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The Protector Draft #4

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  1. The Protector
  2.  
  3.  
  4. INT. CAR - DAY
  5.  
  6. SUPERIMPOSE: HARTFORD, CONNECTICUT
  7.  
  8. DONOVAN "DON" PAULSEN, (30) cries in a Ford Mustang.
  9.  
  10. DON
  11. Jackie...
  12.  
  13. He looks in his glove box and pulls out a photo.
  14.  
  15. The photo is faded. Don sets it down on the dashboard.
  16.  
  17. ASHLEY "ASH" PAULSEN, (19) knocks on the window.
  18.  
  19. Don unlocks the door.
  20.  
  21. DON (CONT’D)
  22. (grumbling)
  23. Any memorable parting words from
  24. your dear mother? Maybe about your
  25. brother?
  26.  
  27. Ash places her hand on his shoulder.
  28.  
  29. ASH
  30. Dad, she wasn't the person we knew.
  31.  
  32. He looks down at the flask of whiskey in his lap. Don passes
  33. it to Ash.
  34.  
  35. She shakes it.
  36.  
  37. ASH (CONT’D)
  38. Still full. I'm genuinely
  39. surprised.
  40.  
  41. DON
  42. Some things I have to deal with
  43. without this. The sandbox isn't one
  44. of those. This is.
  45.  
  46. Don opens the glovebox. A 1911 sits in there with three
  47. magazines next to it. He takes it, flicks the safety on and
  48. puts in the back of his waistband.
  49.  
  50. ASH
  51. That's a new one. I'm being
  52. serious.
  53.  
  54. Don sits back and lowers the visor. He collects himself and
  55. takes a sigh. A sealed envelope falls out.
  56.  
  57. He opens it up.
  58.  
  59. DON
  60. Here's the new plan.
  61.  
  62. He passes the envelope to Ash.
  63.  
  64. ASH
  65. You sure about this?
  66.  
  67. DON
  68. I have to be.
  69.  
  70. He cranks the engine and drives.
  71.  
  72. The two sit as Don drives through the rainy streets of
  73. Hartford.
  74.  
  75. ASH
  76. Did you have a plan if this did
  77. happen?
  78.  
  79. Don shrugs.
  80.  
  81. DON
  82. I have one more card to play. That
  83. job in Phoenix line up for you?
  84.  
  85. She nods.
  86.  
  87. ASH
  88. Some Ford dealership, nothing too
  89. crazy.
  90.  
  91. Don nods at this.
  92.  
  93. DON
  94. It's best we get going. Jackie can
  95. keep my stuff.
  96.  
  97. ASH
  98. Everything?
  99.  
  100. DON
  101. Yeah. Ain't nothing there I can't
  102. replace.
  103.  
  104. The envelope reads, "Knight Pharmaceuticals".
  105.  
  106. Next to it, lies a folded job offer letter:
  107.  
  108. Wrench opens it.
  109.  
  110. Mr. Donovan Paulsen,
  111.  
  112. You applied on OperatorWorks.net today for an opportunity in
  113. private security with a pharmaceutical company, Knight
  114. Pharmaceuticals located in Phoenix, Arizona.
  115.  
  116. I wanted to reach out and schedule time to meet with you so
  117. we could speak further about this career opportunity. Are you
  118. available today or tomorrow sometime?
  119.  
  120. We would need to allow a few hours to make sure you know all
  121. the details of the opportunity and I can answer any questions
  122. you may have.
  123.  
  124. Please let me know what your schedule looks like so we can
  125. set something up.
  126.  
  127. Sincerely,
  128.  
  129. (Fancy signature here)
  130.  
  131. Kim Williams
  132.  
  133.  
  134. EXT. CITY - NIGHT
  135.  
  136. SUPERIMPOSE: FOUR DAYS LATER
  137.  
  138. The mustang passes a "City of Los Angeles" sign.
  139.  
  140.  
  141. INT. CAR - NIGHT
  142.  
  143. Don's eyes widen as he looks around.
  144.  
  145. ASH
  146. You never talked much about growing
  147. up.
  148.  
  149. Don takes a nervous breath as he leans back in his seat.
  150.  
  151. DON
  152. I never wanted to.
  153.  
  154. Ash looks at downtown as the car rises on an overpass.
  155.  
  156. ASH
  157. What's so bad about this city? It
  158. ain't Chicago-
  159.  
  160. DON
  161. Oh, it's probably about the same or
  162. worse.
  163.  
  164. Ash sits back in her seat.
  165.  
  166. ASH
  167. What are we here for again?
  168.  
  169. DON
  170. A lot of illegal shit that I
  171. probably should've gotten out
  172. sooner.
  173.  
  174. ASH
  175. That sounds pretty cool, how
  176. illegal we talking?
  177.  
  178. They get back on the main highway.
  179.  
  180. DON
  181. Like the, "If caught I will never
  182. see the outside ever again"
  183. illegal.
  184.  
  185. A box sits by the freeway.
  186.  
  187. DON (CONT’D)
  188. (muttering)
  189. ...Contact my 2 o'clock.
  190.  
  191. Don's eyes widen as he presses the gas.
  192.  
  193. The speedometer jumps from 60 to 80.
  194.  
  195. He passes the box.
  196.  
  197. ASH
  198. Dad?
  199.  
  200. Don takes a deep breath as he takes one of his hands off the
  201. wheel. He takes another breath.
  202.  
  203. DON
  204. Don't worry about it.
  205.  
  206. His grip on the steering wheel tightens as he drives forward.
  207.  
  208.  
  209. EXT. STORAGE OFFICE - NIGHT
  210.  
  211. The mustang pulls up. A U-Haul truck sits there.
  212.  
