INT.

PUB- NIGHT

Setting is a well lit, vintage decor pub. The bar counter

aligns the left tables are scattered about on the right, at
the back are the toilets and an old school jukebox playing
mellow, modish tunes.

GREG, in his 40’s stands behind the bar. A young waitress,

SARAH, in her early twenties, leans against the bar on the
customer’s side. A quiet night, there are only three men at
the bar.

At a table not too far from the entrance sits JACK, a greying
old man in his late 50’s. Seated next to him is FREDDY, late
30’s, muscular and stocky. They are both seated facing the
entrance, where a large BODYGUARD sits.

A jazzy, pop song is playing.

FREDDY
So maybe you could talk to those
guys, ya you know. They’d help
you with your game?

JACK
Why, do you think I need couching
or something?

FREDDY
No,no. I mean. Yeah. You don’t
wanna embarrass yourself out
there.

JACK
Embarrass myself? Maybe you
should re-evaluate that statement
of yours.

FREDDY
I’m sorry Jack. No offense. But,
you wanna look good. Now I know
for a fact that these guys that I
want you to call...these guys you
often knock around with...what’s
his name...He’s won a few big
tournaments...Chris Williams.
These guys play with Chris
Williams.

JACK
Who the hell is Chris Williams?

FREDDY
Well fuck I know. I hear his name
being thrown around, that he’s
some professional golfer. They’d
help you with your stroke,
putting, whatever the fuck it is
you need to know.

JACK
Look Freddy, like myself these
guys I play with aren’t
professionals. So why should I
bother with couching. I admit
I’m no fucking Chris Williams,
but I know how to play.

FREDDY
I’m just saying. These are
business associates. You wanna
look professional. You wanna look
like you’re good at the game.
Don’t ya?. I mean I don’t wanna
sound like patronising. Do I
sound patronising?

JACK
No. It’s okay.

FREDDY
Good. So you wanna look good,
like, Brad Pitt in the movies.
Like that character he portrays
in Ocean’s Eleven. He knows
everything in that movie, things
that he needn’t know. He knows
whats going on, straight down to
 the technical, gadgety part of
the heist. He knows that stuff
coz he’s cool like that. He’s
knowledgeable. He knows
everything. He wants to show off.
And that’s what’s it all about.
appearance. Appearing as if
you’re good at whatever you do.
Even if it’s some sport that no
one cares about. You get me Jack?

JACK
(Smiles)
I get you Freddy. You make a good
point...

FREDDY
(Smiles)
Just doing my job.

The doors to the entrance opens. In step three men. One of

them, HENCHMAN, is just as large as the bodyguard sitting by
the entrance. The other two are young, both in their early
20’s. One of the young men is RICHARD, intense looking,
looking kind of paranoid and perturbed. Standing to the left
of Richard is GAEL. He looks a bit tense, but is more composed
and well adjusted than his friend.

The Bodyguard does a body search of the two men. He finds a

small handgun in Richard’s pocket.

BODYGUARD
What’s this?

RICHARD
You know what it is.

JACK
(Catching site of the two of
them) Richard! Gael! My boy’s.
(re: bodyguard) It’s okay. Let
them through.
The bodyguard takes the gun and puts it in his jacket pocket.
Richard and Gael walk over to Jack and Freddy. The henchman
sits down by the entrance.

GAEL
(Under his breath) What in the
hell are you doing with that?

Richard ignores him.

Jack and Freddy get up to greet the two men. Gael and Richard
walk around the table.

JACK
(re: Gael)
(hugs and kisses Gael) How are
you my boy? It’s been a long
time.

GAEL
I’m fine Uncle Jack.

JACK
(re: Richard)
And how are you my dear boy. How
was Nice?

RICHARD
(Wipes the kiss off his cheek)
It was...uh...it was...great.

FREDDY
(re: Richard)
You’re not gonna spaz out on us?

RICHARD
What?

JACK
He’s kidding. Have a seat.

Gael and Richard sit opposite the other two.

