THE RUNNER SCREENPLAY - BRIAN R. LUNDIN (booksvooks .txt) 📗

and steady, slow and steady.” Michael saw a shadow moving in the trees he took a deep breath, held it, aimed, and slowly pulled the trigger. There was a loud crack in the cold night air. Michael wiped the back of his hand across his eyes. The rainwater made them sting like hell. Michael heard a quiet groan, “I’ve got the motherfucker,” Michael said aloud as he pulled the trigger two more times, jumped to his feet and cautiously sprinted between the trees. Michael heard another groan. The sound seemingly came from behind one of the evergreens. Michael was running fast, towards the sound of the groans. He saw two legs on the ground. Michael ran around the tree, rifle at the ready, ready to kill that bastard, Vito Paligreno. When Michael looked down, he saw Anthony’s blood rushing from gaping wounds in his chest and head. Michael felt sick and temporarily lost his breath. He heard a rustling in the trees, when he turned his head toward the sound, Michael panic-stricken eyes locked on Vito pointing the machine gun at him.


VITO
Drop it asshole!

MICHAEL
How did you know?

VITO
I knew you two assholes would try somethin’ to get even for that pimp muthafucka boss of yours that I fucked up, some of my good neighbors saw you sneaking around so I just waited, asshole.

Michael screamed and turned his weapon towards Vito. Vito let loose a five round burst into Michael’s chest. Michael could taste the warm metallic blood in his mouth and piercing pain came with each breath as he fell. His body flexed as his sphincter muscles relaxed and he voided his bowels and bladder. Vito stood over Michael’s quivering body and pulled a soiled handkerchief from his pocket and held it to his nose as he fired four more bullets into Michael’s body. Vito walked slowly over to the dying man who even in death throes his fierce eyes looked defiantly at Vito. Vito kicked the man in the face and then took out his penis and pissed on Michael’s dying body before he walked to the rear yard, rubbed Keisha, and went inside his house.

The State Street Boy’s street gang was doing well. Through Jerome McLemore, Pops had been introduced to the new Deputy Chief of Area One, Ronald Casey and he had promised his help in their drug business, for the proper compensation of course. Pops had inquired about cutting Commander Hollis in on their booming business but were told by the Deputy Chief and Jerome that the Commander was honest. Jerome knew that Commander Hollis was more concerned about street crime. There were more than enough robberies, rapes and murders in the 2nd District to keep his officers busy, the Commander didn’t condone or condemn policy gambling or drug dealing as long as there was no violence involved. He told Jerome to pass the word to the State Street Boys that if there were violence he would come down on them hard. Jerome liked and respected Commander Hollis, he was a good man and a hell of a policeman, and he knew that the Commander meant what he said.

Mexican gangs peddled most of the Mexican mud on the southwest side of the city, they knew the drugs were bad, but the drug suppliers were their countrymen so they gave them their business. The Mexican junkies were getting sick and many had died from the bad drugs. The Mexican gang known as the 26th Street Hombres knew that had to put national pride aside otherwise they were going to go out of business. They had heard of the of the State Street Boy’s and knew they had the connection for the good heroin. They arranged a meeting between their war chief, Jesus Homare and Cinque. The meeting took place in neutral territory, downtown Chicago at the Civic Center restaurant.

JESUS
We want to buy some of your goods.

CINQUE
How much?

JESUS
How about ten keys, to start?

CINQUE
That’ll work.

The two young men shook hands solidifying their deal and the following week the State Street Boy’s started supplying the 26th Street Hombres with ten kilo’s of sixty percent pure Bangladesh heroin.


Pops and the State Street Boys continued to receive their goods from the Colombians. The drug-starved junkies immediately recognized the quality of the heroin, the high was more intense and there were no adverse side effect.


The wind was cold as it blew off Lake Michigan. Sergeant Reginald Lundgrin and Jerome McLemore agreed to meet at Juanita’s Lounge at eight-thirty in the morning. The sergeant arrived at eight and took a seat at the bar. Juanita was behind the bar washing glasses.

INT: JUANTA’S LOUNGE-MORNING

JUANTA
(Juanita drying her hand and beginning to make Reggie favorite drink, a Kiddie Koctail)
Long time no see sergeant how you been?

REGGIE
Going along, Juanita how is business?

JUANTA
(sliding the drink over to Reggie.)
Up and down, up and down! It’s a damn shame about that lady and her little baby.

REGGIE
(looking at the colorful drink that was made of orange and pineapple juices and a dash of lemon juice topped off with two lemon slices)
Yep, it sure was, I intend to talk with Ringo later, I heard he was the only eyewitness.

JUANITA
Yeah, that’s what I heard too but it looks like he saved the lady and little child in the basement.

REGGIE
That was a gutsy move he made going into that burning building the commander is recommending a city commendation.

