The Little White Chapel San Diego, California (A yellow school bus pulls up in front of a small, white church. It’s a dull kind of day, the water of the road evidence of a recent shower. Jarod, who is driving the bus, opens the door and turns to say goodbye to the children as they leave and are greeted by their parents waiting on the sidewalk.) Jarod: Right, here we are. Nigel. Bye Rachael. Goodbye. (One boy pauses as he’s about to leave and looks at Jarod apologetically.) Ben: Jarod I’m really sorry. Jarod: Don’t mention it Ben. A bus trip isn’t a bus trip until somebody . . . how did you put it? Ben: Tosses their cookies. Jarod: Cookies. Right. (He’s amused as the boy leaves. A middle-aged priest talks to Jarod from the door of the bus.) Priest: Jarod I can’t figure it. We’re barely seeing enough pennies to keep the lights on and then you show up out of nowhere and you fix up this old bus and you’re even taking the kids on field trips to the airforce base. Jarod: It’s better to give than to receive. I read that . . . someplace. (They both smile at the joke. One of the boys from the bus is still standing waiting to get off.) Priest: How’d your dad like the base Ryan? Jarod: (Ryan looks sad and Jarod answers for him.) Ryan’s dad couldn’t make it. He was on a business trip. (He pushes up the brim of Ryan’s cap in a gesture of friendship.) But we got to hang out, didn’t we? Ryan: Yeah! Priest: You’re a Godsend Jarod. Next thing I know Ed McMahon will be knocking on that door with one of those big cardboard cheques. (He walks back towards the church. A horn beeps nearby.) Ryan: Oh Jarod, there’s my mum. Jarod: Who’s Ed McMahon? Ryan: See ya later! (He jumps off the bus carrying his gear.) Jarod: Oh Ryan. Ryan: Yeah? (He stops. Jarod gets out of the bus and hands him a model aeroplane.) Jarod: Here, I got this for you. Ryan: Cool. Thanks. Jarod: Maybe you’ll fly one, one day. Ryan: Yeah. We’ll see. Thanks for kinda being my dad for the weekend. Jarod: Sure. (A woman approaches from her parked car.) Cindy: Hey you. Ryan: Mum! Cindy: (She hugs her son as Jarod watches on, smiling.) Ooh. How was your trip honey? Ryan: Fantastic. Cindy: Yeah? Ryan: Mum this is Jarod. Cindy: Hi. Jarod: Hi, nice to meet you. Cindy: Cindy Wells. Nice to meet you. He’s been talking about you all week. Ryan: Look what he gave me. Cindy: Wow! Ryan: Do you think I can show it to Dad when he gets home tonight? Cindy: Hmm, we’ll see. Okay top gun, into the cockpit. Ryan: Okay. (Ryan runs to the parked car.) Jarod: (Waving.) Bye-Bye. Ryan: Bye Jarod. See you later. Cindy: Thanks a lot. His dad really wanted to go with him but he’s been away on business longer than usual and Ryan misses him a lot. Jarod: I can imagine. He’s a great kid. Cindy: Thanks. Jarod: Nice to meet you. Cindy: You too. (She walks towards Ryan and her car. Jarod waves to Ryan again.) Jarod: Bye! (Cindy drives her car forward from the intersection but swerves when another car almost hits her from the left. A garbage collection truck, which is unseen by Cindy due to the parked bus, travelling from the right, has to try to stop suddenly on the slick road. The driver sounds the truck’s horn in panic but Cindy and Ryan can only watch in horror from their stationary car as the truck plows into them. Jarod turns at the noise. The truck pushes the car some distance before both stop, the hood of the car crumpled, the windshield shattered and the horn sounding. Jarod and a group of people who have been doing repair work on the outside of the Chapel run to the scene of the accident. Jarod, who was closest, arrives first. He leans through the shattered back passenger window and feels Ryan’s pulse on a wrist splattered with blood.) Jarod: Cindy! Ryan! (He looks at an unconscious Cindy slumped across the front seat before standing up and calling to the others.) Somebody call 911! Hospital (Jarod is in the busy hospital corridor when a young man enters and questions a nurse.) Mr Wells: My wife and son were brought in. Can you help me? (Jarod interrupts.) Jarod: Are you Mr Wells? Mr Wells: Yes. Jarod: My name is Jarod. I was at the accident. Mr Wells: Where are they? Jarod: They’re still in surgery. Mr Wells: I’ve just got back in town. My firm has been flying me all over. Jarod: You’re here now. (A doctor in surgical scrubs appears, looking around.) Doctor: Mr Wells? Ted: I’m Ted Wells. How’s my family? Doctor: Your wife’s going to be just fine. She suffered a concussion, a dislocated shoulder. Ted: My boy? Doctor: Your son sustained severe abdominal trauma. Both kidneys were damaged, one beyond repair. We had to remove it. The other one won’t last long. Jarod: He needs a kidney transplant. Doctor: He won’t survive without it. We’re looking at about a forty-eight hour window. Ted: Okay. So what’s next? Ryan