couple of life insurance policies waiting for me when I got out.
Hell! I don’t give a shit about net zero and zoning regulations, but this shit here, this idea, this dream, this company. I put this together just as much as he did,
Mr Wu
But your partner is a genius you could do just as well without the betrayal?
Quin
I sweated on every job, I’m not going to let some ex drug dealing thug from the streets take what’s mine... just because he spent time in a classroom getting all the licenses and accolades, I bled and pushed for this...Derrick would be nothing without me... This should have all been mine! Everything he has should have been mine. And it will be.”
Mr. Wu
Ah I see, a romantic...Very well, my men are in place. Do not contact us again. We will contact you from now on, enjoy the life you have chosen, may it be long without getting old.
SCENE 4
Interior Police Station. It's late morning officers are seen moving lethargically; the lights are harsh and sterile. Detective Allen is standing by a copy/fax machine and grabs some freshly printed documents as he looks up he sees his partner the senior detective saunter in looking haggard and worn. He glances at his watch and purses his lips as if to stop himself from speaking. But the disappointed look on his face exposes his inner turmoil. As Stephanie looks up to see his disapproving scowl it is all she can do to keep from laughing out loud. She whispers under her breath…
Detective Prince
“ I’m going to need some caffeine…”
Detective Will Allen
Excuse me?
Detective Prince
“I said let's go over the intel we got from yesterday on that crime scene. Forensics should have faxed over the identity of the vic by now.”
Detective Will Allen
Yes, Ma’am identification just came in a few moments before you (Will starts reading the document) …the victim’s name was Brittany Maxine Blake. She was aged 22 born in Boston Massachusetts a Junior Honors student at Spelman College political Science major, member Spelman Pre-Law Society where she was Co-Social Chair, One arrest dismissed disorderly conduct when she marched with Black Lives Matter…
Detective Prince
(interrupting) Sounds like we lost one of the good ones, contact next of kin. I'm heading to the morgue. Schedule an appointment with the school administration then meet me at the examiners office when you're done, then we’ll head over to the school and start interviewing her classmates and professors. It's gonna be a long day.
[As detective Allen closes the folder a photo drops onto the desk it is a smiling beautiful black girl in a cheerleader uniform. Detective Prince looks at the photo her weariness changes to a look of determination, her energy renewed she hands the photo back to Will…]
Detective Prince
We need a win on this one Will…if we don’t all hell’s gonna break loose in this city, make the call.
[Detective Prince leaves as Will picks up the phone. Camera zooms in on the smiling face of the murdered girl.] Fade to Black
Scene 5
We hear a whimpering a small voice in the darkness pleads …
Ann
"Please Mister let meeee goooouch!,Aaawww! Snaggletoothed Sonuvabitch! You bit me!" (She starts giggling)
[A lamp is turned on and we see the inside of a retrofitted van with heavy metal posters Metallica, Insane Clown Posse taped to a spartan black interior, a shag throw rug with sex toys and empty Hennessy bottles strewn about and a discarded leather paddle. Flat on her back on a military cot with leather arm and leg restraints is an obvious prostitute dressed like a goth porn star raggedy Ann with striped stockings garish makeup, nursing a bite mark on the inside of her thighs.]
Ann
“Dammit Stitch, you know the rough stuff is extra, it takes time to heal… you're gonna make me lose money with your pervy ass.”
Stitch
( A walking cliche’ scruffy white guy shirtless in dirty faded blue jeans, long hair with prison tattoos replies gently in a southern accent) “Sorry Annie babe, you're so beautiful y’know I can get carried away sometimes.”
Ann
Taken away is more likely, and where did you get this creepy van, the Mackee de Sard or sumthin’...
Stitch
My brother Julius, he's got some hush hush night job pays him great, but this van stays in the garage all day. I thought I might as well get something out of this (pulls out a wad of cash and waves it), doesn’t little Annie want some of Stitch's candy?
Annie starts to laugh as Stitch climbs on top of her. Suddenly the van doors swing open and Stitch is dragged by his feet out of the van. We see they are in a rural and somewhat secluded area, Annie sits up with her hands to the sides of her face and starts to scream when a bullet from a pistol with a silencer shoots her through the forehead. We see the hole and her shocked expression as her head is flung back against a blood splattered partition as she is silenced forever.
Stitch
Annie!(crying)Annie! Oh no, no, what the fu…
Stitch doesn't have time to think as the muzzle against his temple blows his brains out and fills his eyeballs with blood. A man reaches down ruffles through the dead man's jeans and retrieves some keys. Then he gently lifts the body, depositing it in the back of the van with the other corpse. He is crying softly, after picking up the discarded cash he shuts the door and camera pulls out to reveal behind him the two men we saw with Mr. Wu in Boston. He then hands the keys to one of the men, the other takes the gun from him, wipes it, removes the silencer and hands it back to him. He also hands him a package of plastic wrapped bills. The bodyguards nod to each other, enter the van and pull off .
Julius
I’m sorry bro...Stitch I’m sorry, I’m sorry…
End Scene
Scene 6
EXT: It is late afternoon we see Derrick Entering his high rise apt. We see a sign that reads “Harbor View” and the landscaping is pristine. We feel the ambiance of the setting sun as he enters,
INT: Cutting to Interior a very posh lobby and shiny stainless steel Elevator, smoothly the elevator opens, as Derrick exits on his floor.