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“Thunder” A radio drama script By Bill Olson
May 24 to Aug. 21, 2005 (Rev. 9/9/05) Writer/Director
contact information: Bill
Olson 418
Marston Ave., Eau Claire, WI 54701 (715)
835-6446 Iconostar Productions Home Page CAST
NOTESOFF MIC = The actor is far from the mic when speaking. GOING OFF MIC = The actor moves away from
the mic while talking. COMING ON MIC = The actor moves towards the mic while talking. BEAT = A short pause. 1.
CHIVELLE: Baby, the fair’s in town. I’d like to take you. You can go on the rides, and they have
some fun animals. You’ll get to see a
twenty-foot crocodile, an elephant, some donkeys. Did you know that the elephant scull looks like it has one eye? That’s where the Cyclops legend came
from. People saw elephant sculls and
thought they were these giant, evil monsters. 2.
DANETTE: (Filtered, over
phone throughout.) That’s pretty cool. 3.
CHIVELLE: So you wanna go
with the old man? 4.
DANETTE: Mom said she’d take
me. 5.
CHIVELLE: Your mom can’t afford it. You know how things are. 6.
DANETTE: I think Mom was
kind of looking forward to it. 7.
CHIVELLE: I’ll tell ya what, I’ll take you and mom. 8.
DANETTE: I don’t know. You guys are divorced. 9.
CHIVELLE: Ask her.
I bet she’ll say yes. 10.
DANETTE: I don’t know… 11.
CHIVELLE: Of course she well. Ask her. 12.
DANETTE: (Filtered
and off mic.) Mom… Dad said he’d take us both to the fair. 13.
LISA: (Filtered
and off mic, barely audible.) Only if you help your grandmother tomorrow. 14.
DANETTE: (Filtered
and off mic.) OK! (On mic.) Mom said yes! 15.
CHIVELLE: You
see? Just because we don’t live
together doesn’t mean we can’t still be a family. 16.
DANETTE: Yeah. I guess you’re… 17.
PAUSE. 18.
CHIVELLE: Danny? 19.
DANETTE: (Yelling off
mic.) I think it’s gonna rain! (On
mic.) Just a minute, Dad. (Off
mic.) Mom? The car windows are open. I think it’s gonna rain. (Pause.) (Off
mic.) Because I heard thunder.
(Pause.) I just heard it. 20.
SOUND: THUNDER, FILTERED,
RIPS FROM THE TELEPHONE. LISA
SCREAMS, OFF MIC. 21.
DANETTE: Mom! 22.
CHIVELLE: Danny? (No
answer.) Danny?! Danny! 23.
SOUND: THE THUNDER FROM
THE PHONE CRESCENDOS, THEN BECOMES DIAL TONE. 24.
SOUND: CHIVELLE HANGS UP
THE PHONE. 25.
CHIVELLE: Cycle keys! 26.
SOUND: RUSTLING OF
NEWSPAPERS AND OTHER THINGS AS HE LOOKS FOR THE KEYS. THEN THE PHONE RINGS. HE ANSWERS IT. 27.
CHIVELLE: Danny? 28.
HOT ROD: No, it’s Hot
Rod. I need you at the station –
there’s a news thing. 29.
CHIVELLE: I can’t now,
something’s happened to my little girl. 30.
HOT ROD: She live near Hobart? 31.
CHIVELLE: (Stunned pause.)
Yeah. What is it? 32.
HOT ROD: We’ve been getting calls – something’s
happening down there. People are frantic. 33.
CHIVELLE: I’m going down
there; I’ll do some live phoners.
You’ll have to anchor this thing.
34.
HOT ROD: Chivelle!
Uh -- I’m not a news anchor, I’m a D.J. 35.
CHIVELLE: Just pretend I’m on
the Top 40. 36.
HOT ROD: I can’t do this… 37.
CHIVELLE: I’ll call you in
ten minutes. 38.
SOUND: CHIVELLE HANGS UP
THE PHONE AND RUSHES OUT. 39.
SOUND: FADE IN -- SOMEONE
CRYING OFF MIC, AND A CAR ALARM IN THE DISTANCE. A MOTORCYCLE DRIVES UP AND STOPS. 40.
CHIVELLE: My God! 41.
LISA: (Coming on mic.) Chivelle! Chivelle! 42.
CHIVELLE: Lisa! What happened? The neighborhood looks like a war zone. 43.
LISA: I don’t know… 44.
CHIVELLE: Where’s Danny? 45.
LISA BEGINS TO CRY. 46.
SOUND: CHIVELLE’S CELL
PHONE RINGS, AND HE ANSWERS IT. 47.
