EPISODE TWENTY-FOUR – JANIE’S GOT A GUN

INT. CITY HOSPITAL

Mei is in bed, arm bandaged heavily, asleep, pale. Valentine stands in the doorway, sombre, watching over her. He turns, leaves and enters the Intensive Care Unit. He finds Remington out cold, grey, fading.

Prince: Hey.

Prince is seated by the window.

Prince: Understand yet?

TITLE CARD – JANIE’S GOT A GUN

INT. CITY HOSPITAL

Prince stands up, starts pacing about.

Prince: In the end, nothing you ever look for in life will come to you if you do not accept your environment. That is why everything bad always happens to you. You fail to accept that you are an important tool, powerful as an ally, lethal as an enemy. Attempting to escape, you-

Valentine slowly backs out of the room and is replaced by a row of MAD agents led by Jane Neville.

Prince: -instead allow yourself to be guided into corners…

Neville: Has anyone ever told you that you talk too much?

Prince: Hi, Jane… And, as a matter of fact, well…

Prince runs to the window, breaks open the glass and jumps, hits the metal grille blocking the window and falls back into the room.

Prince: Dang.

EXT. CITY HOSPITAL

A subdued (cattle prodded, that is to say) and shackled Prince is shoved into the back of a government car.

Neville: We couldn’t have done it without you, Marco.

Valentine: isn’t that just dandy.

Neville: He belongs in the brig, you know it, and you’ve been saying it.

The car drives off. Valentine walks Neville towards her car.

Valentine: I guess it just depresses me that you’re able to treat an old lover with such impunity.

Neville puts a hand on Valentine’s shoulder.

Neville: Like you’re the one to talk.

Valentine takes the hand from his shoulder, grips it.

Valentine: I’d never send you to the gallows. That’s all.

He drops the hand.

Neville: it’s not too late for you to come back home and work with us again.

Valentine: Why so eager suddenly? Not so long ago you had your gun in my face.

Neville: Don’t misunderstand my intentions Marco. I just want my friend back. On account of how many of my regular friends are newly dead.

She smiles icily.

Neville: I get the impression you could use one too.

Valentine: Just find her, Jane.

He walks away. Neville gets in her car, and tosses a crumpled Polaroid of Elli on the dashboard. She starts up and drives away.

INT. RED STAR OFFICE, NIGHT

Valentine walks through the small, darkened office. He picks up some files, sits in Remington’s chair, reads a little, and then puts them down, closes his eyes.

INT. RED STAR OFFICE, DAY

Valentine wakes up. From Valentine’s P.O.V., Larisa Ravinski holds a gun at his head.

Valentine: Oh great, it’s Dharma.

He rubs his eyes.

Valentine: You want to be careful where you point that thing.

Larisa: Why’d you do it, Marco?

Valentine: Are we really up to first name terms here?

He gets up, stretches out.

Valentine: In case you hadn’t noticed, most of my people are in the hospital. I have to make the best deal for myself in these difficult times, and Claverty was an acceptable sacrifice in exchange for self-preservation. Besides, as far as I’ve been told, this whole fiasco was an inside job by one of your guys, so like I said, you want to be careful where you point that thing.

Larisa lowers her gun.

Larisa: He was always talking about you, you know. Foremost in his thoughts. Always so sorry you were never able to understand. Always sorry he lost your support, forcing him to resort to terror tactics.

Valentine: He faked his death and went into hiding.

Larisa: You all assumed he was dead.

Valentine: He didn’t care to set the record straight earlier though, eh?

Larisa: By the time he had recovered from his injuries, the world had gone and changed on him. And it took him years to win the influence to fund his exploits. You were to be the final piece in his puzzle. You were to have sat at his right hand come the day, your conviction and strength of character winning him the war… But then you went and changed too.

Valentine: These are difficult times, Larisa. A man has to do what he can to protect his family. It’s a lesson I learnt the hard way, and one I won’t ignore any longer.

Larisa: Is this really the same man who rejected Sha’arad’s offer of limitless power and then drove a sword through his chest?

Valentine: More war won’t bring back my dead.

Larisa: Maybe not. But old grudges die hard. And I’m not just talking about the ones you hold for others.

Valentine offers a Larisa a cigarette. She waves him away and he lights one for himself. She guts up, puts her gun back in her coat.

Larisa: Time for me to return to real life. I won my party’s nomination. Thanks for your vote.