  213. ASH
  214. This doesn't look very illegal.
  215.  
  216. DON
  217. Wait here.
  218.  
  219. Don steps out. RICKY, (early-20s) stands there.
  220.  
  221. DON (CONT’D)
  222. Sorry about the wait, just got back
  223. from Connecticut, long road trip
  224. and all.
  225.  
  226. He pulls out two one hundred dollar bills and passes it to
  227. him.
  228.  
  229. DON (CONT’D)
  230. Everything good?
  231.  
  232. Ricky nods.
  233.  
  234. RICKY
  235. Everything's in working order, sir.
  236.  
  237. DON
  238. Good, thanks for the help man.
  239.  
  240. Don goes back to the Mustang and opens the door.
  241.  
  242. DON (CONT’D)
  243. Follow me in, we gotta load some
  244. things into the truck.
  245.  
  246. ASH
  247. Some?!
  248.  
  249. Don looks back at the truck.
  250.  
  251. DON
  252. Y-Yeah, something like that.
  253.  
  254. Don pulls up to a storage unit, stops and faces the back of
  255. the truck toward the door.
  256.  
  257. He turns off the truck, takes the key out, and walks over to
  258. the unit.
  259.  
  260. Ash parks the same way next to him.
  261.  
  262. ASH
  263. You been Tony Montana behind my
  264. back?
  265.  
  266. Don opens the door to the unit and turns on a light.
  267.  
  268.  
  269. INT. STORAGE UNIT - NIGHT
  270.  
  271. ASH
  272. Oh. That kind of illegal.
  273.  
  274. Gun crates from World War One to Desert Storm are stacked
  275. across the room. A Maxim gun's barrel sticks out of a half
  276. opened crate. Wooden and dark green padlocked crates are
  277. unorganized and sit across the room.
  278.  
  279. DON
  280. Christ. Ash, help me get this
  281. loaded.
  282.  
  283. Don goes to pop the trunk of his Mustang and looks at a piece
  284. of paper that reads "Gun trust". Don pulls the ramp from the
  285. truck.
  286.  
  287. The two start to load crates into the back of the truck.
  288.  
  289. ASH
  290. You had these the whole time? What
  291. else were you hiding?
  292.  
  293. Don grabs a dolly, places three crates on top of it that
  294. read, "M1 Thompson", "M1 Garand", and "Springfield M1903".
  295.  
  296. DON
  297. We're gonna be here a while.
  298.  
  299.  
  300. EXT. STORAGE UNIT - DAY
  301.  
  302. The two load one last crate into the truck that reads, "1919
  303. Browning".
  304.  
  305. The truck is full at this point.
  306.  
  307. Don closes the door to the back.
  308.  
  309. The two look exhausted and sleep deprived.
  310.  
  311. DON
  312. Let's get...
  313.  
  314. A figure stands there and smokes a cigarette.
  315.  
  316. DON (CONT’D)
  317. ...Shit...
  318.  
  319. MARCUS, (30) walks toward them. He wears a pair of jeans and
  320. a black T-shirt.
  321.  
  322. MARCUS
  323. I swear, I could've sworn.
  324.  
  325. He throws down his cigarette.
  326.  
  327. MARCUS (CONT’D)
  328. Ain't those illegal?
  329.  
  330. Don tries to make his way to the truck but finds himself
  331. blocked as Marcus stands in his way of the driver's side
  332. door.
  333.  
  334. MARCUS (CONT’D)
  335. All that NFA, huh?
  336.  
  337. Don looks into his eyes.
  338.  
  339. DON
  340. Have a nice day, buddy.
  341.  
  342. Don tries to go around.
  343.  
  344. Marcus stands in his way.
  345.  
  346. MARCUS
  347. I'm assuming the divorce didn't hit
  348. you too well either.
  349.  
  350. DON
  351. Fuck off.
  352.  
  353. Don looks down, not making any eye contact with Marcus.
  354.  
  355. MARCUS
  356. Well, don't get mad at me. Your
  357. sister and I fairly close.
  358.  
  359. DON
  360. If you're banging her, I don't
  361. care.
  362.  
  363. Marcus gives a grin.
  364.  
  365. MARCUS
  366. Well I am. Call me Marcus.
  367.  
  368. Don looks at him and glares.
  369.  
  370. DON
  371. Fuck off, Marcus.
  372.  
  373. Marcus steps back from the truck as Don gets in and drives
  374. away.
  375.  
  376.  
  377. INT. DINER - DAY
  378.  
  379. The two sit in the diner as Don looks at the list.
  380.  
  381. With a pen, he checks the guns off the list.
  382.  
  383. DON
  384. (muttering)
  385. Ithaca model 37s, Browning Hi-
  386. Powers, 1911A1s...
  387.  
  388. Ash sits there and eats, curiously watching Don put check
  389. marks next to the guns on the list.
  390.  
  391. ASH
  392. Everything there?
  393.  
  394. DON
  395. Surprisingly.
  396.  
  397. He sets the list down and massages his eyes.
  398.  
  399. ASH
  400. Dad.
  401.  
  402. Don's hand rests on a coffee cup.
  403.  
  404. ASH (CONT’D)
  405. You never told mom about all this-
  406. Why?
  407.  
  408. She finishes her meal.
  409.  
  410. DON
  411. I've had a lot happen before you
  412. showed up.
  413.  
  414. She nods. He looks at her.
  415.  
  416. DON (CONT’D)
  417. You want more to eat? I got more
  418. money if need be.
  419.  
  420. Don reaches for his wallet. Wrench shakes her head.
  421.  
  422. ASH
  423. I'm good, thanks dad.
  424.  
