What a ride it's been, you delinquents and thieves. We had a rumble to make Link Wray shiver, I hope. But we're not out of the big scrape yet. This issue ties together all the little connections and fears we've built and unraveled a whole new slew for ya. It'll be a while yet 'til I hop back onto "American Dreams", since I'm working on projects with more prospect. But trust me, there's a beginning, a middle, and boy lemme tell ya, that ending. And while this arc concludes, just hang onto the steering wheel, Wolves. We'll be back after these messages.
* * *
PAGE
1
PANEL:
BRENDAN
has his head up against the window of the backseat of his parents'
car. His hair is pushed up against the glass as the reflection of
Ellisville passes them by. BRENDAN sports a few bumps, bruises, and
scratches across his face.
BRENDAN'S
MOM
[OFF-PANEL]
Are
you exciiiiiiteeeeed?
BRENDAN
Sure.
PANEL:
A
view of the backseat. BRENDAN sits on the right side of the car, his
two sisters talk and laugh with their hands on each other amongst
themselves.
BRENDAN'S
DAD
[OFF-PANEL]
Somebody's
going to have to start paying rent!
BRENDAN
Sure.
VO
BOX
The
rumble had passed in the confines of a single day, but we wore our
victories close to our hearts.
It
was our final hoorah against getting old and having to battle our
wills and dreams against reality.
PANEL:
BRENDAN
stares at a nice, black car as it drives past.
BRENDAN
Huh.
VO
BOX
Get
a job.
Move
out.
Marry
your sweetheart because it just makes sense.
At
least a few of us would have to go to college and maybe a lucky
handful...
PANEL:
A
panel that shoots across the page horizontally with a red filter to
it. It shows BRENDAN and BILL as they run, they're faces cut off by
the edges of the panel from the nose up. They seem to have a
speckles of blood across them. The words “I'm glad to see there's
someone left to carry the message.” are projected against the
panel.
VO
BOX
...would
get to leave this shit-kicker town.
PANEL:
The
car drives past the local diner. Three black cars lined up against
the curb.
VO
BOX
But
no matter how much duller our lives were about to get, we would know
when we looked back on our lives when we were 40 and balding and
getting paunch...
PANEL:
The
family car pulls into the high school parking lot. The high school
sign on the corner of the street. Another black car drives past.
VO
BOX
...We
would always know that for at least one summer, the Wolves ruled
Ellisville.
BRENDAN
Looks
like black's making a comeback.
PAGE
2
PANEL:
BRENDAN
turns around, his graduation cap on.
JAMES
[OFF-PANEL]
Brendan!
PANEL:
BRENDAN
is in the school gymnasium. Everyone is in graduation cap and gowns,
conversing and smiling among themselves. JAMES, OLIVER, and BILL are
walking up to BRENDAN.
JAMES
You
over here jerking off by yourself?
BRENDAN
Not
if you join in, James.
BILL
Your
face looks like it went twelve rounds with a bus.
PANEL:
A
different angle of the boys meeting up with BRENDAN. All smiles and
bruises. OLIVER looks over his shoulder like he's looking for
someone with crossed arms.
BRENDAN
More
like twenty minutes against Don Clifton's fist.
JAMES
Fuckin'
jonesin' for a cig right now.
OLIVER
Where
is that fucking ape, anyway? Bastard took a low blow Sunday and I've
been meaning to pay him back...
BILL
Fuck
it. Bygones and all that. We beat them fair and square.
PANEL:
A
different angle on the boys conversing. BRENDAN is talking more to
BILL than anyone else. JAMES has his arm around BILL and is huddled
toward his chest, lighting a cigarette inconspicuously.
JAMES
Screw
it. Suspend me.
BRENDAN
Tell
that to Todd. Mickey Moore just earned himself a beatdown on every
corner in town.
OLIVER
Anyone
seen the fucker?
BILL
He's
deep in the middle of the Hellhounds' group. Trust me, they're
protecting every hair on his ass.
CONNOR
[OFF-PANEL]
Well,
yes and no.