She heads for the door.

Larisa: It’s not too late for you to set things right.

She exits. Valentine sits in silence, smoking. He picks up a file from the desk.

EXT. CHINATOWN

Valentine walks down the streets, hands in pockets. He stops outside a medicine/mobile phone store, looks up at the sign, lights himself a cigarette and enters.

INT. RICKY’S DRUGSTORE

Valentine enters, shuts the door quietly behind him. The man behind the counter is fiddling with something in a box with an Aerosmith logo stamped on it.

Ricky (speaks with a broad Australian accent): Nihao, how can I help- (looks up) Whoa. Sorry, you’re totally not welcome here anymore.

Valentine: How is business, Ricky?

Ricky: It’s good, hwoon dahn.

Valentine: How would you like it to stay that way?

Ricky: Well, you gotta kick up a cover charge. And don’t go kicking or you know, harassing anybody while you’re down there.

Valentine: Can’t promise that.

Valentine takes a $50 bill and hands it over. Ricky ushers Valentine behind the counter and opens a hatch in the floor. Valentine takes his pocket Maglite and climbs down the stairs. Ricky closes the hatch behind him. The bell on the door sounds as it is opened.

Ricky: Nihao!

He stands. Face falls.

Ricky: Da-shiong bao-jah-shr duh la-doo-tze!

Neville: How’s business, Ricky?

Ricky’s eyes narrow.

Ricky: Pretty gorram terrible.

BREAK

INT. RICKY’S DRUGSTORE – BASEMENT

Valentine cautiously makes his way through the dim and smoke filled basement. People lie on beds. It’s an opium den. As he nears the back, he starts inspecting the people lounging about. People moan and roll away from him, but he finds who he is looking for, a guy sleeping. Marco jerks him up by the ear and starts dragging him to the exit.

Abraham: Hey! What’s goin’ on here?

Valentine: Neal Abraham, wanted by Electric Elegy for low level fraud.

Abraham: But Ricky’s is supposed to be a safe place!

Valentine punches Abraham in the stomach.

Abraham: Ow! That was totally unnecessary!

Valentine: Don’t interrupt me. Where was I? Fraud, laundering money, over speculation and sleeping with the boss’s daughter. $800,000 on your… greasy, little head.

Abraham: I’m innocent! She consented!

Valentine: She was fourteen years old, you clot.

Abraham! Nooo! She told me she was legal!

Neville: Neal? Marco?

Valentine: Right. Um. What are you doing here?

Neal: This isn’t what it looks like, honey?

Neville: Then why don’t you tell me what it is?

Neal: I was here… researching!

Neville (eyebrows arch): Researching? Researching what? Come on Neal, really tired of all this, now!

Valentine: Um, you two know each other?

Neville: Marco, meet my husband. (Beat) Why are you holding him by the ear?

Valentine: Ordinarily, I’d say that’s none of your business, but on this occasion… ah, what the hell. Shove off; it’s none of your business. What are you doing here?

Neville: there’s a federal warrant on a guy who had muscular bionic surgery to fit himself with new limbs, and he slipped off without paying. I’m here looking for him.

She scans the beds behind her, zeroes in, goes over and pulls the hapless Master C off the floor and cuffs him.

Neville: Found him.

Master C (dazed): Let go or I’ll nuke you, bitch.

Neville: Now, why don’t you hand my idiot back to me and be on your way.

Valentine: Hah! Not a chance. I have $800,000 riding on this sucker.

Neville: You’re a multimillionaire!

Valentine: Well, I have my pride, and you’re not getting him back.

Valentine marches Abraham towards the steps. Neville pulls her gun on him.

Neville: Don’t move.

Valentine: Don’t make me give you another beating, Jane.

Valentine pushes Abraham towards the steps. Abraham doubles over coughing, and throws up in the corner.

Valentine: This guy’s really your husband?

Neville: Long story.

Valentine: You really want him back?

Neville: I kinda do.

Valentine stands, facing her down. Her gun hand shakes. She fires, misses. Valentine grabs Abraham by the collar and hauls him out of the basement. Neville’s eyes mist over.

INT. RED STAR OFFICE

Abraham is locked in a barred cell. Valentine smokes and fills out forms.

Abraham: So who put the reward on my head?

Valentine: Don’t know, don’t care.

Abraham: You don’t remember me, do you?

