INT. INTERROGATION ROOM
LENNY, and JEFF are sitting
in a room across the way from each other. LENNY has a folder with papers
spilling out of it. JEFF is looking rough.
JEFF
Can I
light a smoke in here?
LENNY
Man,
you know the rules
JEFF
Bureaucratic
bullshit now a days, chief has lost his balls.
LENNY
Yeah,
it's changing that's for sure. Why are we doing this again, man?
JEFF
Because,
Lenny, I was intoxicated and operating a vehicle. I also was speeding. Drugs
may have played a role.
LENNY
Right.
But this is also your 3rd DUI in the last (looking at papers). .
few months. There also was a shit ton of ketamine in your car. Date rape drugs,
roofies. The hell are you doing?
JEFF
Lenny,
I don't know.
LENNY
Jeff,
you can't be doing this. (leaning in - quietly) You know better than anybody we
can pull some strings here in such a small county.
JEFF
What if
I'm the supplier, and the dealer? What then Lenny? The fuck am I gonna get out
of this? I mean really get out of this?
LENNY
Jeff,
we're not negotiating yet. It has to go up the chain. Have you forgot how this
works?
JEFF
Lenny.
You know that crime is a necessary part of society? Without crime we wouldn't
have a healthy county, state, city, country. Fuck it's all over the world in
all different forms. A society without crime is impossible, because crime is a
basic feature of the solidarity that binds social groups together. It's the
common cold, flu, a goddamn fever. All you are serving is nothing. You're a
fucking band aid.
LENNY
You did
this at one time. You've sat on this side.
JEFF
But
sometimes, there's a virus, a contagious virus, a monster, and nobody has the
answers of where its from and what its doing. Sometimes you never stop
bleeding.
LENNY
Jeff.
JEFF
Lenny,
there's a virus out there. That's why I'm in here. There's a virus, and it's
deciding fates.
LENNY
What
are you even talking about? Jeff this is the drugs talking.
JEFF
No it's
not the fucking drugs talking, Lenny. If you'd listen to me for once-
LENNY
Shit
doesn't change with you man. I remember you getting whacked out on the fucking
job.
JEFF
At
least I was working on cases-
LENNY
And
losing guys to cases
JEFF
Man,
shit happened, shit fucking happened and I think about that day every waking
moment, but I'm here now with something. Something real!
LENNY
Yeah,
yeah.
JEFF
Believe
me, Lenny.
LENNY
You got
a name? Location?
JEFF
It's
always random spots, and he goes by The Messiah. That's all I got. He buys in
bulk.
LENNY
Hm.
JEFF
Yep,
that's it.
LENNY
That's
not it Jeff. I know you, no matter how long its been, what you've been taking,
I know you.
JEFF
I
can't.
LENNY
Jeff,
if there's something on your mind you can say it. Nothing will happen. You have
my word.
JEFF
All
right, The Messiah. This guy, person. I was sitting in his truck with him, like
usual. But there was a smell. The smell.
LENNY
Yeah?
JEFF
You
know what I'm talking about. You've smelt it. The smell that sticks with you,
stays in your soul, that smell that once you get a whiff you never sleep the
night through.
LENNY
You
think you can meet with him again?
JEFF
Fuck
you.
LENNY
We need
something real. The guy could have come back from hunting. We need a body. At
least your word on it. We'll wire you up.
JEFF
(pleading)
Man,
this wasn't from fucking deer hunting!
LENNY
Jeff,
Jeff. If you pull through with this we could work on wiping the slate. I could
talk to chief about it.
JEFF
(Shrug,
as in "okay")
(INT. INTERROGATION ROOM, 4 DAYS LATER. JEFF LOOKS
PALE. ALMOST AS IF LIFE IS GETTING PULLED OUT OF HIM SLOWLY. HIS SKIN
TRANSLUCENT, BODY SKINNIER. )
LENNY
Shit,
you all right Jeff? You look rough.
Hand in hair, rubbing eyes,
tried to yawn but doesn't have the strength.
JEFF
(Slowly)
What?
LENNY
You
have anything for me man? Nothing came through on that wire.
JEFF
What?
Nothing came through?
LENNY
Nope.
Describe to me how the interaction went at least.
JEFF
It was
out in the fucking flats, out past the 110, where those bridges were never
finished. I got in the car and he was murmuring a prayer, then started talking
my ear off about anthropological bullshit, essence of man, what the true being
is, that all of us are unworthy sinners.
LENNY
Yeah,
but did he have anything?
JEFF
I asked
him if he studied it, or what his deal was with praying.
LENNY
Hears tap on glass. Looks
over at JEFF with a look of expectation.
We need
something Jeff, I need something.
JEFF
Then he
grabbed me by the throat. I pushed on him, like why his truck smelled like
fucking death. He said that he didn't smell a goddamn thing. He got out of the
car-
LENNY
What
did The Messiah have?
JEFF
I was
trying to get away. I knew something was up, but he got to my side and ripped
me out, grabbing me by the throat again.
LENNY
Jesus.
JEFF
He
dragged me to the back of the truck. He opened it up, and shoved my face onto
the tailgate. There was a fucking body in the back, staring at me, looking
right the fuck at me. It was sewn together, like multiple fucking people.
Pause by both characters
for 10 seconds or so.
JEFF
He
wretched my head so I was looking at him. He looked right into my eyes. I felt
it Lenny. He said "You're my fuel, I know your lies, I know your
pneuma". He knew all about being a cop drop out, fucking DUI shit,
drugs. Everything.
LENNY
Jeff,
I'm sorry.
JEFF
He is
playing the force of God, Lenny. He kept talking about the true being, the root
of creation, and the fucking core of divinity.
JEFF stands up out of his
chair.
LENNY
Jeff I
really need you to sit down. You need water or something? I'm here Jeff.
JEFF
There
was a long pause where I stopped struggling and he said look into the
eyes of the maker. He let go for a sec and reached for a sickle fucking
thing and I grabbed my knife I had and jabbed him in the leg as I was falling
back. It didn't even break the fucking skin though. I don't know what he did
because after that I just ran.
LENNY
The
knife didn't go into him? You missed?
JEFF
(Frantic)
I
created this, I fucking fed the mouth Lenny. I killed all those people. He
knows Lenny, he'll end me like them all.
LENNY
STANDING UP
Jeff,
calm down, we can work together.
JEFF
You
know how he does it Lenny. You know how he cleanses?
LENNY
How?
JEFF
(Nearly
yelling/screaming)
He
drains them. Hangs them up like fucking animals. He releases the sins.
LENNY
(calming)
Jeff,
listen to me, he doesn't know you're here. Everything is fine.
JEFF
(saying
loudly/not quite yelling)
I can
end it. I can end it all, right now. I've ground my life down to this. Just not
by him.
LENNY
(even
more calming)
Jeff
I'm you're long time friend. I know you, this is not you. Trust me right now
Jeff.
JEFF
(quietly)
Lenny
I've been touched by the immortal of the fallen angels... (aggressive) There's
no more drugs to take, all the fucking bottles are empty.
LENNY
(yelling)
JEFF!
GET AHOLD OF YOURSELF. LOOK AT ME!
JEFF gets on his knees in
front of LENNY
JEFF
Our
father who art in heaven . . .
LENNY
JEFF!
JEFF
I can't
go back Lenny, there's no place to breath. He fucking knows Lenny. The Messiah
knows.
JEFF scrabbles towards
LENNY, tackles him onto the ground, grabs his gun, and puts it in his mouth,
pulls the trigger instantly as other officers rush in.