CHIVELLE: Dammit, Hot Rod,
will you give me a minute… 48.
HOT ROD: Sorry, Chivelle, but J.D. wants you on now.
49.
CHIVELLE: Yeah, all right! 50.
SOUND: ON THE RADIO, MUSIC
PLAYS. THEN… 51.
HOT ROD: (Filtered,
sounding like a D.J.) We interrupt this program for a special news update
on events that are unfolding in the Hobart neighborhood, this is Hot Rod
Cameron on the Hot-95. If you tuned
in earlier, we’ve received reports of widespread destruction and injuries. Authorities have issued no comment at this
time. But we have Chivelle Knight,
coming to us live via cell phone.
Chivelle, what do you see? 52.
CHIVELLE: (Filtered, from cell phone, over the
radio.) I see cars that
have been crushed, mangled, tipped over on their sides. Debris is strewn around yards and the
street. Most amazing is that an
entire house is nearly collapsed. 53.
HOT ROD: Is anybody hurt? 54.
CHIVELLE: I don’t know yet – I
just got here. My daughter lives in
this neighborhood. She’s missing, and
her mother is very shaken. 55.
HOT ROD: Chivelle, what have the police told you? 56.
CHIVELLE: Um… I don’t see any
police. I haven’t even heard a
siren. (Pause.) Have the police told you anything? 57.
HOT ROD: The Cop Shop has no comment. 58.
(PAUSE) 59.
CHIVELLE: I need to get off the air now. I’ll call back soon. 60.
HOT ROD: Just a moment, Chivelle. (Pause.) Chivelle? (Pause.)
Well, ah… there are apparently developments Chivelle is checking
into. We’ll get back to him later
on. To update you; this station has
received reports from listeners that destruction of homes and cars is
occurring in the Hobart neighborhood.
We first heard about it on Gray Street, and it seems to be moving
south where our correspondent, Chivelle Knight – 61.
SOUND: THE RADIO IS TURNED
OFF. 62.
MAGIC: Whatever it is,
it’s heading this way. I have to call
the neighbors together, make sure they’re calm. 63.
GLORIA: We have to keep
our own family together, Honey. 64.
MAGIC: You can take the
kids to your sister’s. It looks like
you’ll be safe there. But most of the
people in this neighborhood can’t evacuate. I have to talk to them, make sure they know what’s happening. 65.
GLORIA: I understand your
need to do this, Magic, but your own children need you. 66.
MAGIC: There are children
in the neighborhood who don’t have parents they can rely on. I’m all they have. Our kids have you and me. They have a way out. They have their aunt. I have to sacrifice something for those in
need. It’s what makes us strong. It’s what will hold our community
together. 67.
GLORIA: And what about
holding our family together? 68.
MAGIC: I don’t intend on
giving my life. But I have more than
what the family needs. I have more
time, more insight, more energy. The
hardships of this neighborhood gave me a strength and commitment. That made me a little bit more stable and
successful than some of our brothers and sisters who are right outside. I have to give something back. I can’t be selfish with such a gift. 69.
GLORIA: But we don’t know
what this thing is… 70.
MAGIC: And it’s important
to protect you and the kids. You have
to leave now. Take the car and go to
your sister’s. 71.
GLORIA: I’m frightened for
you. 72.
MAGIC: You know I’m no
hero. I’ll run fast if danger comes
my way. So don’t be afraid. I’ll call you later. (FADE OUT --) But go now –
take the children to safety. 73.
(FADE INTO STREET SOUNDS.) 74.
CHIVELLE: Lisa, have you called the police? 75.
LISA: Yes. As soon as I got off the phone with you. They said they’d send someone over. 76.
CHIVELLE: (Louder.)
Did anybody else call the police? 77.
VARIOUS VOICES: (Off mic.)
Yes… I did... Yeah… 78.
CHIVELLE: What did they say? 79.
A MAN: Just that they’d send somebody
over. But you know how that goes. 80.
CHIVELLE: Did anybody see anything? 81.
VARIOUS VOICES: (Off mic.) No… Uh-uh… It was too dark… 82.
A WOMAN: I think I saw your
daughter, though. 83.
CHIVELLE: What did you see? 84.
WOMAN: I thought I saw little Danette run down
the street. That way. 85.
MAN: Whatever it was… I think it went that way. 86.
LISA: We’re going. 87.
CHIVELLE: Where do we look? 88.
LISA: We follow the
devastation. 89.
CHIVELLE: Hop on. 90.
SOUND: THE CYCLE IS STARTED
AND DRIVES OFF. 91.