PANEL:
Over
the shoulders of JAMES, BRENDAN, OLIVER, and BILL, we see CONNOR,
ALEX, and HANK walk up to THE WOLVES. CONNOR is the only one
sporting a smile with hands open like Jesus descending from the sky.
CONNOR
Do
we condone what Mickey did? No.
Will
we still protect one of our own? Of course. As would you one of
yours.
PAGE
3
PANEL:
THE
WOLVES are visibly angered just by the presence of CONNOR AND HIS
CREW.
BILL
You
fuckin'--
CONNOR
[OFF-PANEL]
Now
hang on, here.
PANEL:
Switch
back to THE HELLHOUNDS.
CONNOR
When
someone joins the Hellhounds, it's 'til death. I'm sure you kids
made a similar pact? Now I'm not sayin' to go kill one of my own,
but through and through he's a Hound until he decides to leave the
pack. And if the rest of us turn our backs on him when he's walking
home at night, well...
BILL
“'Til
he decides to leave”? You want us to gang up on him until he's had
enough? You're the leader of the Hellhounds. Why the fuck don't you
just kick Micky out?
PANEL:
THE
HOUNDS and THE WOLVES have integrated a little closer now. HANK
holds a cigarette up to his mouth as JAMES looks around suspiciously
to make sure no one sees him fishing out his lighter. ALEX is in a
staring contest with OLIVER, who doesn't smile but ALEX does.
BRENDAN listens to CONNOR while standing next to BILL.
CONNOR
To
be honest? I'll look like a pussy. Both our gangs aren't going to
survive past graduation, you realize that, right? I'm not going to
have one of my last orders be to give the boot to the gutsiest guy in
my crew.
BILL
You're
a fuckin' whackjob, Connor, but I get it.
PANEL:
BILL
and BRENDAN lift up their gowns and show their Wolves shirts with
smirks.
PANEL:
Another
red panel that cuts across the page, this time the silhouette of a
gun firing, and the words “We're running this place now.” across
the panel.
VO
BOX
[BILL]
“Wolves
until we're in the ground.”
PANEL:
OLIVER
does the same at ALEX, who looks irked, no longer smiling. JAMES
watches next to HANK.
JAMES
Damn.
They one-upped me. I'm in the buff.
SFX
DINGDINGDINGDING
JAMES
What's
that?
PAGE
4
PANEL:
The
school alarm rings.
SFX
DINGDINGDING
BRENDAN
[OFF-PANEL]
The
ceremony is about to start.
PANEL:
BRENDAN
sits in a chair outside on the football field amongst a hundred other
kids dressed like him.
VO
BOX
I’ll
tell ya one thing…
PRINCIPAL
[OFF-PANEL]
But
I’ll tell you one thing!
PANEL:
THE
PRINCIPAL is standing at the podium, motioning with a smile at the
crowd spectating the ceremony.
VO
BOX
If
graduations were a torture technique I woulda talked 30 minutes ago.
PRINCIPAL
We’re
glad to be rid of ‘em!
CROWD
[OFF-PANEL]
HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!
PANEL:
HUNTER
is sitting behind BRENDAN. He leans forward and talks to BRENDAN
with a smile. BRENDAN frowns.
HUNTER:
Hey,
Brendan.
Later
on after this we’re gonna meet up at the quarry. You in?
BRENDAN
We’ll
see. Still grounded. Watching me graduate might brighten their
spirits, though. If I get the go-ahead I’ll meet you guys there.
PANEL:
A
view of a row of parents standing up from the bleachers.
VO
BOX
If
there was ever a doubt in our parents’ minds that we were in a
gang…
PANEL:
Aged
hands clapping.
VO
BOX
…I
know the one thing that didn’t help…
PAGE
5 & 6
PANEL:
A
view of the entire class. All the unimportant students are
grayed-out, the only visible ones are the members of The Wolves and
Hellhounds. Their faces are all scratched and bruised. ED ST. JOHN
is not present, nor is PRESTON ALLEN or TODD MCCORMICK.