JACK
I must apologize for a drawn out
absence. I’ve been moving alot,
hell, I’ll be leaving the country
for a few months next week.
Things have gotten a bit chaotic.
Uh, I’ve had a bit of a scare,
Dom has become quite... dangerous
to us. These low life fucks.
They’ve gone for my family.
Richard, I must apologize. I
must apologize for all that has
happened. A terrible thing has
happened to you. Absolutely
horrid. I hope you can forgive
me. I should’ve gotten you outta
there a long time before they had
enough sense to let you go.

FREDDY
Don’t you worry Richard. We’re
gonna find that fuck Dom. We’re
gonna find all his men hiding up
in Belville. We’re gonna drag
them through dirt. We gonna make
them fucking suffer like they’ve
never suffered before. We’re
gonna make them beg us to put an
end to their fucked junkie lives.

GAEL
I don’t think Richard wants to
hear any of this...

RICHARD
It’s... It’s okay.

JACK
Yes. I’m sorry, we shouldn’t talk
of such things.

RICHARD
No, no. I wanna know why? I wanna
know why this happened to me. I’m
not even, I’m not related to you.
So why, why’d he lock me up for,
for six, six months. Why did this
Dom do it.

FREDDY
We’re not sure why Dom did what
he did. It don’t make a lot of
sense to us.

JACK
He thought you were a valuable
asset. He didn’t know much, knew
you were close to me. (Composes
himself)You’re wondering why I
just didn’t give them what they
wanted.

RICHARD
I’ve heard the explanation.

JACK
But you wanna hear it from me?

RICHARD
Well, I wouldn’t mind.

JACK
He asked for something I didn’t
have in my possession to give.
Sometimes money isn’t enough. You
know how these things are?

FREDDY
Dom is an arms dealer, a local
thug who’s occasionally
contracted. Dom is also a junkie.
His head is all gobbledygook.
He’s erratic. He’s extremely
dangerous. He’s a piece of shit.
(re: Jack) What we should have
done is gotten rid of him a long
time ago, that’s what we should
have done.
 JACK
When we find him, and it’ll be
very soon, we’ll make sure that
by the end of it, he’ll be
begging our torturer to put an
end to his life.

The Sarah comes by with two glasses of whiskey.

JACK
Thank you my dear. This is Sarah.
Greg’s daughter. (re: Gael) you
two used to frequent each other’s
houses when you were this high.
(hand is at level with his
shoulder)

GAEL
(Gets up)
Nice to meet you (smiles)

SARAH
Pleasure to meet an old friend?

GAEL
I’m afraid I can’t recall ever...
(looks at Sarah dreamily) I have
a bad memory.

SARAH
I do recall a young boy with whom
I used to play with. Yes, dark
hair, really hyperactive.

GAEL
(Dreamily looks at her)
Yeah.

JACK
It’s a shame you two didn’t keep
in contact after your family
left. Now that you’re back, you
can reacquaint yourselves
 SARAH
(Shyly)
Definitely.

GAEL
Sure

JACK
And this is Richard. A close
friend of Gael and an adopted
nephew of mine. His father, your
father and I were good friends.

SARAH
Please to meet you.

Richard smiles, betraying scorn.

JACK
Richard’s just come back from
Nice, spent three months up there

SARAH
Wow. How was it?

RICHARD
(reluctant) Great.

JACK
So, what are you doing with
yourself, besides helping out
your father in this here pub?

SARAH
I’m still studying. Final year of
B.Com. Hopefully I’ll graduate
this year.

JACK
Wonderful. Marvellous. Isn’t that
marvellous Fred?

FREDDY
Absolutely brilliant little lady.
 SARAH
Thank you. So, could I get you
boys a drink?

RICHARD
Gael and I will have a whiskey.

SARAH
Two whiskeys coming up.

JACK
Before you scamper, could you ask
your father to prepare me one of
his famous steaks.

SARAH
(Smiles)
Sure. Rare?

JACK
(Smiles)
Of course.