goes on some sort of priority list, or something, right? Doctor: Normally. Your son’s blood carries a unique lucocidic compound. It’s a hereditary condition which makes finding a donor much more difficult. Your wife isn’t a match. Ted: Well then I have to be, right? You can put me on that table right now. Doctor: Ryan’s condition needs to be stabilised first. And we need to do a blood workup on you to screen out any infectious agents, okay? I’ll send a tech over to draw a sample. (He walks away leaving Ted with Jarod.) Ted: I don’t know what I would do if I lost my family. The Centre Main Concourse (Miss Parker exits the elevator. Lyle appears and hands her a bunch of flowers.) Mr Lyle: Forgive me? Parker: For? Mr Lyle: Being a neglectful brother. Parker: Just because you were nowhere to be found when I was in the hospital at death’s door. You’re too hard on yourself. (She starts walking but Lyle keeps pace with her.) Mr Lyle: Look I know you’re angry. I don’t blame you. In fact I got these for you. (He hands her a small box, which she takes and examines.) Parker: Candied snails? Yummy. Mr Lyle: Hey those are hard to find. Parker: No kidding. Where have you been anyway? I’ve had three solid leads on Jarod in the last two weeks and you’ve shown zero interest. Mr Lyle: I do have other responsibilities. Jarod is just one of them. (An attractive blonde woman approaches.) Secretary: Excuse me Mr Lyle. The phone man’s here to see you. Mr Lyle: I’ll be right there. Secretary: He says he has other appointments. Mr Lyle: I said I’d be there. (The secretary takes the hint and leaves.) Parker: Oh my. Big responsibilities. (She walks away.) Mr Lyle: Enjoy the snails. The Centre Miss Parker’s Office (Miss Parker enters with the box and the flowers. She sniffs at them then dumps both flowers and box in a rubbish bin. She reaches into a drawer of her desk and pulls out an appointment diary. Attached with a paper clip to a page is a photo of Thomas, naked with a pillow covering his privates. He’s grinning and waving at the camera. Written at the bottom of the photo is “See you tonite”. Parker laughs, delighted.) Parker: That’s my good pillow. Raines: You seem to be smiling a lot these days, Miss Parker. (He has entered her office. Her smile slips away as she turns to confront him.) Parker: Sneaking in down wind. Clever. Raines: Hard at work? Parker: Micro-managing? Raines: A necessary evil considering your ongoing lack of success. Parker: You’re building to a point I hope. Raines: Your work has become unfocussed. Perhaps you’re too distracted with personal affairs. Parker: Such as? Raines: Such as . . . (Broots enters unannounced from behind them but stops when he realises that Miss Parker has “company”.) Broots: Oh, sorry. (He turns to leave.) Parker: Stay Broots! Mr Raines was just slithering along, right? (She walks to the door and holds it open for Raines. Broots gets hastily out of the way.) Raines: Priorities, Miss Parker. Priorities. Parker: (She closes the door behind him.) What is it Broots? Broots: Well I got this new satellite TV dish. (He is holding a miniature television in one hand.) Two hundred and twenty-three channels. High definition visuals. So I’m channel surfing in the shower . . . Parker: Wait a minute. You have a television in the bathroom? Broots: Don’t you? Did you know that there is a twenty-four disaster channel? Last night it was train wrecks . . . Parker: Which is what this is becoming. Get to the point. Broots: Whoa, wait, wait, please. I’ll show you then, okay? (He taps a few buttons and the display shows a clear image of the Little White Chapel, a priest, and some volunteers outside it.) Television: Money problems seem to be everywhere including this small suburban church. “Donations are the only way we’re able to survive”, says Reverend Jack Collins of his Little White Chapel. If you’re interested in helping out . . . Parker: That’s sweet. Send the change from my desk drawer as a donation. Broots: No no, no. Wait, you missed it. Right there. (Broots rewinds the section and freezes the image. Reverend Collins is shaking hands with Jarod.) Parker: Well look at that. Look who’s seen the light. (They both smile, still looking at the frozen image of the priest and their quarry.) Hospital (It’s night time. Ryan lays in a hospital bed with his head bandaged and tubes and wires around him. Cindy sits beside him and his father stands at the other side.) Ted: Anything you want me to bring you pal? Ryan: My aeroplane. Jarod: Kinda like this one? (He has entered the room and holds up the model he gave to Ryan earlier.) Ryan: Jarod. Jarod: How are you feeling, kiddo? Ryan: Tired. My side hurts. Jarod: (Jarod and Ted share a look, then Jarod hands over the model.) Here. Tell you what. When you’re feeling better we’ll see