VO
BOX
…was
seeing all us troublemakers coincidentally looking like we’d fallen
down the same set of stairs.
PANEL:
[SMALL]
BRENDAN’S
PARENTS look at each other a bit angrily, still clapping.
PANEL:
[SMALL]
OLIVER’S
PARENTS look at each other a bit angrily, still clapping.
PANEL:
[SMALL]
PRESTON
AND JON, JR.’S PARENTS look at each other a bit angrily, still
clapping. PRESTON stands clapping next to them, unaware of the
revelations being made in his parents’ minds.
PANEL:
[SMALL]
RICK’S
PARENTS look at each other a bit angrily, still clapping.
PANEL:
BRENDAN
gulps with wide eyes.
PAGE
7
PANEL:
An
up-close shot of SHERIFF MOORE’s wrinkled hand as it jots a line
down on a notepad from a chewed pencil.
SHERIFF
MOORE
[OFF-PANEL]
You
say you were mugged, though?
PANEL:
TODD
MCCORMICK sits up in a hospital bed, the curtains drawn on the window
to block out the white light that seeps through. TODD has a wry sort
of smile across his lips. We watch from behind the backs of two
Ellisville PD officers, SHERIFF MOORE sitting in a chair, slumped
over his notes, and OFFICER ANDY, who stands at attention.
TODD
Yup.
Took my most prized possession. Left me with nothing but my charms
and the shirt on my back.
PANEL:
SHERIFF
MOORE looks up with a bad attitude and a grizzled, grayed beard. His
eyes are almost hidden between the bags under them and the brim of
his hat.
SHERIFF
MOORE
Your
“most prized possession”?
And
what would that be?
TODD
[OFF-PANEL]
Damned
if I can’t remember the name.
SHERIFF
MOORE
Describe
it.
PANEL:
From
THE OFFICERS’ point of view we see TODD, with a face of
concentration, digging under the blanket on the other side of him, as
if he had pockets to dig through.
TODD
Well,
it was long, slender… Kind of offensive and yet funny at the same
time…
Oh,
wait.
PANEL:
In
the same angle, TODD flips-off the viewer, the hospital bracelet
dangling from his wrist. He smiles a wide grin with furrowed brows.
TODD
Guess
it’s been here all along!
PANEL:
THE
OFFICERS look directly at the viewer from TODD’s point of view.
SHERIFF MOORE has the same expression he did before. An almost
“tired-of-this-shit” look upon his face. OFFICER ANDY looks
irked.
PAGE
8
PANEL:
From
a side view, but with THE OFFICERS still looking in TODD’s
direction. SHERIFF MOORE still holds the same expression, but
OFFICER ANDY wields a smile.
SHERIFF
MOORE
Say,
Andy. How much marijuana did we find on this kid?
OFFICER
ANDY
Dunno.
‘Bout 10 ounces I’d say.
SHERIFF
MOORE
Let’s
make it 12.
PANEL:
TODD
is yelling, leaning out of the side of the hospital bed, gripping the
sheets and mattress so as not to fall over.
TODD
That’s
bullshit! I don’t fuck around with that stuff!
PANEL:
SHERIFF
MOORE leans forwards from his seat with a bit of a smirk.
SHERIFF
MOORE
Then
stop fucking around. You think we don’t know what you little
bastards do all day? I want to know who else you were with.
PANEL:
TODD
looks off-panel towards THE SHERIFF with gritted teeth.
TODD
You
fuck.
PANEL:
SHERIFF
MOORE hunches back down towards his notepad, scribbling notes. TODD
has an angry look about him.
SHERIFF
MOORE
Let’s
start with the one who stabbed you. Surely you can’t be very good
friends with whoever did that, right?
TODD
You
wanna know who cut me? Who was coward enough to take a swing at me
with a fucking blade?
PANEL:
The
pencil stops scribbling on the notepad.
TODD
[OFF-PANEL]
It
was your son.
PANEL:
An
up-close shot of SHERIFF MOORE’s eyes, looking up from the shadows
of the brim of his hat.