Sarah walks off to the bar. An awkward silence follows. No one

had anything to say.

FREDDY
You know, Martha went real
hysterical after you were
taken...I mean...she couldn’t
handle it.

JACK
Hmm. She was the worst affected.
And your mother.

FREDDY
A lot of people were mortified.
Dreadful. A damn shame what
happened.

Gael, in an attempt to comfort Richard, puts his hand on his

shoulder.
 GAEL
(Smiles)
Richard

FREDDY
Ya know, if it makes you feel
better, Jack and I had our fair
share of near death experiences.
You know, it’s all part of the
business, our business. Real,
real adrenaline rush. I can kinda
relate to what you’re going
through.

RICHARD
You have no idea what I’m going
through.

FREDDY
Whoa. Cool it brother.

JACK
It’s okay. I understand. I
understand your, hostility.

FREDDY
If you wanna talk, you can talk
to us. We care about the both of
ya. Maybe you think its all
bullshit. But we really do care.

RICHARD
Want me to talk, like catharsis.
Like a, like a shrink sought of
thing, yeah? (beat) On the
morning of my release, after
living in a fucking basement,
they decide to take me out to get
shot. They tell me the night
before, they say that come
tomorrow there’d be a bullet in
my head. Six a.m. they wake me up
and tell me that its time, you
can’t fucking imagine how I felt.
 That was the worst fucking
experience. I was going to be
shot some place two hours from
here...those two hours in the car
felt like a life time, I savoured
up every moment... I prayed that
they’d call, I kept hoping they’d
have a change of heart, they’d
let me go. So we finally
arrive...some farmland. So there
I was, old Greg, you remember, a
couple of meters back, with his
gun pointed at me. He says, how’s
it feel? Coz a feeling like that
never goes away. (beat). He
lowers his gun, jumps right back
into the car and leaves me there.
And that’s it... that’s how what
happened. That’s my fucking
story.

GAEL
Why didn’t you tell us this
before.

RICHARD
What’s the point?... What’s the
point?

His audience stare in disbelief, unsettled by what they had

just heard.

CUT TO BLACK

CUT TO

INT. PUB- SOME TIME LATER

Richard is fiddling with the jukebox, going through the

selection of songs. He scratches his head, twitches, closes
and tenses his eye lids. Something’s wrong with him. Freddy
stands beside him. There is a silence between them.

FREDDY
 Matthew, Matthew’s in real
estate.

RICHARD
Realty, yes.

FREDDY
And you and Gael are?

RICHARD
Analysts.

FREDDY
Ah. Jack’s really set you up with
real good connections.

Richard has a contemptuous expression on his face.

FREDDY
Yeah. (Beat) Jack’s smart. He’s
got men in finance; traders,
financiers, stockbrokers,
investment bankers. A bit of the
iron fisted and monetary
persuasion and we’ve got them.
And the best thing is, most of it
is legitimate, legally speaking.
Like the Yakuza. And we
contribute to society. More good
than bad.

RICHARD
Jack still has that escort
agency?

FREDDY
Medusa? Yeah. We got that. We got
a couple of restaurants, shops,
hell this place. Old Mr. Collins
pub had to be closed down, SAPS
sticking their cunt fingers in
there, and Mr. Collin’s too nice
of a man... You’re not supposed
to know about all of it. But
 hell, even I don’t know what’s
what, with this finance and
economic bullshit, you gotta know
commerce, get a degree... So,
what’s with the escort agency.
Have you been there?

RICHARD
(smiles) I dropped by.

FREDDY
(Chuckles)
That’s funny.

RICHARD
(Annoyed) What the fuck’s so
funny?

FREDDY
Take it easy kid. Don’t go spaz
out now.

RICHARD
What the fuck are you talking
about?

FREDDY
Nothing...nothing.

Richard returns to the jukebox, doing God knows what.

RICHARD
(To himself)
Elton John

FREDDY
Elton John. Yeah. What’s that
song now? Don’t go breaking my
heart. That’s it. That’s my
favourite Elton John song. Do
they have it there?

