Raven sits in a bright, comfortable armchair in a white, sparsely-decorated living room, holding a drink in her hand, staring into space. The look in her eyes has changed. Before she seemed invincible, and now she looks hardened, as if she has seen too much.
(off-screen)
And then?
RAVEN
(still staring into space)
Hm?
MALE VOICE
(off-screen)
And then what? How did you get out
of it?
Raven returns to the present and looks at the man speaking to her, who has been looking out the window but has turned to talk to her. He’s a little older than he, a strong, well-built man who looks like he works outdoors for a living. He is JAKE BRENNAN, and he seems very troubled.
Oh. The next morning I woke up
in Tom’s apartment. He had carried
me all the way home, cleaned me up
and put me to bed.
JAKE
Romantic. Most men would have bailed
and left you there.
RAVEN
I know, he’s a rare one. He seemed
to get off on what I did as much as
me. Three months later, we got married.
JAKE
Sounds like a strange relationship.
RAVEN
Not really. His life needed excitement,
mine needed stability. A perfect
match, actually.
Raven tilts her head back and empties her glass. Jake turns back to the window. The house they’re in is the first completed model in a developing subdivision. Nearby, a large industrial dumpster reads “Brennan Construction Co.”
Does Big Ed know about him?
RAVEN
Hm? Oh, I wasn’t working for Big Ed
then. It was another guy.
(changing the subject)
So now that I’ve told you about mine…
(taps her wedding ring against her glass)
Tell me about yours.
JAKE
Well, what kind of things do you need
to know?
Raven stands and walks over to him. He steps away from the window, and she follows.
Basic stuff. What she looks like,
why she deserves to die, that kind
of thing.
Jake looks at her warily. She smiles a bit, enjoying his reaction, but the expressions looks calculated and doesn’t last very long.
She doesn’t deserve it more than anyone
else, but I’m sure Big Ed has told
you the position I’m in.
RAVEN
Mm-hm. So what’s the timetable?
JAKE
I need proof of her death within
twenty-four hours. Along with you,
Big Ed assigned me an insurance lawyer.
He’ll be here at nine o’clock sharp
tomorrow morning to stop Big Ed’s men
from doing anything… unpleasant. It’s
all very efficient. I get the feeling
this kind of thing happens a lot.
RAVEN
No, but Big Ed believes in being
prepared for anything. So what exactly
was your downfall, horses?
JAKE
(getting agitated)
Don’t pretend like you know me, lady.
You don’t know shit about what I’ve
been going through. Last thing I need
is some fucking Indian giving me grief.
RAVEN
It’s Navaho, asshole, and I know enough.
You’re in hock up to your eyeballs,
and if you don’t come through, it’ll
be you in the ditch instead of your
wife. It’s a very big deal in Big Ed’s
eyes. But still business. He knows
I’ll do what’s required.
JAKE
(through gritted teeth)
Does Big Ed know you’re such a soulless
bitch?
RAVEN
Course. That’s why he assigned me.
Have we had enough name-calling for
one afternoon?
Jake reaches into his back pocket. By the time he removes his wallet, Raven has dropped her glass and drawn her pistol, leveling it squarely at his head. The empty glass hits the carpeted floor and rolls away. Jake puts up his hands, showing her the wallet, and she relaxes. Her eyes, however, continue to register no expression.
Her picture.
He pulls out a small picture and hands it to Raven.
Hello, Kara. Pretty.
JAKE
Yeah.
RAVEN
But not for long.
(she pockets the picture)
Mr. Brennan, don’t worry. In twenty-
four hours, both your debt and your
wife will be gone, and I’ll be far
away from here. I don’t think you’ll
miss any of us. You can get back to
building homes for happy little
families.
Jake turns to the window, refusing to look her in the eye.
Thank you.
RAVEN
You know, a wise old Navaho, my
grandmother, actually, told me that
though bodies may part company, little
bits of the souls of everyone we ever
know stick to us. Maybe you should
think about that when you remember
Kara.
JAKE
And how many dead people are stuck
to you?
Raven leaves without making a sound or expression.
INT. HOTEL ROOM 18 - DAY
Raven enters. Tom is lying across the bed in boxers and a t-shirt, reading. He looks up expectantly.
I thought you’d be taking a nap.
TOM
No. I wanted to wait for you.
Raven removes her jacket, looks in the mirror, then turns away a little too quickly. Tom tries to keep the conversation going.
So, what’s he like?
RAVEN
Jake? Typical son of a bitch. His
wife looks clueless enough. A fish
in a barrel.
TOM
You saw her?
RAVEN
No. Got her picture.
TOM
Oh.
Raven starts getting undressed. Tom watches her closely. She doesn’t seem to notice.
Plus, we’re meeting up with a witness.
TOM
A what?
RAVEN
I’ve got an audience. There’s a kid
who works for Big Ed that’s going
to tag along. Apparently, he wants to
be like me when he grows up.
TOM
Who is it?
RAVEN
All I got was his call name. The Eyeball
Kid. Sounds like a military dropout
who picked up a sniper rifle once and
thinks it’d be fun. Tonight should
scare him off…
(looks at Tom, humorlessly)
Unless he turns out to be like you.
Tom pretends not to hear and goes back to his reading, hurt. Raven produced a thin recorder from the inside pocket of her jacket. Tom suddenly gets very nervous.
Raven, you said you weren’t going to
do that…
RAVEN
What? Tape him? I just wanted to make
sure I have an edge if I need it.
I don’t trust him. Or Big Ed, for
that matter. Just covering my ass.
TOM
Do you have any idea what he would
have done to you if he found it?
RAVEN
Yeah, but he didn’t.
Tom grudgingly gives up. After a few moments:
Raven?
RAVEN
(still undressing, not looking at him)
Hm?
TOM
How do you feel about this? It’s not
like it used to be. She doesn’t work
for the Organization.
RAVEN
I’m ready.
TOM
No, I mean how do you feel?
RAVEN
I’m ready. I’ll pull the trigger,
same as always.
Raven gets into bed, and Tom, defeated, gets under the sheets as well.
Is the alarm set?
TOM
Yeah.
RAVEN
You can leave the light on if you
want.
She turns away from him, and he lies on his back, staring at the ceiling. He hesitates a moment, then gently places one hand on her hip.
(issuing a warning)
Tom…
He removes his hand and turns out the light.
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