HOT ROD: This is a live report on the devastation
that has hit the poorest section of the city. I’m now calling the police to see what kind of information we
can get. The police have said no
comment earlier. But residents of the
affected parts of the city have said no police have arrived to investigate
the devastation. Some of us are
rather concerned about that. 92.
SOUND: PHONE HEARD RINGING
FROM THE RECEIVER. IT RINGS ABOUT THREE TIMES. 93.
OPERATOR: (Filtered.)
Police. 94.
HOT ROD: This is Hot Rod
Cameron from Hot-95. We’re live on
the air, and I’d like to talk with someone who can comment on the devastation
hitting the Hobart neighborhood. 95.
OPERATOR: (Filtered.) I’m
sorry, but all personnel are busy dealing with the situation. A press release with be dispatched as soon
as possible. Thank you. 96.
SOUND: HANGING UP THE
PHONE. 97.
LIETENANT: Was that the radio
loon again? 98.
OPERATOR: I am getting
so tired of his voice I can puke. 99.
LT: I don’t get
why they even have a news department.
They usually care about nothing but music. That’s something we’ve always been able to count on,
though. Now all of a sudden they’re
freaking out over “Ho-barff.” Nobody
lives there but trash. Every color,
every language…. You know what you do
with trash? 100. OPERATOR: What? 101. LT: Put it in a landfill and let it rot naturally. And that’s what Hobart is. So Give me a Dew and a hoggie and screw
‘em. I say we should fence in the
whole area. Let my cops relax and get
their shifts over so they can watch some ESPN. What’s the point of this job, anyway, if it’s not gonna pay for
some good cable shows? 102. OPERATOR: A-men to that. 103. SOUND: A BOY SCREAMS. 104. LUCY: (Through tears.) It’s all right; Mama’s gonna look after
you. 105. THE BOY CONTINUES CRYING. 106. LUCY: I ain’t leaving. I ain’t going nowhere. 107. SOUND: CHIVELLE’S MOTORCYCLE ROARS FROM THE DISTANCE, THEN
STOPS AND SHUTS OFF. 108. LUCY: Shut that light off! It’s hurting my boy’s eyes. 109. CHIVELLE: Sorry.
I see it came through here, too.
Did you see what it was? 110. LUCY: It was the angel of the Lord. It must’ve been. I heard thunder, then everything sounded like it was breaking
apart. I come outside to find my boy,
and I see all this. This
neighborhood’s been Satan’s playground all my life. I’m afraid to go to the store.
A man was shot in the head last week.
He didn’t do nothing. A gang
bullet hit him in the head. The gangs
have me scared to death. The drugs,
the guns – and do you ever see a cop?
Not unless the cops come and shoot an innocent boy, like Tycell. Remember that? The angel of the Lord.
We always have the Lord. Maybe
it’s time for reckoning. Maybe it’s
time for weeding the garden. 111. LISA: But your boy… 112. LUCY: But my boy! What did he do, you’re wondering. Was he a weed that needed to be pulled
out, tossed aside so the crops can grow?
That’s what you’re thinking. 113. LISA: No, it’s not. But if it was God, why was your son hurt? 114. LUCY: I’ve been sitting here asking
myself the same question. Maybe he
just got in the way. We all seem to
do that. Us poor folk. We’re always in the way. They want to get rid of us or hide
us. We’re always in the way. 115. LISA: But the angel of the Lord… 116. LUCY: Don’t you see? I have to believe it’s the angel of the
Lord. I’d rather believe that God is
working in his mysterious way than to think he’s abandoned us. Look around. Look around! The
neighborhood is gone. My home is
gone. But so are the gangs. They’re gone. Halilulia! And maybe that’s why you’ve come – sent by God to
take my child to the hospital. 117. CHIVELLE: I only have my bike. I can’t take another passenger. 118. LUCY: You’ve come to save my boy! Don’t you see it? Why now?
You’re an instrument of the Lord. 119. LISA: We can’t; we’re looking for our
daughter. 120. LUCY: We’re all instruments of the All
Mighty. You’re here to rescue my
boy. Take him to the hospital. Is that where you were heading? 121. CHIVELLE: No. 122. LUCY: Then you were suppose to go there
to find your daughter. We’ll find a
way to put him on the motorcycle. 123. BOY: (In pain.) No, Mamma! I want you. 124. LUCY: I’ll follow along shortly. Be brave, be brave. 125. LISA: We can probably put him between
us. How far is the hospital? 126. CHIVELLE: A mile, I think. 127. LISA: Get on the bike. Ma’am, give me your son. I think we can do this. 128. LUCY: Oh, bless you! Bless you
both! You were sent my God. I knew it. 129. HOT ROD: (On the radio.) The police still
have no comment, but we’re continuing to receive calls from people who, quite
frankly, don’t understand what’s going on. 130. CHIVELLE: (Via cell phone over the radio.) I
only have a moment. I’m sitting on my
cycle as my ex-wife and I are putting an injured boy between us. We’re going to take him to the only
hospital in the Hobart neighborhood.