about getting this thing airborne. Cindy: Okay honey. Why don’t you close your eyes for a little bit, okay? The doctor said you need to rest. Ryan: Okay. Jarod: Ted. (He indicates with his head that he wants to talk in private. The two men move away from the bed.) Any word on the transplant yet? Ted: We’re still waiting on the blood work. I was just going to try and find the lab. Jarod: No no no. I’ll go check on it. You stay with your family. Ted: I don’t know why you’re so interested in all this but I really appreciate your help. (Jarod smiles and leaves the family together.) Hospital Lab (In a small laboratory inside the hospital a female technician is talking on the phone as Jarod enters quietly and eavesdrops.) Tech: I’m fully aware of what stat means. But I’m a little short handed down here. I understand. I know but my partner phoned in sick and the lab tech Doctor Conti promised hasn’t shown up yet. Hmm hmm. I know. Jarod: I am so sorry I’m late. Tech: Oh ho. He just walked in. (She hangs up. Jarod is already removing his jacket and donning a lab coat.) Jarod: Doctor Conti gave me the wrong directions. Tech: Oh. Jarod: Well, you look like you could use a break. Tech: You have no idea. A construction accident has ER packed. Everyone needs their results yesterday. Jarod: Why don’t you take yourself a little break and I will start over here. Tech: (She’s delighted.) How about I give you a hug? Jarod: Have a good time. Tech: Okay. (She goes out. Jarod pulls on latex gloves then looks through a selection of test tubes until he comes to one labelled “Wells, Ted”. He draws a sample into a syringe, deposits it on a slide, and looks through the microscope. What he sees makes him straighten in surprise.) Ryan’s Room (Ryan is asleep, still holding the model Jarod gave him. Cindy is also asleep, her head on the side of her son’s bed. Jarod enters and wakes her quietly.) Jarod: Cindy? Where’s Ted? Cindy: Oh, he went to go call my parents. Did you find out what is taking the lab so long? Jarod: Why don’t we go talk in the hall. (Jarod wheels Cindy’s wheelchair into the hallway and up to some chairs. Her arm is in a sling. He stops, then sits in front of her.) Cindy: What’s wrong? Is there a problem with the lab? Jarod: Your husband isn’t a donor match. Cindy: That’s impossible. Jarod: Cindy, I need to know the truth. (Cindy shakes her head silently.) Ted isn’t Ryan’s father, is he? Cindy: (Cindy is quiet a few moments.) It was something I always feared but I didn’t know for sure. Jarod: Look I know this isn’t easy for you, but if you want to save your son’s life I need to know who his father is, and I need to know now. Cindy: His name is Luther Ecksley. I met him right around the time that Ted and I got together. He was the total opposite of Ted. He was dangerous and dark and . . . I had seen Ted on a date with another girl and I thought that being with someone like Luther was the best way to get back at him. Jarod: So you had a relationship with this man? Cindy: It was a stupid fling. I was young. When I found out what kind of person Luther really was I went back to Ted. Jarod: But you found out you were pregnant. And you never told him the truth? Cindy: There were a thousand times that I wanted to and then a thousand times I stopped myself because I was just too scared of losing him. And the more time that passed the more it just didn’t really seem to matter. Ryan is Ted’s son in all the ways that count. (She’s crying.) Jarod: I need to find this Luther. Do you know where he is? Cindy: I don’t have a clue. Jarod: You said he was trouble. Maybe he has a police record. I’ll start with that. Cindy: Jarod. Please don’t say anything to Ted. Jarod: Cindy. You can’t keep this a secret much longer. The doctors are bound to find the truth, just like I did. Jarod’s Lair (Jarod types quickly into his laptop. The screen shows: “City of San Diego Sheriff’s Department.” He does a search on “Ecksley, Luther” and eats Pez as he waits. Soon after he examines a printout showing Ecksley’s details and a mug shot. His crimes are listed as: Assault with deadly weapon, possession of narcotics, kidnapping, assault, drug trafficking, and attempted murder. Jarod does another search, this time bringing up a news article titled “Ecksley Suspected in Narcotics Ring”. Another headline reads “Anonymous Tip Leads to Drug King’s Arrest. $10 million Cash in Drug Money Missing”. On the streets Jarod shows Ecksley’s photo to people he meets, including hookers who begin touching his hair. One man points Jarod down the street to a pool hall.) Pool Hall (Jarod enters a busy, dark pool hall with very rough-looking clientele. He sits at the bar.) Bar Tender: What’ll it be? Jarod: I’m looking for someone: Luther Ecksley. (The barman says nothing, but doesn’t move away