PAGE
9
PANEL:
From
TODD’s point of view, OFFICER ANDY hovers his hand over the
doorknob leading to the hospital hallway. He looks down at SHERIFF
MOORE with a bit of worry. SHERIFF MOORE stares straight ahead at
the reader.
SHERIFF
MOORE
Andy,
if you could wait for me outside. We’re gonna have a word real
quick.
PANEL:
From
outside in the hallway, a close-up on the door being closed and
OFFICER ANDY’s arm on the handle, we see TODD looking at him leave
with an expression of worry.
PANEL:
The
door shuts and SHERIFF MOORE rises from his seat, putting his notepad
down on the chair as he does so.
PANEL:
TODD
looks up at a figure approaching the bed. Half of the panel is
blocked-out by this hulking silhouette.
TODD
W-What
are y—
PANEL:
SHERIFF
MOORE presses his knee down on TODD’s side (where his stab wound
lays) and TODD scrambles his hands over SHERIFF MOORE’s leg, trying
to push it away.
TODD
AAAGH!
FUCK! WHAT—
PANEL:
SHERIFF
MOORE grabs TODD by the collar of his hospital garb and pulls him
close to his face. SHERIFF MOORE has an enraged look on him.
SHERIFF
MOORE
You
lying little fuck! You don’t think I can make you disappear?! You
think you’re safe here?!
PAGE
10
PANEL:
TODD
yells back into THE SHERIFF’s face, tears forming in his eyes.
TODD
I’m
not lying! Your son’s a twisted fucker! You know what people say!
Micky is a God damned monster!
PANEL:
THE
SHERIFF still has the enraged look on his face, but has loosened his
grip on TODD.
TODD
Just
like his old man.
PANEL:
SHERIFF
MOORE leans over the chair he was sitting in to pick up his notepad.
SHERIFF
MOORE
I’ll
let the nurse know you got excitable and tore your stitches.
PANEL:
SHERIFF
MOORE peaks from behind the door he’s closing leading him out of
the room and into the hospital hallway.
SHERIFF
MOORE
And
don’t worry about the drug charge.
PANEL:
TODD
stares out of frame with an angered and painful face, sweat forming,
and clutching his side where blood has begun to stain the hospital
sheets. A sliver of light projects across him from the hallway
lights.
SHERIFF
MOORE
[OFF-PANEL]
It
should be a small enough ticket for you.
PAGE
11
PANEL:
A
faraway shot of a cliff on the mountain overlooking the rock quarry
down below. Headlights from four cars light-up a space in the
middle. A few silhouetted figures are in the middle.
PANEL:
OLIVER’s
hand passes a bottle of beer over to BRENDAN’s. The headlights
burn any familiar shapes from the background.
OLIVER
[OFF-PANEL]
You
were able to escape Carllyl Prison?
BRENDAN
[OFF-PANEL]
Just
sort of weaved myself between all the relatives and slipped through
the back door.
PANEL:
BRENDAN
pops the top with a bottle opener while hanging a cigarette between
his smile. OLIVER tilts his head back to take a swig of his own
brew.
BRENDAN
What
about you?
Aren’t
your parents going to wonder how all this beer went missing from
their store?
OLIVER
Fuck
it. They make me do the inventory anyway. What I say on the
documents is truth.
PANEL:
RICK
hangs his head out of one of the cars, shouting across the plateau at
James’ car.
RICK
James!
You find anything yet?
PANEL:
JAMES
smokes and fiddles with his car radio, his left arm hanging out the
window.
JAMES
Hang
the fuck on, you—
Try
45.7!
PANEL:
RICK
is seen through the windshield leaning over to tune his radio in.
“Whole Lotta Shakin’ Goin’ On” by Jerry Lee Lewis blasts
through the air from out the car window.
PANEL:
JAMES
turns up his radio, blasting the same song.
PANEL:
JON
ALLEN, JR. turns up his radio as well. PRESTON rides in the
passenger seat.
PANEL:
HUNTER
turns up his radio, too.