It’ll be a tough ride, fitting three of us on my bike. 131. HOT ROD: And are you seeing the same kind of
devastation? 132. CHIVELLE: Yes I am, Hot Rod. Houses that have been broken through,
small trees and street signs knocked down.
Several people injured – no deaths so far. 133. HOT ROD: That’s good. Any signs of the police, yet? 134. CHIVELLE: Nobody can seem to find the police – nobody
I’ve spoken with. Their absence is as
eerie as the silence on these devastated streets. I have to go now. (FADE
OUT --) This is Chivelle Knight from the corner of Hobart and
Bellinger Street. 135. MAGIC: (Outside, shouting, his voice
echoing through the neighborhood.) Something is coming. Some of you have heard it on the
radio. It’s wrecking
neighborhoods. Maybe it’s even
killing people. But we can’t fear
it. When it comes, get back inside
your houses and keep your families safe.
Everything’s going to be OK.
You must have faith in Jesus.
You have to – 136. SOUND: A POLICE SIREN POPS OPEN FOR A QUICK
SQUAK. 137. OFFICER BRADLY: (Amplified.)
You – what’s going on here? Come over
to squad car – slowly – your hands in the air. 138. MAGIC: Is there a problem, Officer? 139. BRADLY: I was about to ask the same thing. Why are all these people gathered here? 140. MAGIC: Too many Black people in one
place? I guess I’m not well versed on
the law; I though we had a right to assemble. First Amendment. They
taught us that in grade school. 141. BRADLY: (Getting out of
the car.) Put your hands against the car! Spread your legs. To me
it looks like you’re inciting a riot. 142. MAGIC: I’m preparing this flock for the
Judgment Day. 143. BRADLY: Well, it’s here a little sooner than you
think. 144. MAGIC: Actually, it’s coming down the street
from Hobart. It’ll be here soon. These people have no cars, they have no
place to run to. Some of them don’t
even have legs, thanks to your wars. 145. BRADLY: They’re not my wars. I ain’t the president. 146. MAGIC: Then why does your cop car say,
“Support the War”? Is that
regulation, having a magnet like that on an official vehicle? 147. BRADLY: Shut up, punk!? 148. MAGIC: I’m trying to save these people,
man. They’re my neighbors. What are the cops doing about the
destruction? It’s down the street,
not here. The radio says the cops
can’t be found. People are
injured. So why are you in my
face? 149. BRADLY: Don’t make me cite you. 150. MAGIC: Tell me what you want, and I’ll
cooperate. 151. BRADLY: Just remember, I’m keeping an eye on
you. 152. SOUND: BRADLY GETS BACK IN THE SQUAD CAR. 153. MAGIC: (Shouting -- off mic.) You can
all be saved through Jesus. If you
are a mugger, you can be saved by Jesus.
If you are a drug dealer, you can be saved by Jesus. If you are a gang banger, you can be saved
by Jesus. (PAUSE.) If you are a power-intoxicated officer of
the law, you can be saved by Jesus. 154. BRADLY (Softly, to himself.) You son of a bitch. 155. TRANSITION MUSIC. 156. OPERATOR: Lieutenant?
We’re starting to get more angry calls. People say they’ve been listening to reports on the radio –
Chivelle Knight at Hot-95 is saying we don’t care about the Hobart
neighborhood. 157. LT. Then it’s time to cool down Hot-95. Track down Chivelle Knight. I want him off the radio. 158. OPERATOR: Hot Rod Cameron has been calling a lot,
too. Guy really bugs me. 159. LT. Then close down the station. Bring him in for questioning. 160. OPERATOR: (Filtered.) Unit
Seven, head for Grandville Hospital.
Bring Chivelle Knight into custody.
He’s on a motorcycle. We have
no further information at this time.
Unit Twenty-three, go to the Hot-95 studio. Bring Hot Rod Cameron into custody. 161. SOUND: A MOTORCYLE ENGINE ROARS ALONG, AND
CONTINUES, UNDER. 162. LISA: (Shouting over the engine.)