either. Jarod takes the hint and puts money on the bar.) It’s important. Bar Tender: (He takes the money and stuffs it in his pocket.) Don’t know the guy. Jarod: (Jarod turns away and raises his voice to the rest of the pool hall.) Does anyone know who Luther Ecksley is? (Several men look at him but he’s ignored. Jarod glances back at the barman, then starts to leave. He’s struck from behind with a cue stick and falls to his knees. A crowd gathers but doesn’t help him as a man with long blonde hair pulls his cue against Jarod’s neck. Jarod struggles against the cue at his neck.) Ray: What do you want with Luther Ecksley? Huh? Jarod: I just want to talk to him. Ray: Well start talking. Jarod: You’re not Luther. Ray: I’m as close as you’re going to get. Luther’s rotting in a Mexican prison and he’s going to be for a long damn time. (He takes the cue from Jarod’s neck.) You ain’t never going to find Luther. (Jarod rises to his feet, looks around in disgust at the crowd and at the man who’s now back with his friends, laughing. Jarod leaves.) Cadrenas Federal Prison Mexico (Jarod is dressed in office clothes complete with tie and glasses. A large guard directs him towards a room with a glass partition and a phone.) Jarod: Gracias. (Jarod sits in front of the glass. The man from the mug shot takes a chair on the opposite side. They both pick up the phones.) Mr Ecksley. My name is Jarod. Luther: Three years in this dump. No visitors, no letters, no phone calls. Now, all of a sudden I’ve got some humanitarian aide organisation worried whether I’m being treated right or not. Jarod: I’m not here on your behalf. Luther: (Sarcastically.) Is that right? (Jarod places a photo of Ryan against the glass. Luther looks at it blankly.) I give up. Jarod: His name is Ryan. He’s eight years old and right now he’s in a hospital in desperate need of a kidney transplant. Luther: Yeah, why are you telling me? Jarod: He’s your son, Mr Ecksley. Luther: (Luther looks at the photo again. He’s quieter.) Go on. Jarod: He has a rare blood condition, inherited from you. Which means you are the only person on this planet that can save his life. Luther: How? Jarod: I’m going to try to arrange for your temporary release. Luther: You want me to donate a kidney? Jarod: Your son’s life depends on it. Luther: (He takes a deep breath.) That’s a lot to think about. Jarod: There’s no time to think Luther. Either you do this now or he dies. Luther: Who’s the mother? Jarod: Her name was Cindy Brennan. Luther: (He nods.) I remember her. Is she alright? Jarod: She will be . . . if you do this. Luther: Does the boy know about me? Jarod: No. And I can’t guarantee that you will ever get to meet him. We’re running out of time Luther. Luther: Do you believe in redemption Jarod? Jarod: Maybe. You have a lot to make up for. Luther: This could be a start though, right? (Jarod doesn’t reply.) Little White Chapel (A small crowd of people emerge from the church.) Parker: Damn Broots, it looks like we just missed the Sunday sermon. (Miss Parker and Broots enter the church. The Reverend is moving flowers.) Broots: You ever go to church Miss Parker? Parker: After the things I’ve seen and done I think church is the last place I should be. Broots: Or maybe the first. Parker: (Parker pauses to look at him before approaching the priest.) Reverend Collins? Jack: You can call me Jack. How can I help you? Parker: We’re looking for this man. (She takes a photo from Broots’ pocket and shows it to Jack. It’s a photo of Jarod.) He may have been helping out around here? Jack: Helping out? Jarod’s a damn angel. Parker: You don’t say? Do you happen to know where he may have flown off to? Jack: You just missed him. He packed his things and left early this morning. Parker: Jarod was staying here? Jack: Hm mm. Parker: Mmm. Jarod’s Lair (Jack leads Parker and Broots downstairs into a large, well lit room. They pass another man carrying a rubbish bag, who goes up the steps behind them. The Reverend acknowledges him with his name “Max”.) Jack: Several parishioners offered Jarod a place to stay but he said he didn’t want to be any trouble. Honestly, I’d forgotten this basement was here until Jarod suggested it. Parker: That’s Jarod, always with an idea. (She starts searching the place, opening cupboard doors.) Jack: He said he’d be back in a couple of days. Actually right now he’s already passed the border. Broots: The border? Parker: As in Mexico? Jack: Yeah, he had a line on some old pews that he could get cheap. Money’s always a little short around here. As I always say, pray to the Lord but buy a lottery ticket. Take your time. Gotta go. No rest for the wicked. (He walks up the steps and out.) Broots: Well, it looks like we’re too late. The place is clean. Parker: (Parker looks at an empty rubbish bin and