PANEL:
BRENDAN
and OLIVER look over in the same general direction with a smile,
admiring the song.
BRENDAN
Fuck
yeah.
PAGE
12
PANEL:
Another
car drives up the hill to the cliff where the rest of the Wolves
reside. Silhouetted figures stand with their beer bottles in the
background where the party is just getting started.
OLIVER
Who
is that? Bill?
BRENDAN
Yeah.
Said he was bringin’ company, though.
PANEL:
BILL
steps out from the driver’s side of his car, the lights still on
and the car completing the circle of headlights. He gets out with a
smile.
BILL
Howdy,
kids!
PANEL:
The
passenger door opens. The shot is the bottom part of the door.
BILL
[OFF-PANEL]
Which
station?
PANEL:
BRENDAN
stares at the viewer, his eyes wide in the headlights and his
cigarette hanging from his lips. A look of surprise.
JAMES
[OFF-PANEL]
Get
on JDRadio and turn that shit up!
PANEL:
The
same shot as before with the passenger door, but a female leg
stepping down from the car.
PANEL:
A
lowered shot looking up at SUSIE QUINN as she gets out and looks
ahead to where we assume BRENDAN is standing. She doesn’t smile,
but THE REST OF THE GIRLS getting out of the car in the background
are, their cigarettes waving through the air in every motion.
STUMPY
[OFF-PANEL]
Holy
shit…
PANEL:
BILL
grabs an unopened beer from a case that sits on the hood of RICK’s
car with a smirk. STUMPY is next to him, but looks around and behind
BILL while holding onto a beer with his one and only hand.
STUMPY
…You
absolute fucking God.
How
did you get The Girls up here?
BILL
Don’t
tell the others, I want to seem like an ace at picking up the ladies,
but the truth is a lot less hot than that.
Susie
Quinn saw me loading some stolen booze into the back of my car…
PAGE
13
PANEL:
A
quick scene switch. The sky is in the middle of a sunset, the clouds
pink and orange. BILL bends over to pick up a case in a back alley.
The trunk of his car in open. He has sunglasses hanging from the
bridge of his nose and a cigarette dangling from his lips.
PANEL:
[SMALL]
A
shot of BILL looking down towards the ground where the case would be.
PANEL:
[SMALL]
A
shot of BILL looking over towards the viewer with a blank expression.
PANEL:
SUSIE
stands over the hunched-over BILL, THE GIRLS standing behind her.
SUSIE has no smile, just hands on her hips and a poodle skirt.
SUSIE
Whatever
you’re doing, we’re going.
PANEL:
Zip
back to the rock quarry scene. BRENDAN has the same blank expression
he had the last time we saw him, but a shadow is blocking the
headlights from hitting his face.
BRENDAN
W-What
was that? I didn’t—
PANEL:
SUSIE
has her hand outstretched toward the viewer. The headlights from the
cars behind her burn away her outline. Even with her darkened in the
night, you can tell she smiles.
SUSIE
I
said “Dance with me”, Brendan Carlyle.
This
is my song.
PAGE
14
PANEL:
JAMES
smiles as he leans over towards the radio. His cigarette is gripped
by two fingers from an arm he dangles out his car window.
PANEL:
As
JAMES cranks the volume on his radio, “Wake Up Little Susie” by
The Everly Brothers comes through the air waves.
PANEL:
An
overhead shot of the cliff by the rock quarry. The entire area is
dark and covered with pine except the road leading up to the lit-up
space where the kids party. The cars illuminate the dance floor,
where a majority of The Wolves and The Girls dance, with some
drinking and smoking happening on the sidelines. Over the peak of
the mountain, Ellisville burns its’ lights brightly far away.
VO
BOX
I
wish I could say the night led to better things other than rumors of
playing backseat bingo with which girl when nobody was looking. But
in truth, we were just glad to have a celebration at the top of our
small, wholesale town while the rest of the world shook their heads.
We
celebrated graduation.
We
celebrated being the rumble winners.