  425. Don looks out at the truck. His eyes widen as a police
  426. cruiser passes it. He watches it for a moment.
  427.  
  428. The lights and sirens come on.
  429.  
  430. DON
  431. Oh shit.
  432.  
  433. He stands up-
  434.  
  435. The cruiser drives off.
  436.  
  437. Ash's eyes widen as well.
  438.  
  439. Don sits down and takes a sigh of relief.
  440.  
  441. DON (CONT’D)
  442. Jesus christ. You want to stay here
  443. or get going?
  444.  
  445. ASH
  446. Let's get going.
  447.  
  448. DON
  449. You good to drive? We can tow the
  450. Mustang.
  451.  
  452. She nods.
  453.  
  454. ASH
  455. Should be. We'll find a hotel in
  456. Phoenix, right?
  457.  
  458. Don nods as he checks his bank account.
  459.  
  460. He sees $10,350 still in checking.
  461.  
  462. $601,453 sits in savings.
  463.  
  464. DON
  465. We'll be alright. Actually, y'know
  466. what?
  467.  
  468.  
  469. INT. MOTEL - NIGHT
  470.  
  471. Don massages his eyes.
  472.  
  473. DON
  474. What the fuck did I come back here
  475. for...
  476.  
  477. He eyes the Uhaul truck outside next to his car. Don takes a
  478. deep breath and goes to sleep.
  479.  
  480.  
  481. EXT. CEMETERY - DAY
  482.  
  483. Don sits in front of two tombstones.
  484.  
  485. One reads, "Alexander 'Alex' R. Paulsen, 1969-1998".
  486.  
  487. The other reads, "Aimi M. Paulsen 1967-1998".
  488.  
  489. Don looks at his dad's tombstone.
  490.  
  491. DON
  492. Dad, I know you made me promise to
  493. you-
  494.  
  495. His voice trails off.
  496.  
  497. DON (CONT’D)
  498. But I did the exact opposite of
  499. what you told me to. And for
  500. that...
  501.  
  502. Don reaches into his pocket to pull out a set of his dog
  503. tags.
  504.  
  505. DON (CONT’D)
  506. I'm sorry.
  507.  
  508. Don looks at his mother's tombstone.
  509.  
  510. DON (CONT’D)
  511. I'm sorry you never got to see who
  512. I became. I think you'd be more
  513. disappointed in what I've become
  514. more than anything.
  515.  
  516. He takes one more glance at his father's stone.
  517.  
  518. DON (CONT’D)
  519. If you guys can hear me in whatever
  520. existing afterlife there is or
  521. might be. I'm sorry I failed you.
  522.  
  523. Don walks off.
  524.  
  525. Others around him talk to their caskets, some cry, others pay
  526. their quiet respects to those lost.
  527.  
  528. Don stops at one more tombstone.
  529.  
  530. It reads, "Ryan J. Scott 1990-2006". Don sits at it.
  531.  
  532. DON (CONT’D)
  533. How long's it been Ry? 17 years...
  534. Almost two decades since the
  535. accident.
  536.  
  537. He sits there silent at it.
  538.  
  539. DON (CONT’D)
  540. You know, back then...
  541.  
  542. Tears well down Don's eyes.
  543.  
  544. DON (CONT’D)
  545. The wife left man. Maybe we
  546. could've been something, I don't
  547. know. But I shouldn't have gone
  548. with you camping that night, I
  549. just...
  550.  
  551. Don goes silent again. He stands up and walks off.
  552.  
  553. DON (CONT’D)
  554. I'm sorry Ryan...
  555.  
  556.  
  557. EXT. HIGHWAY - NIGHT
  558.  
  559. A highway sign for Phoenix sits there.
  560.  
  561. The U-Haul truck and the Mustang pass it.
  562.  
  563.  
  564. INT. HOTEL LOBBY - NIGHT
  565.  
  566. Don wears a tan three day pack.
  567.  
  568. Ash carries a duffel bag.
  569.  
  570. Don walks over the receptionist up front and shoots a weak
  571. smile.
  572.  
  573. DON
  574. Howdy there- Uh, just two rooms,
  575. one person in each of 'em.
  576.  
  577. ASH
  578. Wait, what? Dad!
  579.  
  580. Don chuckles at Wrench.
  581.  
  582. DON
  583. I think you can handle yourself.
  584. Anyway.
  585.  
  586. He looks back at the receptionist.
  587.  
  588. IND RECEPTIONIST
  589. Alright sir, anything else?
  590.  
  591. He passes him his debit card.
  592.  
  593. DON
  594. I'll pay this in advance.
  595.  
  596. The receptionist takes the card from him.
  597.  
  598. Don smiles at Ash.
  599.  
  600.  
  601. INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
  602.  
  603. Don goes into the room and goes into the minibar.
  604.  
  605. He digs out some whiskey and downs some of it.
  606.  
  607. Don sits there. The offer letter still sits next to him.
  608.  
  609. He downs one small bottle after another.
  610.  
  611. FADE TO BLACK.
  612.  
  613.  
  614. INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY
  615.  
  616. Don lays in his bed, now in a pair of shorts and an old black
  617. Army T-shirt.
  618.  
  619. DON
  620. (sleeping)
  621. I love you Jacqueline Miller...
  622.  
  623. Next to him are mini bottles of whiskey.
  624.  
  625. A knock at the door.
  626.  
  627. ASH
  628. (muffled)
  629. Dad!
  630.  
  631. DON
  632. Oh, shit.
  633.  
  634. Don opens his eyes, feels his head, and stands up.
  635.  
  636. He hobbles over to the door and opens it.
  637.  
  638. Ash stands there in a pair of slacks, a button up, and a pair
  639. of slip ons.
  640.  
  641. Don holds a look of confusion.
  642.  
  643. DON (CONT’D)
  644. Jesus, this is something new in
  645. comparison to the tomboy shit I see
  646. you normally wear.
  647.  
  648. ASH
  649. Job interview. Alright if I take
  650. the car?
  651.  
  652. Don nods.
  653.  
  654. DON
  655. Speaking of, I gotta do that
  656. myself. Just uh- Call me, tell me
  657. how it goes.
  658.  
  659. Don motions her inside.
  660.  
  661. He walks over to the night stand next to all of the emptied
  662. out mini bottles of Jameson.
  663.  
  664. ASH
  665. You drinking because of mom?
  666.  
  667. Don shakes his head.
  668.  
  669. DON
  670. Old memories.
  671.  
  672. Ash nods.
  673.  
  674. Don passes her the Mustang keys.
  675.  
  676. DON (CONT’D)
  677. You somehow manage to find a party,
  678. invite me.
  679.  
  680. ASH
  681. I don't think they want an old
  682. fossil like you at a party, dad.
  683.  
  684. DON
  685. Doesn't hurt to try. Don't crash my
  686. car.
  687.  
  688. ASH
  689. Don't fuck traps.
  690.  
  691. DON
  692. No promises here.
  693.  
  694. ASH
  695. None here either.
  696.  
  697. She takes the keys and steps out.
  698.  
  699. The door closes behind her.
  700.  
  701. Don sits there and sighs. He looks at himself in the mirror
  702. and notes the beard on his face.
  703.  
  704. DON
  705. I'm not getting the job with this
  706. damn thing.
  707.  
  708. He walks back to his bag and pulls out shaving cream and a
  709. razor.
  710.  
  711. Don shaves his beard and looks at his grown out hair.
  712.  
  713. DON (CONT’D)
  714. Haircut time.
  715.  
  716. Don walks back over to his night stand and takes out his
  717. phone.
  718.  
  719. He glances at his phone and thumbs dials a number.
  720.  
  721. A voice on the other end, KIM (mid-30s) picks up.
  722.  
  723. KIM (O.S.)
  724. Knight Pharmaceuticals, security
  725. division, Kim speaking.
  726.  
  727. DON
  728. (into phone)
  729. Howdy there, this is Donovan
  730. Paulsen.
  731.  
  732. KIM (O.S.)
  733. Oh, Mr. Paulsen. Been expecting
  734. your call.
  735.  
  736. DON
  737. (into phone)
  738. ...Yeah, I've had things going on.
  739.  
  740. KIM (O.S.)
  741. I'm sorry to hear that, are you
  742. able to come in anytime soon for an
  743. interview sometime this week?
  744.  
  745. DON
  746. I would, yes. When are you
  747. available?
  748.  
  749. KIM
  750. How about tomorrow at two?
  751.  
  752. Don puts this into his phone.
  753.  
  754. DON
  755. Sounds good.
  756.  
  757. KIM
  758. Alrightee then, Thursday at two.
  759. Have a good day, Mr. Paulsen.
  760.  
  761. DON
  762. Thanks, appreciate it.
  763.  
  764. Don hangs up the phone and takes a deep breath.
  765.  
  766. Don massages his eyes and his hands shake.
  767.  
  768. DON (CONT’D)
  769. Fuck...
  770.  
  771. He sits there and cries into a pillow for a moment.
  772.  
  773. DON (CONT’D)
  774. I'm not good enough, I'm not good
  775. enough, I'm not good enough...
  776.  
  777. JACQUELINE PAULSEN, (28) appears in front of him.
  778.  
  779. JACKIE
  780. No, you're fucking not. Maybe if
  781. you weren't such fucking trash
  782. you'd have that life Don. Maybe I
  783. wanted someone and something
  784. better, maybe someone that didn't
  785. kill people for eight years.
  786.  
  787. Don stays there. He curls up in a ball as Jackie continues to
  788. berate him.
  789.  
  790. JACKIE (CONT’D)
  791. You'd still have your kid if you
  792. hadn't reenlisted! Maybe then
  793. Wrench would actually like you as a
  794. dad! How about this Don? I can't
  795. believe you went as far as to name
  796. something that wasn't there.
  797.  
  798. She scoffs at him.
  799.  
  800. JACKIE (CONT’D)
  801. Naming an unborn kid. Life's about
  802. not getting attached Donny, get too
  803. attached and-
  804.  
  805. Don covers his head with a pillow.
  806.  
  807.  
  808. INT. JACKIE'S HOUSE - NIGHT
  809.  
  810. Jackie stands there with a bottle of whiskey in her hand.
  811.  
  812. JACKIE
  813. -Get too attached and you'll only
  814. wind up disappointed.
  815.  
  816. DON
  817. What?
  818.  
  819. JACKIE
  820. Yes Don, I did.
  821.  
  822. Don gives a confused look.
  823.  
  824. JACKIE (CONT’D)
  825. You don't have to worry about Ben
  826. OR ME anymore.
  827.  
  828. DON
  829. Jack, what did you do?
  830.  
  831. JACKIE
  832. Put the pieces together Sherlock, I
  833. know you're smarter than that. Have
  834. fun in court.
  835.  
  836. DON
  837. YOU FUCKING PSYCHOPATH!
  838.  
  839. JACKIE
  840. What? You didn't see this coming?
  841.  
  842. DON
  843. NO!
  844.  
  845. She laughs and pours herself another glass of whiskey.
  846.  
  847. Ash walks in on this.
  848.  
  849. ASH
  850. Dad?
  851.  
  852. Don holds his head.
  853.  