Valentine: Am I supposed to?

Abraham: I was in a band with James Hawkes and AJ Chambers. We played at your birthday party fifteen years ago.

Valentine: Really? I remember James. Good friend of mine.

Abraham: Do you remember how he died?

Valentine: Yes.

Abraham: He’s the reason I started to pursue Jane. I hoped that I would be able to get closer to the bastards responsible for his murder through her. Never did pan out.

Valentine: So not exactly a match made in heaven then.

Abraham: Not to start with. I did fall in love with her later on. But she always had the tendency to leave me out of her life. I was at her KGB reunion thing a few months back you know. She never did come home that night.

Valentine can’t help but blush a little.

Abraham: Thought that might have been the case.

Valentine: If you’re trying to talk me out of delivering you, you’re doing a terrible job.

Abraham: What does it matter? Looks like things are stuck the way they are. I take my pleasures as they come now and if I die tomorrow, what difference will it make?: our evil lords will destroy us all the same.

Valentine stubs out his cigarette.

Abraham: Do me a favour man.

Valentine: What now?

Abraham: Take care of her. And your kid. Have a good happy life.

Valentine: Whatever. That reminds me. I gotta go.

INT. HOSPITAL

Mei is in bed, arm bandaged heavily, asleep, pale. Valentine stands in the doorway, sombre, watching over her. He turns, bumps into Seth.

Valentine: Hey.

Seth: Hey.

Valentine: You all right?

Seth: I’ve been better. (Beat) MAD did this.

Valentine: I know.

Seth: We’re gonna get them back, right?

Valentine: It’s more complicated than that, Seth.

Seth: In what way? They almost killed Mei. You’ll allow them to do that?

Valentine: I am one man. They are a cross country, sub military organisation. Did you get brain damage when you were hit on the head?

Seth is silent, sullen.

Valentine: Stay with her.

Seth enters the room. Valentine walks away, heading for the ICU. He bumps into Neville. Under the harsh, bright hospital lights, he notices for the first time she is pregnant, about twenty weeks. His hand instinctively shoots to her belly. She swats his hand away before it reaches her.

Valentine: Well. Congratulations.

Neville: We need to talk.

EXT. HOSPITAL ROOFTOP

Valentine and Neville sit on the pipes.

Neville: Up here, nobody cares to watch.

Valentine: That’s real great. What’s up?

Neville: I found your girlfriend.

Valentine: Where is she?

Neville: Where’s my husband?

Valentine: You know he only married you to get closer to Shadowhite and Sha’arad.

Neville: Better that than your pity fucking.

Valentine: Oh right! We’re back here, are we? How about you, twisting the knife in Chris’s back? You’d sell out your first love so easily?

Neville: It’s my job! He gave you your big break. What’s your excuse?

Valentine: I guess I’ve changed. I’m not that guy anymore.

Neville: The one who had honour?

Valentine: Just tell me where she is, Jane! You want to have her blood on your hands?

Neville: Just like you’ll have Neal’s on yours if you hand him over to Shadowhite?

Valentine: To Shadowhite? What?

Neville: He’s the one who set bounty! He’s obsessed with me! He’s been trying to find one loophole or another to get rid of Neal for months! And if he knew about you being the father of my baby, he’d tear out your brains and eat them!

Valentine sits in stupefied silence. He opens his mouth, closes it. Thinks.

Valentine: Ok Jane. One more time. Where is Elli?

Neville: Will I get-

Valentine raises his eyebrows and points the finger of death.

Neville: She’s in Belgrade. Percy left her with Kitechi.

Valentine jumps to his feet, face red.

Valentine: WHAAAT!?!?!?!

Neville: Hervé de Langlois, an agent of Sha’arad’s transported her there as part of his deal with the MAD boys for taking out you and Chris.

Valentine: How do you know this?

Neville: I was in on it.

Valentine: Now why does that not surprise me?

Neville: Memorial Day is ten days from now. Kitechi and Sha’arad will be in Yokohama and she’ll probably be in their party. That’s your window.

Valentine paces. He kneels and places his softly over her belly.

END – SWEET CHILD O’ MINE

Episode 25 Preview

Valentine: It’s always days of death which live on in the minds of the common man. Like where were you when the bomb was dropped? When JFK was shot? When Angel got cancelled? Well, you don’t want to miss my next day, because it will be remembered forever. Next episode, Seasons of Wither.