remembers the man with the garbage bag.) Yes it is. (She goes up the steps.) Broots: Miss Parker? Wait! Where are you going? (Parker finds Max just leaving a collection of rubbish bags.) Parker: Don’t mind us Max. (Max leaves. Parker grabs a big, black garbage bag and empties several smaller bags from it onto a table. She starts opening them, searching through the rubbish and discarding it quickly. At last she comes to a screwed up piece of paper. It’s the mug shot printout of Luther Ecksley with the bottom torn off.) Broots: What’ve you got? Parker: Our lottery ticket. Leave it. (She walks away with her find, leaving the pile of rubbish atop the table. Broots follows.) Cadrenas Federal Prison Warden’s Office (Jarod is sitting behind the Warden’s desk. The warden is an attractive Hispanic woman.) Jarod: Warden, I don’t think you understand. A child’s life depends on this decision. Please think carefully. Warden: Luther Ecksley was caught with fifty pounds of pure heroin. Since he’s been in my prison he’s assaulted five of my guards. Jarod: We both know he’s not a saint. But you didn’t see his eyes when I told him he could save his son’s life. Warden: Maybe you feel that he has undergone some spiritual awakening. But that man owes me and the people I answer to twenty- five years of his life. Jarod: I’m only asking for a temporary release. Warden: What if something went wrong, huh? I don’t have the jurisdiction to go after him. Jarod: There are risks, granted. But this boy’s life is worth it don’t you think? Warden: I have a responsibility to my country, to its laws. Jarod: Are you hearing a word that I am saying? Ryan’s life is in your hands. Warden: (She sighs and gets up. She looks out the window with folded arms.) I don’t know if you can grasp the pressures of my situation. You know, the men that ran this prison before I came were sadistic. They treated those inmates like animals. Many men died and many more were tortured in unspeakable ways. Those same sadistic men, they’re waiting for me to make a mistake to put them back in power. I won’t allow that to happen. Jarod: Then where does that leave Ryan? Warden: Contact your State Department. Why don’t you petition the proper channels? Jarod: He doesn’t have that kind of time. Warden: (She sits back in her chair.) I’m sorry. I still can’t help you. Jarod: (Jarod sighs. He sees a framed photo of two children on her desk.) Are those your children? Warden: Yes. Jarod: And what if it was for one of them? Warden: (She looks from Jarod to the picture, obviously thinking about it.) As I said, I can’t help you . . .(Jarod looks at her a few moments, then stands up and starts to go.) … but if you’re forced to resort to more extreme measures . . . I’d understand. (Jarod slows to a stop, turns and looks at her. He takes his glasses off and waits. The warden pushes a button on her intercom and the guard responds through it.) Guard: Yes mam? Warden: Take inmate Ecksley back to his cell. He has the afternoon loading detail in the compound today. Guard: Si Senora. Warden: Goodbye Jarod. Good luck. (Jarod looks at her, then he turns and walks thoughtfully.) Overlooking the Prison (Jarod is talking on his cell phone.) Jarod: Hi Cindy, it’s Jarod. Cindy: Did you find Luther? Jarod: I’m working on it. How’s Ryan? Cindy: The doctors aren’t telling me everything, but I know it’s bad. We’re running out of time. I can’t lose him Jarod. Jarod: I know but you have to be strong. Have you told your husband the truth about Luther? Cindy: I tried, I really tried. I just, I don’t want to hurt him. Jarod: It’s going to hurt him a lot worse if he finds out the truth from somebody else. He loves you. Trust in that. The rest will take care of itself. (Cindy turns her phone off and looks up as Ted enters the hospital room.) Ted: Are you okay? Cindy: Will you shut the door hon? We need to have a talk. The Centre’s Private Jet (Broots is working at his laptop.) Broots: Talk about a bad dude. The mug shot that you found is three years old. The guy’s name is Luther Ecksley. He’s doing twenty-five years in a Mexican prison. It says here he was running drugs across the border until an anonymous source tipped off the Mexican police. He’s not a nice guy. Why would Jarod be involved with someone like this? Parker: Let’s ask Luther. Café (Jarod is sitting at a booth. He pours a long stream of sugar into his cup then stirs it as he remembers voices and faces from recent events.) Flashbacks Ryan: (At the church.) Thanks for kinda being my dad for the weekend. Luther: (Behind the glass partition.) Do you believe in redemption, Jarod? Cindy: (On the phone.) I can’t lose him Jarod. Warden: (In her office.) If you were forced to resort to more extreme measures Luther: Redemption . . . Ryan: Thanks for kinda being my dad . . . Cindy: I can’t lose him . . . Warden: I’d understand. (A crashing plate brings Jarod out of his thoughts. He drops a note on the table and leaves the café.) The Prison (Jarod drives a large, white truck through the prison gates. A guard detail runs a group of prisoners up to the open back. Luther jumps up inside the van and pushes mattresses out one by one to the other prisoners. While the guards are distracted Jarod comes up behind Luther and grabs him, then pulls him further inside the truck.) Jarod: Do you want to get out here? Luther: Hell yes. Jarod: Redemption doesn’t come easy. (He opens a false panel near the cabin of the truck and pushes Luther inside it. The panel closes. Soon after Jarod is back in the driver’s seat. He thanks a guard. A mirror on a long pole is passed under the truck, checking for prisoners trying to escape. Jarod waits, looking nervous. Jarod spots Miss Parker and Broots sitting outside the front gate in a sedan. He pulls his cap down and ducks his chin. Parker sounds the car horn impatiently but she’s ignored. The guards open the back of Jarod’s truck but it’s empty. They close it and he’s allowed to drive out. Miss Parker and Broots drive in through the open gate.) On a Country Road (He stops the truck in the middle of nowhere, goes to the back of the truck and releases Luther from his hiding place.) Jarod: Come on. Luther: (He’s delighted.) We did it. I can’t believe it. I’m free! (He jumps down from the back of the truck. Jarod follows behind, subdued.) Jarod: It’s only temporary. Don’t you forget that. Luther: Right. You got a plan to get me back to the States? Jarod: (Jarod walks towards a parked sedan and Luther follows.) Take back roads on the way to Tijuana. Try to blend into the tourist traffic. I have a change a clothes for you in this car and I’ve made you a fake passport. Luther: Thought of everything didn’t you? Jarod: No room for mistakes and no time. (Luther clubs Jarod on the back of the neck with both hands. Jarod goes down with a grunt. He starts to rise but Luther knocks him out with his fist.) Luther: I appreciate you springing me there Jarod, but the truth is I could give a damn whether that kid lives or dies. (He laughs, then walks towards the waiting sedan, leaving Jarod laying unconscious on the road. He wakes to find himself face down and abandoned. The car is gone. He takes his cap off, throws it on the ground and turns in circles, angry.) Jarod: Dammit! (He runs back to the truck.) The Prison Broots: Miss Parker, it looks like they’re locking down the whole prison. (Broots and Parker are waiting in the Warden’s office as sirens blare outside and the Warden talks in Spanish on the telephone. She finally hangs up.) Parker: How long do you think you can continue to hold us here? You’ve wasted an hour of my time already. Warden: Nobody enters or leaves until we’ve completed a thorough search of this prison. For all I know you could be involved in this escape. Parker: That’s ridiculous. I told you already (she raises a photo of Jarod.) – he did it. Warden: You arrived in my office asking for Ecksley at the very moment that he was discovered missing. For all I know you could be part of a diversion. Parker: An incredibly moronic one. Why would we have stayed behind? Warden: (She indicates Broots.) Why was he found outside, hiding in a car? Parker: Oh please, he’s always hiding, he’s like a cockroach. Turn on the light he runs. Broots, (She clicks her fingers.) tell her. Broots: Oh, it - she’s right. Roach city. Warden: (She sighs and sits at her desk.) If you’ll be patient a while longer. Parker: One of the guards we talked to overheard Jarod saying something about needing a kidney donor for a little boy. Do you know what boy? Or where? Warden: First I’ve heard of it. (A guard enters and she speaks Spanish to him, then the guard leaves. She looks at Broots and invites him to sit down in Spanish.) Broots: Huh? (The Warden repeats “sit” in Spanish.) Parker: Sit! (Broots mouths “Oh” and lowers himself, then falls backwards over the arm of the seat. Parker looks disgusted and Broots shrinks into the chair, acting like the cockroach he’s admitted to being.) Hospital Ryan’s Room (Ryan is asleep. Cindy gently strokes his hair.) Cindy: Hang on baby. (She whispers.) Mummy loves you. (She kisses him on the cheek then walks out to the waiting room. Ted is sitting in a chair. When he sees Cindy he gets up and walks to the exit. Jarod enters.) Jarod: Ted? (Ted waves Jarod off and barges out. Jarod and Cindy talk.) Cindy: You didn’t get Luther? Jarod: Not yet. You told Ted the truth. Cindy: Yeah, I don’t blame him for hating me. I hate myself. (She turns to walk away but Jarod takes her arm and stops her.) Jarod: He doesn’t hate you. It’s just going to take him some time to adjust. Cindy: Yesterday