  854. JACKIE
  855. Your dad's only now realizing he's
  856. a shitty person, Ash.
  857.  
  858. ASH
  859. What?
  860.  
  861. JACKIE
  862. Your dad works a shitty security
  863. job, for some dead end security
  864. firm and doesn't make enough to
  865. provide. I got rid of this "Ben" he
  866. keeps talking about because he
  867. wouldn't be able to afford it.
  868.  
  869. Ash walks over to Don.
  870.  
  871. ASH
  872. You're a psychopath, mom!
  873.  
  874. The two argue as Don stands behind Ash. He sits on the floor
  875. and leans against the wall.
  876.  
  877. Their voices drown out.
  878.  
  879.  
  880. INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY
  881.  
  882. Don sits back. The room just stays silent. He takes a deep
  883. breath and stands up.
  884.  
  885. DON
  886. Let's go.
  887.  
  888.  
  889. INT. BARBER SHOP - DAY
  890.  
  891. Don gets his hair cut into a business professional style.
  892.  
  893. His hair falls down around him. He looks into the mirror in
  894. front of him.
  895.  
  896. A younger version of Don looks back for a split second.
  897.  
  898. Don takes a deep breath.
  899.  
  900. IND BARBER
  901. Hey buddy?
  902.  
  903. Don looks back at the barber.
  904.  
  905. IND BARBER (CONT’D)
  906. How's it look? You don't look like
  907. a hippie anymore- That's a plus.
  908.  
  909. Don looks into the mirror and grins.
  910.  
  911. DON
  912. Fuck man, that looks great.
  913.  
  914. IND BARBER
  915. That'll be 15.
  916.  
  917. He pulls the cloth from around Don and takes the paper off
  918. his neck.
  919.  
  920. DON
  921. Yeah, man.
  922.  
  923. Don takes out his wallet and gives the barber 25 dollars.
  924.  
  925. IND BARBER
  926. Have a good day, sir.
  927.  
  928. DON
  929. Thanks.
  930.  
  931.  
  932. INT. HOTEL ROOM - NIGHT
  933.  
  934. Ash comes back and finds Don on a laptop.
  935.  
  936. ASH
  937. Well this is a welcome change. Not
  938. on Steam, not watching anime,
  939. but...
  940.  
  941. She looks at the monitor.
  942.  
  943. ASH (CONT’D)
  944. Working on a resume...
  945.  
  946. Ash nods at this as she sets her bag down and loosens her
  947. hair.
  948.  
  949. Don stops what he does.
  950.  
  951. DON
  952. Do you knock?
  953.  
  954. She shrugs.
  955.  
  956. ASH
  957. Never had a need to.
  958.  
  959. DON
  960. What'd they say? How'd your
  961. interview go?
  962.  
  963. ASH
  964. They said yes.
  965.  
  966. DON
  967. Nice. Mine's tomorrow.
  968.  
  969. ASH
  970. Thanks dad.
  971.  
  972. Don shoots a weak grin.
  973.  
  974. ASH (CONT’D)
  975. I mean it. I didn't think any of
  976. this would actually work.
  977.  
  978. Don just shrugs at this.
  979.  
  980. DON
  981. Surprisingly, me neither.
  982.  
  983. ASH
  984. It all worked out though, right?
  985.  
  986. DON
  987. I guess you could say that, sure.
  988. Let's just see how tomorrow goes. I
  989. don't know too much about the job.
  990.  
  991. Don massages his eyes.
  992.  
  993. DON (CONT’D)
  994. Shouldn't you be getting ready for
  995. your first day of work?
  996.  
  997. Ash shrugs.
  998.  
  999. ASH
  1000. I've worked off less sleep you
  1001. know.
  1002.  
  1003. She takes a water bottle out of her hand bag and drinks from
  1004. it.
  1005.  
  1006. DON
  1007. Not asking you, go rest. I'll get
  1008. us both apartments, just give me
  1009. some time. Couple weeks. Max.
  1010.  
  1011. Ash nods at this.
  1012.  
  1013. DON (CONT’D)
  1014. Get some sleep sweetheart.
  1015.  
  1016. Ash toward the door but stops.
  1017.  
  1018. ASH
  1019. Dad? With what happened with mom...
  1020. Don't be so hard on yourself.
  1021.  
  1022. DON
  1023. Thanks Ash. And take a Lyft for
  1024. tomorrow, I'll need the car.
  1025.  
  1026. ASH
  1027. No problem dad.
  1028.  
  1029. She leaves the room. Don lies down in bed and falls asleep.
  1030.  
  1031. FADE TO BLACK.
  1032.  
  1033.  
  1034. INT. HIGH SCHOOL - NIGHT
  1035.  
  1036. Vitamin C - Graduation plays.
  1037.  
  1038. Don dances with ROXANNE "ROXY" MILLS, (18).
  1039.  
  1040. He smiles as he holds her hand.
  1041.  
  1042. DON
  1043. (whispering)
  1044. As we go on... We remember...
  1045.  
  1046. Roxy smiles at him. Don sweeps her blonde hair with his hand
  1047. and looks into her eyes with a smile.
  1048.  
  1049. Roxy looks at Don. The two slow dance together and look into
  1050. each other's eyes.
  1051.  
  1052. Don continues to dance with her.
  1053.  
  1054. ROXY
  1055. I love you Donny.
  1056.  
  1057. Don just stares into her eyes.
  1058.  
  1059. DON
  1060. I'm good, yeah. It's great. I mean,
  1061. I-I love you too.
  1062.  
  1063. Roxy giggles at Don.
  1064.  
  1065. She places her hand on his cheek.
  1066.  