PANEL:
Another
sihouetted red panel cuts across the page, this time of a widened
eye, and the words “You have to work for a living or die a bum.”
runs across it.
VO
BOX
We
celebrated being kings for one short night.
PANEL:
A
close-up of ED ST. JOHN’s tired, bloodshot eyes, looking up towards
the reader from under his furrowed brow.
VO
BOX
We
celebrated while it lasted.
PAGE
15
PANEL:
ED
ST. JOHN still looks towards the reader, leaning up against a brick
wall, his bat tucked within his folded arms. BRENDAN leans up
against the wall next to him, looking up at ED.
BRENDAN
Why
weren’t you at the bash last night, Ed? You missed a crazy excuse
for a hangover.
ED
Been
dealing with my own headaches.
BRENDAN
Yeah,
you don’t look so fresh. Where were you yesterday?
PANEL:
A
side view of ED, he’s still looking straight ahead.
ED
Was
watching them circle my house.
PANEL:
A
different view of BRENDAN looking at ED while he looks straight
ahead, speaking with gritted teeth.
BRENDAN
What?
Who was?
ED
Those
men in black suits I told you about before. Those fucking
Non-Americans.
PANEL:
A
faraway shot of the two conversing. We now see where BRENDAN and ED
are holding their conversation. It’s an empty lot somewhere in the
middle of town between a few buildings. The only way in or out is
through a series of alleys open enough to drive a car through, about
as open as a one-way street. THE REST OF THE WOLVES are more off to
the side, away from BRENDAN and ED. They fool around in one way or
another. PRESTON, JON, and HUNTER play soccer with an empty bottle.
BILL and STUMPS pass a cigarette between themselves with OLIVER
talking to them. RICK and JAMES sit, their legs sprawled out,
sitting on derelict boxes long abandoned.
BRENDAN
Is
that why you called us all here?
ED
I
need you guys to back me. When they come for me.
BRENDAN
Why
would they be coming after you? Why here? Ed, you’re not making
sense.
ED
I
don’t know why. I think it has something to do with my parents.
And
I have no where else to run. My back against the wall, facing
forward. Don’t worry. They’ll find me.
PANEL:
Another
shot of ED’s haggard expression.
ED
They
always do.
PANEL:
BRENDAN
gets a little more in ED’s face, trying to get him to tell the
whole story. A black car rolls up through one of the alleys in the
background and into the open lot.
BRENDAN
Ed?
ED
They’re
here.
PAGE
16
PANEL:
BRENDAN
whips around, looking off-panel towards the car. ED pushes himself
off from the wall, gripping his bat.
BRENDAN
What
do you want us to do?
PANEL:
THE
NON-AMERICANS begin getting out of the black car, five of them in
all, each one wearing black funeral attire. They each smile and
smoke. PIOTR gets out of the passenger seat.
ED
[OFF-PANEL]
Just
stay here for now.
PANEL:
From
a side view, BRENDAN and THE REST OF THE WOLVES look over at THE
NON-AMERICANS. THE WOLVES are all standing and are a little
freaked-out by nothing more than their appearance. ED begins
marching over to them. They’re roughly 100 feet away from the rest
of the boys.
BRENDAN
What’re
you gonna do?
PANEL:
ED
marches towards the viewer with gritted teeth and clenched fists.
BRENDAN has his hands out in the background questioningly.
BRENDAN
Ed?
PANEL:
We
see past ED's legs at the smoking, smirking NON-AMERICANS.
ED
Well?
You have me, don't ya? What do you want from me?
PANEL:
PIOTR
lifts his cigarette from his lips and blows smoke while he speaks.
PIOTR
Big
Ed. Done running? We've been talking with your folks for... so long
now. We just don't think words are enough to convey what we want to
say anymore. Maybe you'll be easier to speak with.
PANEL:
A
close-up of ED, from the shoulders-up.
ED
Fuck
you. And fuck off.
PANEL:
PIOTR
closes his eyes and rubs his raised eyebrow with a thumb while
holding his cigarette.
PIOTR
Ah.
Not much of a talker, too? If words don't work... I guess actions
talk louder...
What
was that expression?
PAGE
17
PANEL:
Past
PIOTR we see THE REST OF THE WOLVES.
PIOTR
And
oh. Look. The company of friends.
PANEL:
A
focus on PIOTR and the NON-AMERICANS behind him.
PIOTR
I
have friends, too.
PANEL:
A
focus on ED's face, growing angrier.
PIOTR
[OFF-PANEL]
What's
the idea? Did you think there'd be a chance against us? Five
against thirty?
ED
Against
thirty?
PANEL:
A
side-shot of SOME OF THE WOLVES looking worried, focused on the
spectacle in front of them.
PIOTR
[OFF-PANEL]
That's
right. Us against you and all your families. Your parents, your
siblings...
PANEL:
ED
screams toward the off-panel NON-AMERICANS.
ED
You
think you can threaten me?! Threaten our families?!
PANEL:
ED
charges towards PIOTR with his bat drawn back.
PIOTR
What's
the use of words, Big Ed? You didn't bring friends.
PANEL:
A
close-up of PIOTR's smirking face.
PIOTR
You
brought witnesses.
PAGE
18
PANEL:
A
side view of BILL and BRENDAN watching the action in front of them.
The cigarette drops out of BILL’s mouth. BRENDAN has an
outstretched arm as if he can reach out and stop ED from doing what
he has set out to do.
BILL
Oh
fuck. He’s gonna kill that guy.
BRENDAN
Ed!
Don’t—!
PANEL:
[SMALL]
PIOTR’s
hand flips open a switchblade.
PANEL:
ED
takes a downward swing but PIOTR has stepped to the side.
PANEL:
PIOTR,
with a smile, and with what seems to be the same motion as simple as
stepping to the side, drags his switchblade out from the front of ED,
dragging a trail of blood with it.
PANEL:
THE
WOLVES all watch, their faces shocked. HUNTER begins pushing his way
past JON and OLIVER with a sense of anger and turmoil.
JAMES
He
pulled a knife!
HUNTER
Fuck!
PAGE
19
PANEL:
THE
WOLVES run towards the scene from the background. ED drops to his
knees, cupping his hands to his stomach, the blood pouring between
his fingers. ED’s bat has dropped to the pavement next to him.
PIOTR, still looking at ED next to him with a smile and a cigarette
in his mouth, reaches to the back of his waist behind the tail of his
coat.
PANEL:
ED’s
face is in shock. He stares at the ground with wide eyes.
PANEL:
From
PIOTR’s point of view, ED looks up towards the viewer with the same
look of worry and surprise. An outstretched arm points a revolver
about a foot away from ED’s head.
PANEL:
THE
WOLVES skid to a quick stop about 50 feet away from the arm holding
the revolver which cuts across the foreground of the panel.
RICK
Fuck!
He’s got a gun!
PANEL:
A
different shot of ED looking up from the ground. The muzzle flashes
a burst of spark and flame.
BRENDAN
[OFF-PANEL]
ED!
GET—
PANEL:
A
magnificent shot of PIOTR, the gun’s reverberation sending his arm
slightly recoiling. ED is sent almost mid-air from the blast, his
right knee holding him to Earth as his body is sent through empty
space. A splash of blood rockets from the other side of his head.
The black car behind them is the only background. Everything else is
white.
PAGE
20
PANEL:
BILL
and BRENDAN stand in the foreground, looking at the viewer with wide
eyes and open mouths while THE REST OF THE WOLVES scramble away in
the background, fading into the white.
PANEL:
With
a smoking revolver, a mid-shot of PIOTR walking towards the viewer
with a small smile. The cigarette is gone. Smoke curls from the
barrel of the gun.
PANEL:
A
side view of BRENDAN’s eye.
PANEL:
We
see the back of ED’s head, slumped over on the pavement. Blood
pools around him like a nimbus and stains his blonde hair.
PANEL:
The
same shot of BRENDAN’s eye.