The bar was full, police officer working the first watch or the midnight shift was gathered around the bar drinking and talking loud, a common trait of policeman. The sergeant recognized a young police officer, named Collins that was two weeks out of the academy. Collins was sitting alone at the end of the bar. Three shot glasses were turned over, in front of him and his head was in his hands.

REGGIE (sitting down besides Collins) What’s up?

COLLINS
Bad night Sarge.

REGGIE
Yeah, it can be like that sometimes.

COLLINS
Give me and the Sarge another one.

Juanita walked over and looked at the young officer.
JUANITA

You’re pretty tight today, that’s your fifth shot of Johnny Walker Black, and you sure you can handle it?
OFFICER COLLINS (beginning to cry)

JUANITA
How about a cup of hot coffee?

Officer Collins nods his head.

REGGIE
What’s wrong?

COLLINS
I grew up in the hood, Sarge at 43rd Vincennes. When I was a shortie my boys and me did our share of bullshit, but these young niggers out there now is dangerous, they have no respect for life at all. About three in the morning we got a call of a “Man Down,” at 47th and Evans. When we got there, this young dude maybe nineteen or twenty was lying in the street, blood everywhere. An old woman was placing towels on his chest. She told us that she heard loud talking and when she looked out her window, she saw this young couple walking and holding a box from Curt’s Chicken-In-The-Box. Three young men, maybe fifteen or sixteen was following the couple and talking about how big the woman’s ass was. As they passed her window she saw one of the men grabbed the woman’s ass. The man with the woman struck the man and then his two partners jumped him. During the fight the woman ran down the street and the old woman saw one of the young men repeatedly stab the man. After he fell to the ground, the men ran south on Evans, but she knows them, they hang with her grandson. I sat on the sidewalk with the kid holding his head in my lap while the woman and my partner tried to stop the bleeding. In a few minutes, his wife and two of her brothers was there. She was damn near hysterical. She told me that they were married two days ago and she was pregnant. She bends down and held her husband’s hand. The young man had tears in his eyes when he looked at her; by the time the ambulance arrived, he was gone.

The sergeant hugged the young officer and called a squad car to take him home. The door opened and Jerome entered followed by Madame Bourneis and Marque. Reggie nearly choked on his drink, with Jerome was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, her beauty stunned even Juanita. Jerome pulled up a barstool close to Reggie, Howling Wolf was hollering out “Smoke Stack Lightning,” on the jukebox.


REGGIE
(looking at Madame Bourneis and her companion who had taken a seat in a booth. Reggie turns his attention back to Jerome)
Good afternoon, Mr. McLemore, why didn’t you report being kidnapped, Jerome?

JEROME
Who said I was kidnapped?

REGGIE
I’ve got eyes and ears out here, not too much go on out here that I don’t eventually know about. Do you know anything about the fire-bombing of your station across the street?

JEROME
No, nothing you don’t already know, but I’m sorry for the young lady who lost her baby.

REGGIE
Yeah, that was too bad. By the way, I got a copy of the Gary Medical Examiner’s Autopsy Report on the fire at a warehouse where three bodies were found, it was interesting reading.

JEROME
How so?

REGGIE
Well, it appears that three Italian men were brutally killed, one was gutted, another was beheaded and another looked one looked like he was literally scared to death, know anything about that?


JEROME
(getting up to leave)
Nope!

Reggie trying to avoid staring at Madame Bourneis gently grabbed Jerome’s arm and whispered in his ear,

REGGIE
Who is that beautiful lady you’re with?

JEROME
(whispering in Reggie’s ear)
Her name is Madame Bourneis and she is from New Orleans, that’s her friend Marque.

When Madame got up from the booth, she stopped, stared at Reggie and centered her deep black eyes into his. Suddenly, Reggie’s mouth got very dry, his heart began to beat faster, he began sweating and his tongue seemed to be swelling. He had an overwhelming fear of something, he did not know what. Madame Bourneis smiled at him, but it wasn’t a friendly or threatening smile, but it sent a cold chill through Reggie and he could have sworn that he saw fangs, long bloody fangs in her beautiful mouth, she turned away and they left and just as suddenly, his ill feelings was gone.

JUANITA
Are you ok?

REGGIE
Yeah, I’m ok. She is the most beautiful woman I have ever seen.

Reggie was shaking his head attempting to shake the vision of her fangs from his mind. By ten o’clock the bar was full of police officers, hustlers and other early morning drinkers, another day in the big city.


INT: COMMANDER HOLLIS OFFICE-MORNING

HOLLIS
Anything new on that firebombing?

REGGIE
Not really, but the word on the street is that the Outfit, or should I say Vito Paligreno was behind the bombing and is trying to make a move on Jerome McLemore policy operation. I think that Vito also was behind Jerome’s kidnapping, but Jerome ain’t saying anything, he won’t even admit that he was kidnapped.”

HOLLIS
What’s your next move?

REGGIE
I am going to keep digging and if Vito is behind the death of that baby, his ass is mine!

The following Sunday, after church Reggie and his wife Irene went to Commander Hollis house for dinner. Irene had given up long