Why are you slowing down? 163. CHIVELLE: (Shouting over the engine.) There’s
something up ahead. 164. LISA: Look out! 165. SOUND: THE CYCLE SKIDS AND TIPS OVER,
CONTINUING TO SLIDE DOWN THE PAVEMENT, THE SOUND OF METAL SCRAPING
SICKENINGLY AGAINST ASPHALT. 166. SOUND: A HEE-HAW OF A DONKEY SCREAMS
LOUDLY. THE INJURED BOY CHIVELLE AND
LISA ARE TRANSPORTING SCREAMS. 167. LISA: Uh! My leg! 168. CHIVELLE: Let me get out of here and I’ll get the
bike off you. 169. LISA: My leg really hurts. Shhh… stop crying. 170. CHIVELLE: He’s in pain; don’t tell him to stop
crying. 171. LISA: (Trying to whisper through the
pain.) I can’t explain it; I just think we have to be quiet right now. 172. CHIVELLE: Ahhh! 173. LISA: What is it? 174. CHIVELLE: Something hit me. 175. LISA: This street is too dark to see
anything. 176. CHIVELLE: If you want us to be quiet, shut him up. 177. LISA: I’m trying! 178. CHIVELLE: I’m free!
OK, I’ll lift the cycle. (His
voice stressing.) Can you crawl out? 179. LISA: (Stressing in her voice.) Yeah…
I’m crawling out. I think I’m out. 180. CHIVELLE: Get him out – fast! 181. LISA: C’mon – hold onto me. That’s it. That’s it! Got him. 182. CHIVELLE: Let
me get the bike up. OK, stand in the
headlight; let me see your leg. 183. LISA: Oh God! 184. CHIVELLE: It’ll be OK. Let’s get back on the bike. 185. LISA: Chivelle! Something’s moving around out there. Shine your headlight. That way. 186. CHIVELLE: Nothing.
Look! A truck. It’s practically demolished. 187. LISA: Looks like a farm truck. It was probably transporting cows or
something. 188. CHIVELLE: There!
There’s another. 189. LISA: What’s over there? 190. CHIVELLE: Look at that. Must be two-dozen donkeys. 191. LISA: They’re running around like
they’re terrified. 192. CHIVELLE: Terrified, confused. 193. SOUND: THE CYCLE IS STARTED. 194. CHIVELLE: We’ve gotta get to that hospital. 195. TRANSITION MUSIC. 196. MAGIC: You must atone for your sins. Be ashamed of your sins, but never be
ashamed of asking forgiveness. Your
father in heaven is waiting for you to come to him… 197. SOUND: A THUNDEROUS RUMBLE IS GROWING FROM THE
DISTANCE. 198. VAROUS VOICES: It’s too late! It’s coming! Run! 199. SOUND: THE THUNDER GROWS, AND THERE IS THE
SOUND OF GLASS BREAKING AND METAL GETTING JARRED AND PEOPLE SCREAMING. THE SOUNDS, THEN, FADES OUT. 200. HOT ROD: This is Hod Rod Cameron, with another
update from the field by Chivelle Knight. 201. CHIVELLE: (Filtered.) We’ve just arrived at
Grandville Hospital. The sidewalk
outside is full of injured people just sitting here. Some of them are crying, some are
bleeding. Sir, why are you and the
others outside and not in the hospital? 202. INJURED MAN: They won’t let us in. We ain’t got health insurance. 203. CHIVELLE: But I see some obviously serious injuries. 204. INJURED MAN: It don’t matter. They’ve locked the doors. Said we’d be arrested if we tried to
enter. 205. CHIVELLE: Lisa and I are bringing the injured boy
we’ve transported on the cycle up the steps to the front double doors – they
are, indeed, locked. 206. SOUND: A POUNDING ON WINDOWS. 207. CHIVELLE: Lisa is pounding on the window. We see someone inside, and they are coming
to the door. 208. SOUND: DOOR IS UNLATCHED AND OPENED. 209. NURSE: The police are on the way. You’ll have to clear this entry. 210. LISA: We have an injured child, and I
have an injured leg. 211. NURSE: Do you have insurance? 212. CHIVELLE: I have. 213. NURSE: And it covers your child and this
woman? 214. CHIVELLE: Well, uh, no… 215. NURSE: Then you’ll have to leave. The police are on the way. There they are. 216. GATRANO: You, Sir, can I see some identification? 217. CHIVELLE: Yes, officer. Here. 218. GATRANO: Remove it from your wallet, please. 219. LISA: We’re just trying to get medical
attention, officer. By law, no
hospital can refuse us. 220. GATRANO: This hospital has been shut down
temporarily. These people will have
to vacate the premises. 221. CHIVELLE: These people are injured. 222. GATRANO: You’re Chivelle Knight? 223. CHIVELLE: Yes sir. 224. GATRANO: Then you’ll have to come with us, sir. Put the child down. 225. LISA: I’ll take him, Chivelle. Officer, what has he done? 226. GATRANO: Are you with him, ma’am? 227. LISA: Yes. 228. GATRANO: I have orders to take him into custody. 229. LISA: But what’s he done? 230. GATRANO: I don’t know what he’s done, ma’am. I’m just following orders. 231. CHIVELLE: Hot Rod, I’m being arrested… 232. GATRANO: Put the cell phone down – right now! 233. CHIVELLE: The officer won’t tell me what crime I’ve
committed – 234. GATRANO: Put the phone down! 235. SOUND: THEY STRUGGLE – THE OFFICER GRUNTS AND
CHIVELLE IS IN OBVIOUS PAIN. 236. GATRANO: Seven, Headquarters, immediate backup – hey,
give me that! 237. INJURED BOY: No! Nooo! 238. GATRANO: Give me that microphone! 239. SOUND: THE INJURED BOY CRIES AND SCREAMS. 240. LISA: Leave him alone! 241. SOUND: A BANGING NOISE AS SHE HITS THE OFFICER
ON THE HEAD WITH SOMETHING. THE
OFFICER GRUNTS. 242. CHIVELLE: C’mon, we’ve gotta get out of here. 243. LISA: The child, we’ve gotta take the
child. 244. CHIVELLE: There’s no time. 245. LISA: We’ve got to. Chivelle, we’ve got to. 246. CHIVELLE: (Brief pause, then…) OK. Grab him
and let’s go. 247. SOUND: THE CYCLE STARTS UP AND SPEEDS OFF. 248. SOUND: AN OLD MAN IS CRYING. 249. OLD MAN: (Through tears.) Isabell! Isabell!
She’s dead. My wife is
dead. What is this? What’s happening? 250. YOUNG MOM: My boy is gone! Jared!
Jared, where are you? He’s
gone – somebody help…. 251. MAGIC: (Off mic.) We have volunteers
here who will help you, Rachel. And George,
I’m sorry about Isabell. I’d like a
volunteer to stay with George and help him through this difficult time. But we have another problem; I’ve just
been told that there’s been a problem at the hospital. Injured people are being denied access to
medical care. Your brothers and
sisters are lying in the street, bleeding, suffering pain, sand and bugs
infecting their wounds. They’re lying
there with no help and no hope. 252. OPERATOR: (Filtered.) Eighteen-Headquarters, Chivelle Knight has escaped custody, is
headed in your direction. He’s
presumed armed and dangerous. Prepare
to set up roadblock. More units are
heading your way to assist. 253. BRADLY: Headquarters, Unit Eighteen, roger. 254. OPERATOR: (Filtered.) Unit Seven, proceed to Hot 95 studios. Unit 23 has been assigned elsewhere. 255. SOUND: RAP MUSIC IS PLAYING FROM A SPEAKER,
THEN A DOORBELL RINGS. 256. GATRANO: (Muffled, through door.) Police! Open
up! 257. HOT ROD: (Opening door.) Yeah, I’ve got a
minute and fifteen seconds. 258. GATRANO: Hot Rod Cameron? 259. HOT ROD: Yeah. 260. GATRANO: Is that an alias? 261. HOT ROD: Yeah.
Justin Baker. 262. GATRANO: Show me some identification, please. 263. HOT ROD: Here ya go. 264. GATRANO: I’ve been ordered to take you into custody,
Sir. 265. HOT ROD: I can’t leave the station now. 266. GATRANO: (FADE OUT --) You have no
choice. Cooperate or face the
consequences. 267. MAGIC: (FADE IN -- ) Everybody
gather together. We’re going to march
to the hospital and demand that they help those people. That hospital is in our community
and must be held accountable. 268. BRADLY: Headquarters-Eighteen, we have an unruly
mob here. We need a large prisoner
transport. 269. OPERATOR: Are you joking? Handle it, Eighteen.
And mind that roadblock! 270. BRADLY: Roger.