PIOTR
[OFF-PANEL]
I’m
glad to see there’s someone left to carry the message.
PANEL:
Another
mid-shot of PIOTR, you can tell he’s hunched over to get on
eye-level with BRENDAN and BILL, but we can’t see his eyes, just
his smile.
PIOTR
I
want you guys to tell all your friends…
PANEL:
A
red panel of BILL and BRENDAN running through the woods.
PIOTR
[OFF-PANEL]
There’s
a real gang in town now.
PANEL:
From
behind PIOTR’s shoulder, we see THE REST OF THE NON-AMERICANS not
even paying attention, but smoking, laughing, and talking amongst
themselves on the other side of the car.
PIOTR
No
more of your kiddie shit. No more bullying each other.
PAGE
21
PANEL:
A
red panel of BILL and BRENDAN's feet beating across a puddle.
PIOTR
[OFF-PANEL]
No
more stealing booze.
PANEL:
A
shot of PIOTR’s hands on his knees as he hunches over to talk to
the boys. His black tie dangles in front of the viewer, and one of
his hands still presses the revolver against his knee.
PIOTR
No
more street fights.
PANEL:
A
red panel of BRENDAN's chest from a side-view, his fists swinging in
motion as he runs. One of his hands holds ED's bat.
PIOTR
[OFF-PANEL]
We’re
the real deal.
PANEL:
A
fly rests on ED’s neck. A bead of blood makes its’ way down to
his back.
PIOTR
[OFF-PANEL]
And
if you want to be the real deal, too…
PANEL:
A
red panel of BILL and BRENDAN from a top-down view running up to the
Wolf Den.
PIOTR
[OFF-PANEL]
You
come find one of my boys and let us know.
PANEL:
An
up-close shot of the curl of ED’s dead hand on the ground.
PIOTR
[OFF-PANEL]
We’re
running this place now.
PANEL:
A
red panel of BILL and BRENDAN bursting through the door to the Wolf
Den.
PIOTR
[OFF-PANEL]
And
we’re not fucking around.
PANEL:
A
shot of ED’s bat, resting on the pavement while blood begins to
pool around one corner of it.
PIOTR
[OFF-PANEL]
I
don’t want to hear you guys running to no cops now, you hear?
PAGE
22
PANEL:
The
same shot of BRENDAN’s eye, but this time it looks up in PIOTR’s
direction with a bit of fierceness.
PIOTR
[OFF-PANEL]
And
if you ain’t running’ with us, I don’t ever want to bump into
you on the street.
PANEL:
From
the back of PIOTR’s head, he looks at BILL on his left, who we see
still in a state of shock.
PIOTR
If
you want to live in this town, you have to work for a living…
PANEL:
In
the same sort of shot, PIOTR looks to his right at BRENDAN, who
instead looks at PIOTR with a look of contempt.
PIOTR
…Or
die a bum.
PANEL:
PIOTR
walks away from the viewer as some of THE NON-AMERICANS stamp out
their cigarettes and get back into the car.
PIOTR
Don’t
keep me guessing for too long.
PANEL:
As
THE NON-AMERICANS’ car drives off from the same entrance they came
from, BILL hunches over with a hand on his knee, another covering his
mouth, his eyes shut tight. BRENDAN walks slowly off towards ED’s
body without purpose in the background. Sirens begin to come into
the panel, leading into the next one.
BILL
Oh
fuck.
I’m
gonna—
PANEL:
With
BRENDAN kneeling next to ED’s body, BILL whips up onto his feet
looking out towards one of the passages to the lot.
BILL
Shit,
that’s the cops. Brendan, we can’t be here.
PANEL:
BILL
is already in the passage of another alleyway, looking back at
BRENDAN, who’s getting up from the site of ED’s body.
BILL
We
gotta go, man!
PANEL:
The
same shot as before where blood was beginning to pool around the
corner of ED’s bat, but this time there’s an empty spot and a
couple of swipe marks to show it’s been taken.
BILL
[OFF-PANEL]
Brendan,
let’s go!
TO
BE CONTINUED…