  1067. ROXY
  1068. I don't mind that, you know. It's
  1069. cute on you.
  1070.  
  1071. She hugs him and places her mouth close to his ear.
  1072.  
  1073. ROXY (CONT’D)
  1074. (whispering)
  1075. Now let's stop by the motel and
  1076. seal this deal...
  1077.  
  1078. DON
  1079. That sounds like a plan sweetheart.
  1080.  
  1081. She grins at Don and gives Don a quick peck on the cheek.
  1082.  
  1083. The two make their way toward the door to
  1084.  
  1085.  
  1086. INT. CAR - NIGHT
  1087.  
  1088. The two get into the car.
  1089.  
  1090. Don closes the door. He looks down and turns on the car.
  1091.  
  1092. His hands shake.
  1093.  
  1094. DON
  1095. Oh christ, oh christ...
  1096.  
  1097. ROXY
  1098. Baby, you're okay. Here...
  1099.  
  1100. Roxy holds his hand and turns Don's radio on.
  1101.  
  1102. RADIO
  1103. IT AIN'T MEEEE IT AIN'T MEEE-
  1104.  
  1105. She changes the station.
  1106.  
  1107. RADIO (CONT’D)
  1108. SHOW ME THE MEANING OF BEING
  1109. LONELY-
  1110.  
  1111. ROXY
  1112. Definitely not.
  1113.  
  1114. She changes it again.
  1115.  
  1116. RADIO
  1117. Well you done done me and you know
  1118. I felt it...
  1119.  
  1120. ROXY
  1121. Too cheesy.
  1122.  
  1123. DON
  1124. I got my IPod, aux cord should be
  1125. here...
  1126.  
  1127. Don lets go of her hand and reaches toward the backseat.
  1128.  
  1129. Don takes out an IPod Touch and tabs through it into a
  1130. playlist that reads, "Eurobeat".
  1131.  
  1132. DON (CONT’D)
  1133. You're alright with this, right?
  1134.  
  1135. She looks over and gives a grin.
  1136.  
  1137. ROXY
  1138. Course I am.
  1139.  
  1140. Don calms down as he tabs a song and sets his phone down.
  1141.  
  1142. He puts his car in gear.
  1143.  
  1144. Heartbeat by Nathalie plays.
  1145.  
  1146.  
  1147. INT. MOTEL - NIGHT
  1148.  
  1149. Don's hands shake as he lays in the bed.
  1150.  
  1151. DON
  1152. I-I've never done this before
  1153. Rox... What do I do?
  1154.  
  1155. She strips her clothes off in front of him.
  1156.  
  1157. ROXY
  1158. Neither have I baby... Just do what
  1159. feels right.
  1160.  
  1161. DON
  1162. Alright hun...
  1163.  
  1164. The two kiss.
  1165.  
  1166.  
  1167. INT. HOTEL ROOM - DAY
  1168.  
  1169. Don wakes up. His phone alarm reads, "0445".
  1170.  
  1171. He takes a deep breath and shakes his head as he looks up at
  1172. a crumpled suit in front of him.
  1173.  
  1174. He goes into the shower.
  1175.  
  1176. Some time later, he steps out and begins to iron his suit,
  1177. extra careful to get the creases.
  1178.  
  1179. DON
  1180. Is it good enough?
  1181.  
  1182. He examines the creases in depth.
  1183.  
  1184. He gets his suit together and looks at his shoes. A little
  1185. bit dusty.
  1186.  
  1187. Don goes takes a cloth from his bag and dusts them off.
  1188.  
  1189. The shine still remains.
  1190.  
  1191. He puts on his clothes, looks in the mirror, and does his
  1192. hair.
  1193.  
  1194. Don adjusts his tie and makes his way out.
  1195.  
  1196.  
  1197. INT. DINER - DAY
  1198.  
  1199. Marcus sits across the way next to DAWN PAULSEN, (34).
  1200.  
  1201. DON
  1202. What the...
  1203.  
  1204. Don stands up and makes his way over to them.
  1205.  
  1206. DON (CONT’D)
  1207. Oh shit...
  1208.  
  1209. Marcus shoots Don a grin.
  1210.  
  1211. DON (CONT’D)
  1212. Hey...
  1213.  
  1214. Don looks over at her.
  1215.  
  1216. DON (CONT’D)
  1217. Been a while hasn't it?
  1218.  
  1219. Dawn just stares at her coffee cup.
  1220.  
  1221. DAWN
  1222. It has.
  1223.  
  1224. She turns to face him.
  1225.  
  1226. DAWN (CONT’D)
  1227. Life been treating you well?
  1228.  
  1229. Don puts his hands in his pockets.
  1230.  
  1231. DON
  1232. I've had a few things happen.
  1233.  
  1234. DAWN
  1235. Yeah, divorce hits everyone
  1236. differently, Michael.
  1237.  
  1238. Don rolls his eyes as his expression changes to that of
  1239. disgust.
  1240.  
  1241. DON
  1242. Thanks Michelle.
  1243.  
  1244. Don goes back. The waitress, ROSIE, (33) walks back.
  1245.  
  1246. ROSIE
  1247. What can I get ya today?
  1248.  
  1249. DON
  1250. Breakfast special and coffee.
  1251.  
  1252. ROSIE
  1253. Alrightee.
  1254.  
  1255. Don gets on his phone and begins to read.
  1256.  
  1257. He looks up "Knight Pharmaceuticals" on his phone.
  1258.  
  1259. A myriad of articles:
  1260. "Knight Pharmaceuticals looking to increase security
  1261. protocols"
  1262. "Knight Pharmaceuticals: A Helping Hand or a Force for Evil?"