I woke up with this near perfect life. Now my son is dying, and my husband- Jarod: Cindy you have to remain strong for Ryan. Everything is going to work out. I know it is. The Centre Jet (Broots is bent over his laptop.) Broots: I found him. There are over a dozen emergency cases nationwide but only one is a young boy in need of a kidney. Parker: Where? Broots: San Diego. Parker: (She picks up the phone connecting her to the pilot.) Get us back to San Diego. Pronto. Pool Hall (Ray has a woman hanging off one arm. He drops some money on the pool table.) Ray: Hundred dollars on Earl. (The woman begins to kiss him but his cell phone starts to ring and he pulls it out, shrugging her off.) Whoa whoa whoa whoa. (on the phone.) This is Ray. Luther: Ray my boy, how you doing? Ray: Luther? (He’s suddenly all attention.) Luther: (He sits in the front of a car.) The one and only. I hear you’re doing real good with my operation. Ray: Ahhhh I’m doing okay. (He walks away from the woman.) Luther: Just okay, huh? I’ve got some news that will make your day. You see I took a little vacation from my permanent vacation Ray. Surprise! I’m out. I’m back, and you’re the first person I thought to call. (Ray screws up his face silently in frustration.) I can’t wait to see you buddy. Ray? Ray? You still there? Ray: (Ray puts on a pleasant tone.) Well, yeah, I’m here. Luther: Well you and me got to get together. I need to see where we stand and what our next move should be. How’s ah, how’s midnight? Mission Bay Hilton. Ray: Tonight? Ah, what’s the hurry? Luther: Ray, three years ago some son of a bitch tipped off the Mexican police and got me locked away. Now I’m guessing that same son of a bitch has my ten million dollars. So you can understand why I’m a little impatient, can’t ya? Bring some old clothes Ray. We find this bastard, it is gonna get messy. (He hangs up. Ray turns his phone off, stunned.) Man in Pool hall: You look like you’ve seen a ghost Ray. (Ray walks out in a daze, followed by Jarod who had been listening nearby.) Alley Behind the Pool Hall (Ray walks past a dumpster but turns back in fright his gun raised as Jarod slams down the lid.) Jarod: Whoa, you seem a little bit jumpy Ray, but I guess you would be, being a marked man after all. Ray: What the hell are you talking about? Jarod: Was that Luther on the phone? What did he want? To tell you that he was back in town? Wanted to fire up the old partnership? (He lifts himself up on top of the dumpster sot that he’s sitting on top of it.) Ray: What? (At the end of the alley Luther is watches the exchange from his car. He is too far away to hear what is being said though.) Jarod: He’s setting you up Ray. But I guess that’s only fair. Payback. After all, it was you that tipped off the Federales and had your old buddy Luther arrested at the border. Ray: Screw you. I went down to Hermaseo(?) I was at his trial every day, like a friend. Jarod: Or somebody who wanted to look like a friend. Personally I think it was overkill. I bet you Luther thought the same thing. (He gets down from the bin and Ray raises his gun again.) Ray: You’re out of your mind. Jarod: (Jarod grabs the gun and quickly gets Ray in an arm lock.) Am I? Look over my shoulder down the alley. You see that car down there? That’s Luther. He’s waiting for you. He’s playing you Ray and he knows you’re going to lead him straight to the money and when you do he’s going to blow your brains out. Now you had better do exactly as I tell you to do or you’re never going to walk out of this alive. (Luther looks out from his hiding spot. He sees Ray suddenly throw Jarod against the bins, then down out of sight in front of a parked red car. Ray fires his gun four times in the direction that Jarod has fallen. Luther gets in his car. Ray looks over Jarod’s immobile body. Luther waits until Ray drives out in the red car then follows him.) In Ray’s Car Ray: So now what? Jarod: (He sits up on the back seat.) We’re going to lead Luther to where you hid the money, just like he expects. Ray: This had better work man or we’re both dead. Jarod: Just keep driving and make sure you follow my plan. Ray: Oh this is crazy. (They drive into a warehouse.) The Warehouse Jarod: Find a good hiding place Ray and when I make my move you make yours. (They both get out of the car. Outside Luther has left his car.) Showtime! (Jarod disappears, leaving Ray alone to look through the warehouse with a torch and his gun.) Luther: (He is also carrying a torch and a gun.) Ray. Give it up Ray. I know you’re the one who stole my ten million dollars. (He turns quickly to the sound of broken glass and a shadow, quickly gone.) Oh, I get it. Gonna play a little hide and seek, huh? Ray? Might as well come out, I ain’t leaving without my money. Getting tired of this Ray! (He