RICHARD
No.
 FREDDY
What song do they have of his?

RICHARD
I’m still standing.

FREDDY
Yeah. I know that one too. You a
fan?

RICHARD
(Reluctantly)
No. I like goodbye yellow brick
road though.

FREDDY
Ah yellow brick road. Beautiful
song, a really beautiful song...
Any Kwaito there?

RICHARD
No.

FREDDY
Good. I can’t stand it. I can’t
stand that and Boer music. It’s a
damn shame we don’t have any
African Elton John’s, or
Carpenters, or Rod Stewart’s.

CUT TO

Sarah leans over the counter, looking forward. POV reveals

that she is looking at Gael, who is still sitting at the table
with Jack.

CUT TO

Gael and Jack at their table

GAEL
I don’t know about him. He’s
become unpredictable. He’s become
 psychotic. At work a few days
back, he punches a co-worker, for
no apparent reason. He’s going at
him, in front of everyone.

JACK
Yes, I know about the incident.

GAEL
Then you should know about the
others.

JACK
Yes. He’s become, an
embarrassment. It’s serious,
isn’t it?

GAEL
Maybe, post traumatic stress,
psychological disorder. I don’t
know. Maybe it would be a good
idea if you get him a
psychiatrist.

JACK
You’re right. We should’ve had
this done long ago. I’ll call Dr
Muir, he’ll know someone. (broods
for a while) I don’t know. Men,
I’ve seen men suffer. And they
can suffer, my god. (beat) Let me
ask you, what has he been saying
about me?

GAEL
What do you mean?

Jack turns his head. POV of Richard.

JACK
Forget it. I know he blames me,
he’s angry. (Sighs) I’ve tried to
keep you two away from this
business. This is their game,
 those hooligans on the streets,
petty street thugs. Running
blind, without any fucking
direction. They’re like animals,
so people treat them like
animals. They fail to understand
that like anything, etiquette is
everything. You have to have some
kind of, of organization. You
can’t run around like a headless
turkey.

CU of Gael

JACK V.O (CONT’D).

It’s a travesty that Richard got
caught in the cross fire. These
guy’s heads are too big for their
shoulders, they have no idea.
(Looks sincere) I feel
responsible. Maybe I could have
done more.

GAEL
He’s, he’s just a bit messed up.

JACK
And what’s he doing with a gun.

GAEL
I don’t know. Maybe.... I don’t
know.

Sarah comes by with the steak.

SARAH
Here we go.

JACK
Thank you.

SARAH
(re: Gael)
 And would you like another glass
of whiskey?

GAEL
Yes thank you.

Sarah takes his empty glass. She smiles at him as she leaves.
Gael smile back at her. Sarah walks back to the bar.

JACK
This looks really good. (Takes
his cutlery and digs in) Did I
give you that gift for your
parents?

GAEL
(Absently)
What gift? (Pauses) Yes, yes you
did. I don’t know when I’m gonna
see them again. I think I might
have to leave it with Debra.

JACK
That’s fine. Would you mind
calling Freddy back?

GAEL
Sure.

Gael gets up and makes his way to the other end of the pub.

CUT TO

Gael comes up from behind Freddy and Richard. Richard’s still

staring at the Jukebox.

GAEL
(re: Freddy)
Jack wants you.

FREDDY
For what?

GAEL
 I dunno.

Freddy smiles at Richard and walks on over to Jack. Richard’s

POV of Freddy. Gael puts his hand on Richard’s shoulder and
gently pats it.

GAEL
You okay?

Richard doesn’t respond. He contemptuously stares at both Jack

and Freddy.

GAEL
Hey, we were thinking of getting
a doctor for you. (beat) A
psychiatrist.

RICHARD
I don’t need one.

GAEL
One session. (chuckles, feigning
light heartedness) you’re aware
of the way you’ve been behaving.

RICHARD
I don’t need a fucking
psychiatrist.

GAEL
I don’t have to tell you this,
but there’s something wrong with
you. You’re in Nice fucking three
months. And you’re no better than
you were before. I’m sorry. You
fucking need help.

RICHARD
I don’t want your help. I don’t
need Jack’s. He isn’t family. I’m
gonna, I’m gonna leave the
company. I’ll find a new job, a
new place. (titters, obviously
 not making any sense) you don’t
know, you know. You think you
know. but... and you’re no
better.

GAEL
Okay Richard.

Richard looks at him, then turns away, staring straight ahead.

A morbid, intense silence between the two haunts the frame.

CUT TO BLACK

CUT TO

INT. PUB- SOME TIME LATER

Richard sits there at the table amongst a boisterous group

that is Freddy, Jack and Gael. They’re all drunk. Richard
stares into oblivion with contained contempt, intensity in his
expression. Jack and Richard are laughing.

FREDDY V.O.
This woman, Jacqueline. How old
is she, forty, forty five. She
looks thirty. Ten years, that
shit they did to her face and
tits gave her ten years back. I
can tell you, she looks good.

JACK V.O
No doubt Freddy tried his luck on
her.

FREDDY
He’s fucking with me.

RICHARD
Now I recall a certain someone
speaking to this Jacqueline at
Mike and Lindsey’s anniversary.

FREDDY
 She asked me if I knew Michelle.
I said yeah she’s in Australia,
then, as things goes, we chatted
for a bit.

GAEL
You were touching thighs and
face, constantly.

FREDDY
I don’t remember that.

JACK
You wanted to fuck her, don’t be
ashamed. But face it, you are a
ugly fuck.

FREDDY
Fuck you.

Everyone’s laughing, except for Richard.

FREDDY
I need to take a piss

JACK
Now watch your fucking language.
We’re dining here, show some
manners. (Mockingly repeats) I
need to take piss. (Orders) May I
be excused?

Freddy
May I be excused, you cock
sucking mother fucking cunt?

JACK
Yes you may my dear.

Gael, Freddy and Jack laugh.

RICHARD
I need to use the bathroom too.
As Freddy and Richard leave.

JACK
Now you two don’t go jerk each
other off.

The two of them make there way to the toilet near the jukebox.
Gael makes his way back to the table. He sits down, picks up
his glass of whiskey and gulps down what remains.

INT. MEN’S TOILET- MOMENTS LATER

Richard and Freddy are standing at their urinals with two

urinals between them. Freddy seems relaxed and calm, Richard
is agitated and perturbed. Richard glances at Freddy and looks
down.

Richard slowly reaches in behind his belt to reveal a thin

wire that has been wrapped about his body. He slowly removes
it and grabs a hold of the two ends. He zips up and motions
toward the door.

As he passes Freddy he rapidly raps the wire around Freddy’s

neck and strangles the life out of him. Freddy violently gasps
as he struggles to free himself of the wire.

Freddy pushes back, slamming Richard against the board between

the doors of the toilet stalls.

INT. PUB- MOMENTS LATER

JACK
Ever used a gun before?

GAEL
No.
JACK
Good.

INT. MENS TOILET- MOMENTS LATER

Richard and Freddy, Richard pulling the wire around Freddy’s

neck from behind, motion across passed the stalls.
Freddy backs up, again thrusting Richard against the board
between the stall doors. Freddy slams Richard with his back a
number of times.

Richard is finally able to get Freddy down to his knees.

Richard’s face is red, flushed, tense. Freddy’s face is red,
bloated, his eyes bursting out of his sockets.

Freddy finally surrenders his body to the consequences Richard

has bestowed, his body slumps, hanging from the clasp of
Richard’s wire. Richard lets go, Freddy body slumps to the
floor, dead.

Richard holds his bend for a while, his head is lowered and he
sways in discomposure. He slowly rises and stares at the
corpse.

We see Richard’s hand turn the body over and reach for
Freddy’s left Jacket pocket. He retrieves a hand gun. He
checks its, turns it to the left then right.

Richard gets up. We follow from behind as he checks himself in

the mirror. He’s flustered. He washes his face and combs his
hair back. He turns to the door and heads out.

