Short screenplay from the Done Deal Neo Noir 2 contest, May 2010 "Blood Money" FADE IN: INT. HOTEL BAR - NIGHT MITZI sits alone at the bar, looking unsure of herself instead of being on the cover of a glossy magazine where she belongs. A SLICK GUY ambles over and flashes his teeth. SLICK GUY I think it's a crime. MITZI What is? SLICK GUY A good-looking dame like you, all alone on a cold night like this. Slick Guy signals the BARTENDER - two drinks! Mitzi doesn't even notice, she's watching TWO GUYS in black suits waiting at the elevator. DING! The doors open. INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT Pink neon blinks through the window blinds. Shaky hands load a cracked-open revolver. Bullets tumble to the floor and roll under the bed. The owner of the shaky hands, LOUIS, squeezes under the bed to get the bullets. His probing fingers almost touch them-- The door crashes open and the two guys in black suits aim their automatics at an apparently empty room. Louis, under the bed, has a good view of their feet. BLACK SUIT 1 Big Rocco said he'd be here. BLACK SUIT 2 Maybe we should wait for him. BLACK SUIT 1 Nah. His girlfriend's downstairs. Let's take her out back. She'll sing like a duck when we start breaking her fingers. BLACK SUIT 2 I thought ducks went quack quack? They put their automatics back in their underarm holsters, and turn to leave. The CLICK of a cocking gun makes them freeze. They slowly look back over their shoulders. Louis kneels on the floor, elbows resting on the bed, aiming the big revolver. The barrel shakes. BLACK SUIT 1 Hey Louis. Were you hiding under the bed? BLACK SUIT 2 That ain't cool, Louis. LOUIS I got nothing against you guys. I just want out. You put your hardware on the floor, you get to walk out of here alive. Black Suit 1 looks down and sees the scattered bullets under the bed. He grins. Black Suit 2 catches on and grins too. BLACK SUIT 1 You gotta get yourself an automatic, Louis. I got fifteen slugs in my magazine and one in the pipe. You got what, one, two at most? BLACK SUIT 2 Maybe none. Both guys grab for their guns, trying to beat Louis. The old revolver THUNDERS twice. The two guys are punched back against the door frame. Red bloodstains spread across their white shirts. They slide down, dead as doornails. INT. HOTEL BAR - NIGHT Mitzi is still being badgered by Slick Guy. SLICK GUY Twenty bucks, that's my top offer. Slick Guy's eyes bulge because Louis's pressing something hard into his back, and it ain't a banana. LOUIS The lady said get lost, creep. Slick Guy gets lost fast. MITZI Oh Louis, I didn't think you was gonna come back. There was these two guys, I didn't like the look of them. They went upstairs. I think they were looking for you. LOUIS I didn't see them. C'mon, grab your purse. We're going somewhere nice, I promise. Louis and Mitzi head for the door but BIG ROCCO enters, flanked by TWO GOONS. Big Rocco glares at Louis. BIG ROCCO (to Goons) Go buy the lady a drink, boys. Be real nice to her. Me and Louis got business to discuss. The Goons escort Mitzi to the bar, she looks back, worried. Big Rocco takes Louis to an empty booth, they sit down. LOUIS Leave her out of this, she doesn't know what I do. BIG ROCCO I paid you to wipe out Sammy the Squealer. What happened? LOUIS I got past the Feds but his family was there. I couldn't shoot him with his wife and kids watching. Louis takes out a fat envelope and drops it on the table. LOUIS It's all there. I was gonna give it back to you. I ain't no thief. BIG ROCCO You disappoint me, Louis. You were the guy I could always rely on. The guy who never misses. Big Rocco looks around, as if searching for someone. LOUIS If you're looking for the Barreta Brothers, they found me. BIG ROCCO They were never as good as you, Louis. Louis and Big Rocco draw guns at the same time. Stand-off. BIG ROCCO Toss it away or the broad gets it. Louis looks over at the bar -- the two Goons are holding Mitzi, she struggles but they're too strong. Louis throws his gun away, it lands over by the door. Big Rocco grins and thumbs back his gun's hammer. BIG ROCCO Don't worry. You and her'll be together soon. In a desert grave. LOUIS Son of a bitch-- SAMMY THE SQUEALER (O.S.) Hey, Rocco! Big Rocco looks round at the voice -- BLAM! He's a dead man, a bloody hole in his forehead. Louis grabs Big Rocco's gun and BLAM, BLAM! -- the two Goons clutch their hearts and slide down the bar. Mitzi gingerly steps away from them. SAMMY THE SQUEALER points his gun at Louis's head. Louis lays Big Rocco's gun down on the table. SAMMY THE SQUEALER I saw you outside my house. LOUIS Yeah. SAMMY THE SQUEALER You gave the Feds the slip and drove away. Why? LOUIS You had your family with you. It wasn't right. Sammy lowers his gun. He indicates Big Rocco. SAMMY THE SQUEALER The Feds ain't gonna be happy with me. I'm leavin' town. Heading south. LOUIS Then I'm heading north. Sammy the Squealer nods OK and exits. Mitzi throws her arms around Louis. MITZI Oh Louis. Louis snatches up the money envelope and gives it to Mitzi. LOUIS Come on, babe. Let's blow this joint. From now on it's just you and me. They head for the door, smiling. Mitzi opens the door, Louis bends and picks up his gun from where it landed-- AMPLIFIED BULLHORN VOICE (V.O.) This is the police! Put down your weapons! Shocked, Louis fumbles his gun -- A DOZEN GUNS OPEN FIRE. Louis and Mitzi dance like spastic puppets as they're riddled with bullet holes. The shooting stops, Louis and Mitzi collapse in bloody heaps. A confetti of money rains down on their corpses. FADE OUT§