I see a truck I can hot wire. 271. OPERATOR: Three units are on the way to help with setting
up the roadblock. 272. SOUND: THE MOTORCYCLE’S ENGINE HUMMING ALONG. 273. LISA: What’s up ahead, an accident? 274. CHIVELLE: I don’t know. Maybe the cops are finally taking an interest in this
neighborhood. 275. LISA: And maybe not! 276. CHIVELLE: A roadblock. I think we’ll take a detour. 277. LISA: They’re chasing us! 278. CHIVELLE: Let’s see them drive a car through a
yard. Hang on tight! 279. SOUND: THE CYCLE ROARS ALONG. 280. CHIVELLE: Lisa, look at that! 281. LISA: Looks like a human zoo. What is this? 282. CHIVELLE: An old factory. 283. LISA: They’re fenced in. What are you doing? 284. CHIVELLE: That’s Magic Corwin. 285. LISA: We can’t stop; they’ll catch us. 286. CHIVELLE: It looks like those people are trying to
get out. We have to see what’s going
on. 287. SOUND: THE CYCLE COME TO A STOP. 288. MAGIC: Chivelle, help us get out of here. 289. CHIVELLE: They have you paddle locked in, Magic. What’s this about? 290. MAGIC: We were marching on the hospital to
protest their refusal to treat the uninsured, so the cops locked us up
here. Look at that. They even left us a pile of poster boards
and markers. Told us we could protest
all we wanted here, but that we couldn’t approach the hospital. What good is that? If you can’t be seen by anybody, where’s
the exercise of free speech. I can
speak all I want to in the middle of a Texas desert, but if there’s no
audience, it means nothing. Free
speech requires people to hear you who have a stake in the issues, people who
you might convince to take up your cause.
They locked us up where nobody’s gonna hear us. 291. CHIVELLE: Find anything we can use to break this
open? 292. LISA: Nothing. 293. SOUND: A CELL PHONE BEING DIALED, THEN
RINGING. 294. CHIVELLE: The station isn’t answering. That’s not like Hot Rod. Something must be wrong. 295. MAGIC: The police – they took him. 296. CHIVELLE: We have to find our daughter – and a
hospital for this boy we’re transporting. We’ll come back for you. 297. MAGIC: Did you see our neighborhood? 298. LISA: We couldn’t get through because
of the roadblock. 299. MAGIC: It came through. It destroyed our homes. It was loud. The pounding was everywhere.
The streetlights were knocked out, so you couldn’t see anything, but
the cops stationed there lit it up for us.
It was heartbreaking. We’d
been making some strides on cleaning up our neighborhood. We were cooperating and rebuilding. 300. LISA: (FADE OUT --) We’re
sorry, but we’ve got to go. 301. LIEUTENANT: (FADE IN -- ) So tell
me. What’s your favorite music? 302. HOT ROD: What’s this got to do with anything? 303. LT. The kids like Rap nowadays, don’t they? I mean all the kids, not just the Black
kids. 304. HOT ROD: Yeah; it’s good stuff. 305. LT. What we want is for you to keep the kids
happy. Play whatever they want. 306. HOT ROD: What business is it of yours? 307. LT. These kids who listen to your station, do they get
into news very much? 308. HOT ROD: Not much. 309. LT. Take my advice, then. Forget the news. Stick
with the music. 310. HOT ROD: It’s not your fricken business! 311. LT. We have to keep people happy. Keep consumers happy. 312. HOT ROD: What are you, a fricken Keystone
economist? 313. LT. That’s funny.
You have a talent for entertainment.
I can see you went into the right line of work. I bet you don’t get into news yourself, do
you? 314. HOT ROD: Well, no.
But it’s not my business; I have a job to do; I have to keep the boss
happy. 315. LT. We’ll talk to your boss. I think he’ll see things our way. I’d say stick with your strong suit – keep the kids happy. Give ‘em that music. Whatever they like. 316. OPERATOR: It’s time, Lieutenant. 317. LT. Thank you. Don’t expect me back for at least an hour. 318. OPERATOR: Yes sir. 319. LT. You’d like to get out of here, wouldn’t you, Hot
Rod. 320. HOT ROD: Yeah. 321. LT. Keep the kids happy. We’d like to keep them on their couches, humming tunes. You see, we don’t really want them to… do
anything. You understand? 322. SOUND: MOTORCYCLE HUMS ALONG AND COMES TO A
STOP, BUT CONTINUES TO IDLE. 323. LISA: What’s that, another roadblock? 324. CHIVELLE: It looks more like the cops are guarding a
perimeter. 325. LISA: Look at that woman – over there,
the white woman – she’s carrying Crystal, a child who lives next door to
me. And that woman, walking
hand-in-hand with that other girl – that girl’s a friend of Danette’s from
school. 326. CHIVELLE: Maybe those woman are brining those girls
home to their mothers. 327. LISA: I hope so. We’ve got to get in there. That’s probably where Danny is. 328. CHIVELLE: We haven’t got anything to lose, then. Let’s get a little closer. 329. SOUND: THE CYCLE REVES UP AND DRIVES A SHORT
WAYS, THEN IT STOPS AND THE ENGINE IS SHUT OFF. 330. LISA: Will they let us in? Maybe they’ll arrest us. 331. CHIVELLE: Umm – It’s… 332. LISA: It’s too late. They see us. 333. CHIVELLE: That’s the same officer I wrestled with. 334. LISA: He’s coming this way. He’s drawing his gun! 335. LIEUTENANT: Officer Gatrano! 336. GATRANO: Yes sir, Lieutenant. 337. LT. Put your gun away and escort them inside. They wont give up if they don’t see for
themselves. 338. GATRANO: All right you two, but don’t try to run, and
don’t try to fight me again. You’re
outnumbered; you’ll never win. 339. CHIVELLE: So, what is this, the policeman’s
ball? Because I have a partner. 340. GATRANO: Give me the child, ma’am. 341. LISA: He needs medical attention. 342. GATRANO: He’ll get it; give me the child! 343. LISA: Here, take him! You’re so macho and tough, aren’t
you? Do you beat your wife, too? Does it help you feel more like a man? 344. GATRANO: Walk over here! You want your daughter?