INT. PUB- MOMENTS LATER

Richard’s out the bathroom, he’s staring straight at Jack. He

passes the bar with Sarah and Greg behind it. Gael, from the
table raises his head and glances at Richard.

Richard walks straight up to Jack and stands beside him. He

grabs his head and slams it against the table.

As the bodyguard and the Henchman arise, Richard pulls out his
gun and fire a shot into the chest of the bodyguard and shot
into the head of the henchman. All the while Gael has lowered
his head, placing his hands over it. Sarah, who is behind the
counter screams with horror. Her father and her run into the
kitchen.

Gael abruptly gets up out of his seat and moves out toward his
left. We hear the scamper of footsteps from outside the
entrance. Richard, with his gun aimed at the door, is ready to
fire. The door opens revealing another one of Jack’s men, the
DRIVER. As he reveals himself Richard fires a shot...

EXT. STREET- MOMENTS LATER

The Driver falls back from the entrance onto the pavement,
dead from a head shot.

INT. PUB- MOMENTS LATER

Richard slams Jacks head against the table once again, and as
he holds him down he breaks a glass bottle over his head.
Jack’s head is held down. Gael is looking on, one or two
meters from the table, in absolute horror. Richard places the
gun nozzle on the back of Jacks head. Blows his brains out.
blood splatters across the table.

Richard glances up at Gael, aims his gun at him and shoots him
in the right shoulder. Blood sprays across his jacket and face
as swirls around in agony, screaming in pain. As Gael comes
to, still standing, he is shot again in the left leg. He falls
to the ground screaming. Blood encircles him has he moves
about the floor, grimacing and screaming obscenities.

Richard sits down on a chair, staring dreamily into space. He

is in a state of delirium. He holds his head, shuts his eyes.
All the while Gael’s on the floor, realising that his screams
are useless, he lies there, surrounded by a pool of blood,
moving around in agony. He starts to laugh.

Richard stands and approaches Richard. He clicks his jaw and

mumbles to himself. Richard crouches down beside Gael, he
lifts him to his knees. Gael is kneeling before a standing
Richard. Richard places the gun barrel against his forehead.

GAEL
What are you doing? Please
Richard. What have I done to you?
What have I done? God Richard,
are you gonna shoot me. I’m sorry
Richard. I’m sorry, I couldn’t
fucking help you. We’ve known
each other for as long as I
 remember. You’re my fucking
friend. Why are you doing this?

RICHARD
I’m gonna count to ten. And on
ten, I’m gonna pull this trigger.

GAEL
Jesus Christ. What the fuck are
you talking about?

RICHARD
Are you ready Gael?

GAEL
God, Richard!

RICHARD
(All the while Richard is
pleading with him)
One...two...three...four...

The intervals between the numbers grow longer and longer.

RICHARD
Five...six...

Gael becomes silent.

RICHARD
Seven...eight...nine...

BEAT

Gael, eyes shut, breathing heavy.

RICHARD
Ten.

The gun merely clicks, Gael grimaces. The cartridge is empty.

As Richard pulls the gun away Gael falls to the ground. He is
still breathing heavily. Richard steps back and looks around
the room.
Richard laughs, a kind a nervous, skittish laugh. His laughs
dies out with titters, his face turns expressionless. He holds
his head and grimaces, as if he has a headache. He recovers,
glances at Gael, and makes his way to the door. He turns
around and glances back at Gael. He heads out.

Gael manages to crawl to the table, his back rests against its
leg. Richard’s disconcerted, in a state of delirium. He stares
straight ahead, at nothing in particular.

INT. PUB- NIGHT

Gael’s fantasy, quick shot of Gael, moments before kneeling

before Richard getting shot in the head. Blood spatters
everywhere. Gael falls to the ground.

INT. PUB- NIGHT

We’re back to Richard sitting on the floor with an oblivious

expression. We capture him for a moment, sitting there
motionless.

CUT TO BLACK

THE END