  1263. "Sentinel Securities: Security Force or Private Army?"
  1264.  
  1265. He thumbs through these articles. His food arrives as he
  1266. takes his time to read through them.
  1267.  
  1268. He eats and continues to read.
  1269.  
  1270. Don places the phone in his pocket as he eats.
  1271.  
  1272. Marcus walks over to Don.
  1273.  
  1274. MARCUS
  1275. What's your plan now cowboy? Gonna
  1276. get a job, get that normal life
  1277. that you always talked about.
  1278. Didn't work out for you the first
  1279. time.
  1280.  
  1281. Don finishes his food and downs his coffee. He just shoots
  1282. Marcus a look of annoyance.
  1283.  
  1284. DON
  1285. What do you want?
  1286.  
  1287. MARCUS
  1288. Ain't the first time we've met
  1289. before.
  1290.  
  1291. DON
  1292. Nice, you're stalking me.
  1293.  
  1294. Marcus chuckles.
  1295.  
  1296. MARCUS
  1297. At least the sense of humor stuck
  1298. around.
  1299.  
  1300. Don cocks an eyebrow.
  1301.  
  1302. MARCUS (CONT’D)
  1303. Anyways, just wanted to tell you.
  1304. Stay out of my business and I'll
  1305. stay out of yours. You tend to have
  1306. a problem with that. Best of luck
  1307. on that interview.
  1308.  
  1309. Marcus gives Don a grin and walks off.
  1310.  
  1311. DON
  1312. Wait. What?
  1313.  
  1314. He shakes his head.
  1315.  
  1316. DON (CONT’D)
  1317. Fucking guy...
  1318.  
  1319. Don finishes his food and walks out.
  1320.  
  1321.  
  1322. INT. CAR - AFTERNOON
  1323.  
  1324. Don drives his Mustang up to the gate. A guard stands there
  1325. in a white security uniform.
  1326.  
  1327. Don pulls up and lowers his window.
  1328.  
  1329. IND GUARD 1
  1330. Hello there sir, who are you to
  1331. here to see today?
  1332.  
  1333. Don reaches for his driver's license and passes it to the
  1334. guard.
  1335.  
  1336. The guard looks at it, scans it on a phone.
  1337.  
  1338. IND GUARD 1 (CONT’D)
  1339. Right... Let's see here. Donovan
  1340. Paulsen, Connecticut ID... Checks
  1341. out, go see Mr. White on the fourth
  1342. floor.
  1343.  
  1344. Don nods at this.
  1345.  
  1346. The gate opens and Don drives in.
  1347.  
  1348. The building is a locked down sprawl. It looks like a city of
  1349. its own, food vendors sell their goods at. Mail trucks move
  1350. their cargo in and out.
  1351.  
  1352. Don drives around and watches all of this. Private security
  1353. walk around in body armor, ARs slung around them. Some smoke,
  1354. talk amongst themselves.
  1355.  
  1356. Don goes to park his car.
  1357.  
  1358. DON
  1359. This place is huge...
  1360.  
  1361. He gets out of his car to
  1362.  
  1363.  
  1364. EXT. CORPORATE BUILDING - AFTERNOON
  1365.  
  1366. Don steps out of his car and walks toward the main building.
  1367.  
  1368. The gate is visible from where he parked.
  1369.  
  1370.  
  1371. INT. CORPORATE BUILDING - AFTERNOON
  1372.  
  1373. Don sits there, his resume in hand. He sits there as his leg
  1374. shakes.
  1375.  
  1376. Don looks over at the guys next to him.
  1377.  
  1378. IND APPLICANT 1
  1379. Me? I was infantry. Served eight
  1380. years, I got this in the bag man.
  1381.  
  1382. IND APPLICANT 2
  1383. Me? I was a fuckin' real operator
  1384. man, an MP! You don't see guys like
  1385. me anymore!
  1386.  
  1387. Don scoots away from these guys in discomfort and looks down
  1388. at his paper.
  1389.  
  1390. Kim walks in.
  1391.  
  1392. KIM
  1393. Mr. Paulsen, they're waiting to see
  1394. you now.
  1395.  
  1396. Don walks into the room, a chair sits in the middle of it.
  1397.  
  1398. Four older men in suits look at him. JASON WHITE, (43) sits
  1399. in the middle of them next to ANTHONY, (mid-20s).
  1400.  
  1401. The other two just watch.
  1402.  
  1403. WHITE
  1404. I'll take a look at that.
  1405.  
  1406. Don walks over and passes him his resume.
  1407.  
  1408. WHITE (CONT’D)
  1409. You can call me Agent White.
  1410.  
  1411. Don walks over, his resume in hand. He passes it to White who
  1412. reads it.
  1413.  
  1414. WHITE (CONT’D)
  1415. You used to be a pizza guy.
  1416. Interesting.
  1417.  
  1418. He flips through this.
  1419.  
  1420. WHITE (CONT’D)
  1421. Who reenlists?
  1422.  
  1423. Don shrugs.
  1424.  
  1425. DON
  1426. I was tired of carrying a rifle,
  1427. sir.
  1428.  
  1429. White takes a moment to look at Don.
  1430.  
  1431. WHITE
  1432. Four years with the 82nd and an
  1433. Army Cross with another four later.
  1434.  
  1435. DON
  1436. Y-Yes sir.
  1437.  
  1438. He looks through Don's resume some more.
  1439.  
  1440. WHITE
  1441. I understand that must have been a
  1442. difficult time for you, those first
  1443. four years.
  1444.  
  1445. DON
  1446. They were an adjustment sir, and
  1447. one I learned to work with well.
  1448.  
  1449. WHITE
  1450. I see, yes. What do you expect to
  1451. get from us Mr. Paulsen?