turns from shadow to shadow, backing up.) Jarod: Hello Luther. Luther: (He turns to find Jarod standing close by, unarmed.) Jarod? Jarod: Surprise. Luther: I saw Ray shoot you in the alley. Jarod: That was part one of my plan. Luther: Oh yeah, what’s part two? Jarod: Ray. (Ray comes up behind Luther and hits him in the back of the head with a fire extinguisher. Ray falls to the ground, unconscious.) I tried to warn him. Ray: Well it looks like there’s plenty of money for both of us. (He jumps up onto a crate and reaches into a cavity in the ceiling. As he’s wrestling the bag down Jarod takes Luther’s gun from his hand.) Oh yeah. Jarod: (Jarod points the gun at Ray.) I’ll take that Ray. Ray: What? This is my money, I stole it fair and square. Jarod: I know a little church that deserves it a lot more than you do. (He beckons with his free hand.) Ray: I should have shot you when I had the chance. Jarod: You’re right. (He catches the bag.) Thanks. (Ray hits the roof with his hand in frustration.) Motel (Luther is lying on his side on a single bed. A sheet is covering him and his hands are cuffed to something at the side of the bed. He has a tube across his face and one taped to his arm.) Jarod: Come on Luther, wake up. We’ve still got some work to do. Disconcerting isn’t it? Waking up in pain, not knowing where you are. That’s how I felt in Mexico. That’s how your son feels in his hospital room. Luther: (He tugs hard at the cuffs.) What the hell are you doing? Are you out of your mind? Jarod: Would you quit moving around? You’re going to knock your IV out. (He takes a syringe, removes the cap and checks it for bubbles.) Luther: This isn’t a hospital. Jarod: Well it’ll do, for what I need it for. (He feeds the contents of the syringe into a drip at Luther’s side.) Luther: You’re not even a doctor! Jarod: Technically, you’re right, but I do enjoy that ER program. Luther: You can’t do this! Jarod: (He pulls on surgical gloves.) Well that’s the beauty of it Luther . . . (He holds a scalpel up for Luther to see.) You see, I can. Nightie night. (Luther falls unconscious.) (Some time later Jarod leaves the room. Swinging from the handle is a card: “Housekeeping Please Clean This Room”.) Hospital Waiting Room (Ted watches anxiously as Jarod enters and sits in front of Cindy happily.) Jarod: Cindy, I just spoke to the nurse. The kidney seems to be taking. I think he’s going to be just fine. (Cindy looks behind her at Ted. They both smile, relieved. Cindy gets up.) Cindy: I’ve got to call my parents. (She and Jarod hug.) Jarod thank you so much for everything that you’ve done. Thank you. (She hurries off to contact her parents. Jarod turns to Ted, who’s smile slips away.) Jarod: Your son’s going to make it. Ted: My son? For nine years I’ve been living a lie, thinking I was someone I wasn’t. Jarod: Were you? I see that boy’s face when he looks at you, the way he talks about you. Ted: You don’t understand. Jarod: I do. Right now you’re angry and you’re hurt and you’re confused. But if you leave that boy without a father, if you walk away from him now…..that’s a wound that will never heal. Ted: (Ted considers his words, finally smiles and shakes Jarod’s hand.) If there’s ever anything that I can do for you . . . Jarod: (Jarod looks over Ted’s shoulder and through the windows of a door sees Parker and Broots talking to a hospital employee.) It’s funny that you should mention that. (He pulls Ted out of sight. Parker and Broots charge through the doors.) Broots: He couldn’t get by us. We’ve been here the entire time. Parker: Pipe down. (Cindy hangs up a pay phone and walks up to Ted, who has returned. Ted whispers something quickly into Cindy’s ear. Parker recognises the couple.) Excuse us, Mr and Mrs Wallace? He was here wasn’t he? Jarod helped you? Ted: (Coldly.) I don’t know anyone named Jarod. My wife and I are just waiting for our son to get out of surgery. So if you’ll excuse us, we’d like to be left alone. (Parker and Broots walk away, leaving Ted to hug Cindy.) Broots: You know what I don’t get? I checked the records here. There’s no Luther Ecksley. Whatever happened to him? Motel (The Warden from Luther’s prison and a doctor are in the motel room. Luther is still lying on the bed, covered by a sheet and sleeping.) Warden: What do you think Dr. Mendels? Doctor: Whoever did this certainly knew what they were doing. Warden: (She lifts a small Mexican flag from where Jarod has left it on top of Luther. She smiles.) Yes he did. (She calls loudly, to the waiting policemen.) Let’s prepare to transfer the prisoner. (Luther grimaces and opens his eyes.) Jarod studies the newspaper clipping he has just glued into his latest red notebook. “Local Boy Recovers From Kidney Transplant”. He lowers it, looks about smiling, and walks away. CLOSING CREDITS