Walk straight ahead, into the darkness. 345. LISA: C’mon, Chivelle. 346. GATRANO: Hey, Peckerwood. 347. CHIVELLE: I’m really getting tired of you, Flatfoot! 348. GATRANO: Take my flashlight. But I want it back. You want this kid back? I get the flashlight. 349. CHIVELLE: Yeah, OK! 350. LISA: Look at those cops—they’re
kneeling at the edge of the darkness. 351. CHIVELLE: And that’s Randolph, and Stewart, and
Jackson – members of the City Council.
And Mayor Robinson. 352. LISA: Weird…. (Pause.) I can’t see a thing ahead of us. 353. CHIVELLE: Grab my hand. (Pause.) Lisa? I’m sorry I was such a jerk. 354. LISA: Which time? 355. CHIVELLE: Well, when we were married. You’ve been a wonderful mom to Danny. 356. LISA: I know I wasn’t always the
easiest person to get along with, either. 357. SOUND: A LOW-PITCHED GROANING. 358. LISA: What’s that? 359. CHIVELLE: It’s in front of us. 360. LISA: It’s… it’s around us. The flashlight. 361. CHIVELLE: God!
Look at that. 362. LISA: There’s gotta be hundreds of
them. 363. CHIVELLE: Elephants. 364. LISA: They must be what destroyed the
neighborhood. 365. CHIVELLE: A stampeded. They destroyed everything on the poor side of town. 366. LIEUTENANT: And they’ll enrich everything on the
plush side of town, Mr. Knight. 367. LISA: Look at their trunks. 368. CHIVELLE: They’re holding children. 369. LISA: I recognize some of them; they’re
from the Hobart neighborhood. Oh my
God! 370. CHIVELLE: There she is! 371. SOUND: CHIVELLE AND LISA RUN A SHORT WAYS. 372. LISA: Danny, honey, Danny! 373. CHIVELLE: Danny! It’s your parents… Danny! 374. LISA: What’s wrong with her? 375. CHIVELLE: It looks like she’s drugged. 376. LISA: Danny, wake up! 377. DANETTE: Who are you? 378. LISA: We’re your parents, honey. 379. DANETTE: I don’t know you. 380. LISA: I’m getting her out of there. 381. CHIVELLE: Careful. 382. SOUND: THE ELEPHANT CALLS OUT LOUDLY. 383. LISA: Let her go! 384. SOUND: LISA HIT’S THE ELEPHANT’S TRUNK. 385. LISA: Let my baby go! 386. DANETTE: I’m not your baby! Leave me along! 387. LIEUTENANT: Mr. and Mrs. Knight. You’ll have to leave now. Go back home and forget about Danette. 388. LISA: What have you done to her? 389. LT. Why, nothing.
We’re just looking to give these children better homes – in
middle-class suburban homes where they can be raised in a healthy Christian
environment. 390. LISA: You have no right to take my
child from me; I’m a good mother. 391. LT. You’re a single mother, Mrs. Knight. A single mother. Now leave, or I’ll have you arrested. 392. GATRANO: My flashlight please. 393. LISA: You people are monsters! Monsters! 394. LT. Yes, Mrs. Knight, if it makes you happy to say
so. You have freedom of speech in
this country. Now give Officer
Gatrano his flashlight, and he’ll give you the injured boy. 395. LISA: (Going off mic, tearfully.)
I won’t give up, Danny. Mommy loves
you. I won’t give up. Your daddy and I won’t let you go. (FADE OUT -- ) We love you, baby, and we’ll never let you
go, we’ll never let you go…. THE END |