  1452.  
  1453. DON
  1454. I'd like the opportunity to protect
  1455. people again, Mr. White.
  1456.  
  1457. WHITE
  1458. I can tell judging by the Personal
  1459. Security Detail course you took in
  1460. Oceanside.
  1461.  
  1462. Don nods.
  1463.  
  1464. DON
  1465. There's no feeling like it- The
  1466. worst part is failing.
  1467.  
  1468. White jots something down on the resume.
  1469.  
  1470. WHITE
  1471. I'll be adding this to your file
  1472. and we'll be moving you up in the
  1473. hiring process. Are you available
  1474. for a few more hours?
  1475.  
  1476. DON
  1477. Yes sir.
  1478.  
  1479. WHITE
  1480. We'll be running you through an
  1481. assault course. Depending on how
  1482. you do, we'll have you started this
  1483. month.
  1484.  
  1485. DON
  1486. Thank you, sir.
  1487.  
  1488. Don walks out of the room and closes the door behind him.
  1489.  
  1490. He takes a deep breath.
  1491.  
  1492.  
  1493. EXT. ASSAULT COURSE - NIGHT
  1494.  
  1495. Don stands there with four other people.
  1496.  
  1497. White stands in front of the group.
  1498.  
  1499. A table sits with four handguns. In front of Don, a P226 Sig
  1500. Sauer with a flashlight attachment and tritium sights.
  1501.  
  1502. A Beretta, a 1911, and a CZ SP-01 sit there.
  1503.  
  1504. WHITE
  1505. Alright, here's the go here. Shoot
  1506. the red targets. Whatever happens,
  1507. don't stop, you're being judged by
  1508. time and targets hit.
  1509.  
  1510. White steps out of the way.
  1511.  
  1512. WHITE (CONT’D)
  1513. Paulsen, you're up first.
  1514.  
  1515. Don nods.
  1516.  
  1517. Don takes the P226, chamber checks it, and points it forward.
  1518.  
  1519. WHITE (CONT’D)
  1520. Ready?
  1521.  
  1522. Don nods. A weight with a rope attached to it sits on the
  1523. ground in front of him.
  1524.  
  1525. The course is illuminated by lamp posts.
  1526.  
  1527. WHITE (CONT’D)
  1528. GO!
  1529.  
  1530. Don runs forward and drags the weight. A red target appears
  1531. to the side of him.
  1532.  
  1533. Don flicks the light on, stops, and puts two shots into it.
  1534.  
  1535. A white target with red stripes appears. Don places another
  1536. two rounds into it.
  1537.  
  1538. DON
  1539. Did that count?!
  1540.  
  1541. No answer.
  1542.  
  1543. He runs forward to the door of a shoot house and stacks on
  1544. it.
  1545.  
  1546. DON (CONT’D)
  1547. Set!
  1548.  
  1549. Don glances at the door.
  1550.  
  1551. WHITE
  1552. Breach and clear in...
  1553.  
  1554. White counts down from two with his fingers.
  1555.  
  1556. He gets to one.
  1557.  
  1558. WHITE (CONT’D)
  1559. BREACH BREACH BREACH!
  1560.  
  1561. Don kicks in the door, gun pointed forward.
  1562.  
  1563.  
  1564. INT. SHOOT HOUSE - NIGHT
  1565.  
  1566. The sounds of gunfire echo around him. Speakers line the
  1567. rooms and blasts sounds of gunfire and screams.
  1568.  
  1569. Time slows for Don as he moves forward through a hallway. A
  1570. target pops up in front of him.
  1571.  
  1572. He shines a light on it-
  1573.  
  1574. White.
  1575.  
  1576. He moves forward, the sounds grow louder.
  1577.  
  1578. A corner sits in front of him. He peers around it.
  1579.  
  1580. One target has a splotch of red while another is red.
  1581.  
  1582. Don shoots fires four rounds and hits both targets.
  1583.  
  1584. DON
  1585. Fuck!
  1586.  
  1587. He continues to press forward, drops the mag out of his gun,
  1588. and inserts a fresh one.
  1589.  
  1590. Another white target with red paint on it.
  1591.  
  1592. He holds his fire and moves past it.
  1593.  
  1594. Another red target appears in front of him.
  1595.  
  1596. After two shots, he takes it out.
  1597.  
  1598. A buzzer goes off.
  1599.  
  1600. WHITE
  1601. Situation over, move to the waiting
  1602. area.
  1603.  
  1604. Don takes a sigh.
  1605.  
  1606. DON
  1607. Fuck.
  1608.  
  1609. Don holsters his gun and goes to
  1610.  
  1611.  
  1612. INT. OFFICE - NIGHT
  1613.  
  1614. A group of monitors sits and watches each applicant go
  1615. through.
  1616.  
  1617. A scoreboard tallies the four. Don is at the bottom of the
  1618. list, his time reads, "4:43".
  1619.  
  1620. He watches the others' scores post as they walk into the room
  1621. one by one.
  1622.  
  1623. "Jameson: 2:23"
  1624.  
  1625. "Larson: 1:30"
  1626.  
  1627. "Jackson: 3:30"
  1628.  
  1629. Don looks at the scoreboard tally.
  1630.  
  1631. DON
  1632. God fucking damn it.
  1633.  
  1634. The three walk in, White follows behind them.
  1635.  
  1636. WHITE
  1637. Good job tonight, gentlemen. We'll
  1638. call you back soon. For now, get
  1639. some sleep, and we'll run you
  1640. through some other things tomorrow.
  1641.  
  1642. The group nods in agreement.
  1643.  
  1644. Don shrugs at this.
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