Scene 2.18 - Festus, No!
EST: EXT/INT. Gymnasium - Night.
(BOBBY and the soldiers are pretty successful at picking-off the unarmed zombies coming from the funeral home and the motel. Many bodies litter the street and lawn outside -- finally put-down once and for all by BOBBY and the soldiers, and it looks like they might win. The few 'survivors' have moved away, out of range, and are seemingly in a huddle, unsure of what to do.)
DRIVER
They’re rethinking their game plan.
BOBBY
Those things are thinking?
DRIVER
I dunno, but this sure isn’t what they expected.
SOLDIER
(Joins group.) The door is to a boiler room, sir. We could hole up in there, but there’s no way out once we’re in-
BOBBY
Oh no!
(FESTUS’ car approaches, turns into the motel lot.)
DRIVER
What is it?
BOBBY
My manager, he doesn’t know - Festus! Festus! No!
(FESTUS steps from the car, carrying a case of beer and three white buckets and a white bag from a fast-food restaurant. He hears BOBBY and turns to him, smiles, nods with his head and begins walking over.)
BOBBY (Cont’d)
Festus! Run! Run! They’re behind you! Run!
(FESTUS, unsure, slowly turns. A small mob of zombies quickly overpower him, sending beer and food flying.)
BOBBY
Oh no.
(The mob moves away, as two stray motel-guest zombies have moved in too close and are picked-off by the snipers on the roof.)
CU: BOBBY
BOBBY (Cont’d)
Festus...
CU: FETUS’ dead hand on pavement.
DISSOLVE TO:
CU: FESTUS’ living hand in a similar posture.
(FESTUS is rolling a half-dollar across the back of his hand, flipping it between his fingers and momentarily stopping it on the middle finger’s middle knuckle heads up, then tails up. It is quite impressive. FESTUS and BOBBY are sitting in a park on the grass, relaxing. It is a sunny day and no one is around. They are waiting for a delivery of cash.)
BOBBY
That’s an old coin. (Adjusts his gold ring.) Haven’t seen one like that in a while.
FESTUS
Still thinking about the coin, huh? Pretend it’s not there. It’s showing you how you have it made. No one can see your coin, and they think you’re just twiddling with yourself. Next thing you know, they learn you were made all along, but it’s too late.
BOBBY
(Rhetorical:) Do I have it made? (FESTUS looks at him. He is amazed by FESTUS’ focused prestidigitation.) Amazing; musta taken a lotta practice.
FESTUS
Years. But that’s not what’s amazing.
BOBBY
What is?
(FESTUS flips the coin high into the air with his thumb. He looks straight at BOBBY’S eyes while he pulls out a laser pistol, clicks it, fires an invisible ray into the air and slowly reholsters it as he smirks, knowing the result.)
ECU: Coin on grass between them; smoking hole dead center of John F. Kennedy’s head
BOBBY
(Astonished:) Mother Mary!
FESTUS
(Clasps his shoulder, firmly pulls him in.) Listen! I am the man; you are the mob. What I say goes because I say it does. It’s why if you ever order a hit, you’d better catch me before I leave the room if you’re the type to change your mind. I don’t play games.
BOBBY
No kidding! You’re the last guy I ever want to tick off.
FESTUS
(Playfully pushes him away:) Oh, you know me better than that.
BOBBY
They don’t. People don’t expect it from you.
FESTUS
Right. In that same way, you’re made; because inside, you know you are. You are the mob. If there’s one thing you need to ponder while I got your back, it’s that you don’t have to answer to anybody but yourself. Don Roberto, Don Juan, Don Quioxte. Don’t let the title make you forget the duties of your office or one day someone faster than me will put a bullet in your head because he saw you doubt the fact that you’re made already. You get it?
BOBBY
Heaven help the man who crosses me. With a right arm like you, I see why no one messes with me. Don’t ever let me betray you, Festus.
CU: FESTUS
FESTUS
They'd have to kill me before I’d turn on you, Bobby.
END FLASHBACK SCENE
ECU: FESTUS’ dead face getting all-glowing-green-eyed-and-reanimated inside.
(FESTUS sits up, picks up his car keys and walks back to his car, leaving the beer and food lying on the pavement. A couple of missed shots from the roof hit the car. He calmly backs his car out, and turns it around, facing the gymnasium. He revs his car. Suddenly, the car peels-out and heads toward the doors at ram speed.)
SOUND: Plink! Plunk! Pap! Shots hitting the car from the rooftop above.
CUT TO INT. GYM.
(BOBBY and DRIVER enter from rooftop stair door.)
DRIVER
Move back!
(The soldiers at the door scatter as the car slams into the pickup that was barricading the door from the outside, sending a portion of both vehicles partially through the doors, nearly knocking DRIVER and BOBBY from the stairwell. The barricade marginally survives. After the car crashes to a halt, a quick-moving soldier steps in through a buckled crevice in the door and fires his pistol point-blank into FESTUS’ head, killing him for good. BOBBY rejoins PERCY who has run to him, and he leads her back to the basement door.)
PERCY
Bobby!
BOBBY
I want you to go in there.
PERCY
No! I want to stay with you!
BOBBY
You take the girls and get in there! (Opens basement door.) I’ll come back to you-
PERCY
No!
(He physically drags her to the door as he opens it.)
BOBBY
Listen! I don’t know what we’re up against - I want you safe!
(Sounds from outside -- vehicles. More soldiers are moving to secure the trashed front door. Gunshots. Subtly, BOBBY’S veteran ears recognize the unmistakable sound of a tracked vehicle rolling on concrete.)
PERCY
Bobby-
BOBBY
Shh! (Pause.) Oh no!
CUT TO: