HIT ME

SCENE 1 is interspersed with SCENE 2. A woman is on her exercise bike, peddling. Someone is watching her from a distance. She eventually gets off the bike and goes for a run. A person on a motorcycle starts to follow her, and takes aim, shooting at her. She runs down some steps, the person following, and manages to hide and lose the tail. Oscar’s sitting at a bar, talking to an informant. INFORMANT: What are you up to lately? OSCAR: Not much. Keep my nose clean. And you?” INFORMANT: Working on some people placement. OSCAR: What do you mean? INFORMANT: Oh, know a bloke who’s looking for a job. You don’t know anyone, do you, Steve? OSCAR: Maybe I do. INFORMANT: It’s a special skill. OSCAR: What skill? INFORMANT: He’s looking for a hit man. OSCAR: What’s in it for you?” INFORMANT: (Unclear response...possibly ‘commission.’) OSCAR: Who’s doing the looking? INFORMANT: Travis Winter, lookin’ for weeks. OSCAR: That a fact OPENING CREDITS FACTORY – Bernie’s Office: Bernie, Oscar and Mac. BERNIE: He reliable? OSCAR: We’ve been drinking together for weeks. Not real smart but he’s okay. BERNIE: He know you’re in undercover? OCSAR: Hasn’t a clue BERNIE: And what about this Travis Winter? (he sits at his desk) MAC: Stand over man from the big end of town (takes info from file) Looks like he’s moving toward the lucrative end of the market. BERNIE: Worth a shot MAC: I think we should follow it up BERNIE: Okay let me run it past Homicide first (Mac and Oscar exit) THE FACTORY – Outside the offices: Pete, Angie Pete drives in sitting high and mighty in a small, black convertible. Angie pedals up behind him on her cycle. Pete stops the car and gets out, throwing his keys to another employee. PETE: Hey Phil! (throws keys) ANGIE: Oi Church! Step outta the fast lane you nearly ran me over back there! PETE: I need the attention. You’ve been ignoring me lately. ANGIE: I think you can live without my acknowledgement. PETE: Yeah, but life wouldn’t be so sweet. ANGIE: You know I think that outfit (expensive suit) is beginning to affect your personality. PETE: Yeah, how’s that? ANGIE: Well you’re becoming a legend in your own spiffy suit. Before you know it you’ll be bulldozing National Trust buildings. PETE: Yeah, maybe a really old one. ANIGE: Oh, you’re a worry! (she hangs up her helmet and follows Pete into the briefing room) FACTORY – Briefing Room: Mac, Angie, Pete, Kaye, Oscar MAC: Hey Church did you get into his files? (Pete hands her a disk) PETE: Makes for interesting reading. (what follows from Pete is unclear – background noise, something directed at ‘Stone’) Lucky bastard’s gone on ... (a mission?) for two weeks. MAC: So, it’s stalled. I got a new job for you. PETE: Beauty. Television freeze of Travis Winter’s mug shot MAC: Travis Winter. A grubby little crim whose first pinch was credit card fraud; for which he did 14 months. Now it sounds like he had a bad experience in the slammer because he came out a very angry young man and quickly developed himself a talent and reputation for well executed stand-over work. Now he’s not fussy about employment, he goes where the money takes him. BERNIE: In December ’96 he was linked to the murder of a guy by the name of Bob Owen, just a mid-level drug dealer. He wouldn’t have pulled the trigger, but he probably did use his boat to dump he body out at sea. MAC: Now one of Stone’s contacts reports he’s trawling for a hit man. We need to discover the target’s name- BERNIE: If there is one. Homicide don’t want to get involved in this. They’ve handballed it onto us. MAC: Right. Okay now Church, you go undercover as a gun for hire. Stone you maintain your cover at the pub. Angie we need you to run backup and surveillance. Kate you’re in for a bit of on the spot training. Any questions? (No response, they begin to shuffle paper) BERNIE: Right, watch you’re backs. FACTORY – Locker Room: Pete, Mac Pete’s undressing and trying to choose a pair of sunglasses for his next job. Mac enters to test him. MAC: Ron Davies? PETE: Ron Davies. MAC: Where you born, Ron? PETE: Sydney, then moved to Brisbane MAC: Education? PETE: Indooroopilly State School, then Caloundra High MAC: Tertiary education? PETE: Shit no! Left school at 16. Worked on a sugar mill then worked on a fishing boat. Ended up in the Valley. MAC: Doing what? PETE: Oh, a bit of honest crookery. Muscle work, mainly MAC: (referring to the sunglasses he’s got on at the moment) Yeah, they’re good. (They start to walk out into the main area) Wife and kids? PETE: No, no...haven’t met the right girl yet. (Mac smiles, trying to hide it) MAC: How long you been in town for Ron? PETE: Coupl’a weeks MAC: Why you here? PETE: Things got a bit hot in Brissie MAC: Where you living? PETE: Californian Hotel, Hawthorn MAC: Good, okay now, uh, you and Stone work out how you’re going to convince this guy you’re a potential hit man. PETE: Yeah, yeah, yeah MAC: (Voice over to Pete’s car pulling up at the venue for the next scene) I’ve got a list here of Brisbane’s leading crooks, your ID, designated phone number – memorise it – and a V8 with a set of Queensland number plates. HOTEL DOWNTOWN – Moves from external to internal scene: Pete, Oscar, the Informant and extras. Oscar’s shooting pool with his mates when Pete enters, and tries to get in on the game. He and Stone argue before Pete grabs him, shoving him against the wall and sticking him in the gut with the cue. Pete walks away coolly and lets everyone see that he’s carrying. Cuts to the informant on the phone. INFORMANT: Hello? Mr Winter. It’s ... (Hors??) McFeast. Yeah you know that job you mentioned? We talk money, I think I’ve found your man. OUTSIDE PUB – Surveillance car: Angie, Kaye Kaye starts up about how great Oscar is and Angie reminds her that those things aren’t on – first rule of undercover is (and Kaye says it with her) “not to get involved with anyone from the unit”. However they agree that Stone is a nice bloke, at work... ANGIE: ...but at home I’m guessing he leaves a trail of smelly socks! They then spot Winter entering the hotel. Kaye misses the shot. INSIDE PUB: Pete, Travis Winter Pete’s sitting at a table and Winter approaches, sits down. WINTER: Know if I can get a feed around here mate? PETE: Stuffed if I know. WINTER: Where you from? PETE: Where people mind their own business WINTER: Not gonna learn much minding me own business. You look familiar. PETE: Well if you lived in Cairns I might be WINTER: Cairns, great fishin’ up there. PETE: Yep WINTER: You know, I reckon fishin’s better than sex. (Pete scoffs) PETE: Mate you either sleep with some dud women or caught some very big fish. WINTER: So what you doing down here? PETE: Keepin’ me head down. You a cop? WINTER: Do I look like a cop? Lookin’ for work? PETE: Why, you gotta job? WINTER: Depends, depends, if you’re what I need. PETE: What do yer need? (They walk outside) OUTSIDE THE PUB – Pete, Winter They discuss wires; pat each other down. Pete pats Winter down first, making sure he’s the least suspicious-looking one as a cop. Pete sets him up so that Kaye can take a photo. Winter arranges for Pete to do a smaller job, see if he’s up to the big one. They arrange to meet at Pete’s motel, 10 that night. CALIFORNIAN HOTEL, HAWTHORN – Pete’s room. Pete’s sitting on the bed, getting ready and puts his tape recorder in his ankle holster. Winter arrives and takes Pete to do a bit of a ‘test’ – busting up a bloke for some money owed. He’s successful, they get the money, and Pete seems to have pleased Winter. Later that night...back at the hotel, Winter gives Pete his ‘payment’ and Pete picks it up and counts it just to be sure. WINTER: Don’t you trust me? PETE: I don’t trust anybody. WINTER: That was an easy five hundred. You wanna earn some more? A lot more? PETE: Doing what? WINTER: Something that’ll really get your blood pumping. PETE: Yeah, doing what? WINTER: Rubbing someone out. A hit. PETE: (thinks a moment) Who and how much? DESERTED PARK YARD LATER THAT NIGHT Pete and Winter arrive in one car and another pulls up behind them. Winter exits and Fleur Newstead gets into the backseat behind Pete. They establish she wants her husband, Roger, dead before he makes any more attempts on her life (she’s the woman from the start of the ep) and that she will pay Pete $20K up front and $30K after the job. Winter gets back in the car and after discovering what Pete’s charging makes a remark that maybe he should do the hit – Pete closes that discussion down. FACTORY: Sitting at a desk, looking at background and listening to tape – Mac, Pete MAC: Are you sure Winter isn’t gonna do this hit himself? PETE: Doesn’t wanna get his hands dirty. MAC: Yeah, that’d be right. PETE: Not telling me everything though MAC: Well so far all we’ve got it talk. If we’re going to make a conspiracy charge stick we need to see some money changing hands. PETE: What about the attempts on her? She reckons she’s just trying to protect herself. MAC: Well there’s a noble concept. Protect yourself by killing someone else. And it could all be bullshit. PETE: Shouldn’t we find out? BERNIE’S OFFICE: Mac, Pete, Bernie – Pete’s standing in the background, mainly just listening. BERNIE: Roger Newstead? Unbelievable! He’s one of the biggest developers in the city. Best mates with the premier, and the minister. Probably the bloody Pope for all I know. MAC: Bernie our job isnt’ just to protect the big end of town- BERNIE: Yeah, yeah, yeah. Why is it you get so hot and sweaty whenever we get the corporates in our sights? MAC: It shouldn’t scare us off. (Pete doesn’t object at Bernie’s glance) BERNIE: All right you get me confirmation of the attempts on her life. Pete do you think you can stall her while we follow up on the husband? And I’ll approach Newstead and tell him to watch his step. PETE: No names BERNIE: I wont’ tell him it’s his wife yet. Not til we know more about it...We should put someone in to cover him. MAC: Oscar can go in. BERNIE: Yeah, yeah all right. DEVELOPMENT SITE: Bernie and Newstead Bernie notifies Newstead of the death threat – he takes it lightly (gets a lot of threats like that) – and shrugs at the thought of an extra cover man – even jokes about his wife being behind it. “My wife’d probably like to have a go!” HOMICIDE: Bill’s office – Mac, Hollister BILL: Yeah, we checked it out. Motorbike assassin in broad daylight without any witnesses. Come on this isn’t Hollywood! MAC: did you interview her? BILL: Of course! MAC: Well did it seem feasible that her husband would try to kill her? BILL: No, I think she’s a troubled woman. She’s being seeing a psychiatrist for five years. MAC: Lots of people do that. So where’s the investigation now? BILL: The never-can-tell basket. MAC: This wouldn’t have anything to do with the fact her husband’s got powerful friends. BILL: You’re not implying that I’ve been running soft on this for political reasons? MAC: No sir. BILL: Wouldn’t be connected to that hit man thing Rocca (Bernie) tried to land us with, would it? MAC: One of our people picked up some intelligence, that’s all. BILL: Oh, that would be a change. MAC: Can I get a look at the case notes? BILL: (shrugs and leans into the speaker) Sally can you bring in the Newstead file please? (she replies, yes; Mac stands) MAC: I might find something you missed. BILL: You wouldn’t be after my job, would you? MAC: I’d look good behind your desk (Bill looks at her – all over!!) BILL: Rather have you on it. MAC: Maybe your wife would like to take the photos. ESPLANADE ON THE BEACH: Pete, Fleur Newstead Fleur’s nervous about how long everything’s taking, Pete presses her for money but because she can’t draw it all out at once – too suspicious – he has to wait a few more days. Pete’s eating Twisties, offers her one but she declines. It’s explained that Roger swims from the shore to a buoy thing out in the water every morning, and that he’s got her assets tied up in the business, so if they divorce, he gets half – she wants her money. DEVELOPMENT SITE: Bodyguard, Oscar Oscar’s undercover as the security man for Newstead and talks to the bodyguard about his habits, what he’s like. It’s explained that Roger hates his wife, Fleur, because “she’s got all the big bucks and it drives him nuts!” FLEUR’S HOUSE: Pete, Fleur Pete goes to Fleur’s house to check out floor plans to Rogers. They’re discussing the security system and Fleur goes to say something when Pete sees the red lazer pointer from a gun on her back. He calls for her to get down and covers her on the floor as gunshots break the windows. They’re both unhurt. FACTORY: Mac, Pete They’re listening to the replay of the scene just beforehand on Pete’s wire. Pete switches it off just at the end (Mac’s sitting on the desk and Pete on the chair) and Mac reaches down, taking Pete’s hand and squeezing it supportively. MAC: You okay? PETE: Yeah, I’ll be all right. Thanks. (Mac stands and walks a while away and Bernie enters) He and Mac discuss the case. Bernie wants it all handed over to Hollister, he’s sick of wearing a “flak-jacket” but Mac convinces him to let them have an extra 24hrs to get money changing hands. PATHWAY NEAR THE SAME SCENE AT THE START OF THE EPISODE WHERE THE MOTORBIKE ASSASSIN ATTACKED FLEUR: Fleur, Pete (Angie and Kaye in a car, listening in) FLEUR: Thanks for meeting me. PETE: Yeah, you got the money this time? FLEUR: No, I want to call it off. PETE: You what? FLEUR: I’ve been thinking about it. It’s taking a lot longer that I thought. PETE: Well you can’t hurry stuff like this; I’m not doing your weekly grocery shopping. FLEUR: I know that. Look what if somebody found out? PETE: The only ones who know about it are you, me and Travis Winter. FLEUR: I know but I want to call it off. PETE: (at this point they’re talking over each other) You give me the money - FLEUR: I haven’t got the nerve PETE: - I do the deed. FLEUR: I want to call it off. I don’t want you to contact me again. (she walks away) PETE: You owe me for my efforts FLEUR: I’m sorry. PETE: (turns from her as she keeps walking off) Jesus. Well kids this was a big bloody waste of time (Angie and Kaye) BERNIE AND MAC They argue. Mac reveals to Bernie the financial situation of Roger Newstead’s business – or lack thereof – and even though Bernie repeatedly pushes her back she keeps going. MAC: If Newstead’s got Fleur’s cash tied up, he gets rid of her and uses the money to bail himself out. Yet Bernie still overrules her – the case is in Homicide’s hands, as good as finished. NEXT MORNING AT THE BEACH: Newstead’s bodyguard, Oscar Newstead’s doing his morning swim. OSCAR: Fit bastard BODYGUARD: Every morning, rain, hail or shine... The conversation continues until a speedboat is seen to intercept Newstead’s path. The bodyguard rushes forward, drawing his gun. Oscar comes up behind him and tries to convince him not to shoot – just wait a little while. The boat passes without incident, Newstead shouting “Oi, dickhead! Watch where you’re going!” over his shoulder. He gets to the bouy thin in the water and sits there for a moment to rest. Oscar and the bodyguard watch. You see someone watching all of this through binoculars in the distance, then a finger hit the large, red button of a detonator. Newstead is lost in a blaze of fire, flames engulfing him, as the explosion occurs. Oscar and the bodyguard rush forward for a better look, but Newstead’s no longer there. HOMICIDE: Walking through the main thoroughfare – Bill, Bernie (Bill’s angry) BILL: You had a conspiracy to murder one of the biggest property developers in the city and you decided not to put homicide in the picture? BERNIE: You didn’t’ wanna know about it until I had something more definite, remember? BILL: You got the wife on tape, I presume. BERNIE: Yeah BILL: Well that’s a start BERNIE: It’s only talk. No money’s changed hands. We wanted to be sure. BILL: That’s bullshit Bernie! You just wanted to show us how to do our job! Now you screwed up, that’s the good news. The bad news is the minister wants a full report on this! Newstead was one of his mates. You’re like the dead meat. Serves you bloody well right! INTERVIEW ROOM, HOMICIDE: Bill’s interviewing Fleur – Bill, Fleur and a witness standing in the background The interview’s a complete failure on Bill’s part. Fleur plays it cool. She doesn’t deny she wanted him dead, nor that she’s relieved at the situation, but she never knew a Travis Winter and “wouldn’t have the first idea how to hire a hit man.” Bill insists it would’ve been easy but she doesn’t budge. Bill emerges from the interview to meet up with Bernie again. BILL: I wanna meet this hit man of yours. CALIFORNIAN MOTEL, HAWTHORN: Pete’s room – Pete, Bernie, Bill. Pete looks up at the door, hearing a knock. BERNIE: Church, it’s Rocca. (he opens the door and Bernie and Bill enter. Bill immediately takes the seat. Pete stands opposite him and Bernie hovers in the background.) BILL: So you’re the pretend gun-for-hire? Fleur Newstead certainly did a job on you, didn’t she? Snapped her fingers and you started panting like a puppy dog! Had it occurred to you she’d realised how useless you were and hired someone else? PETE: What makes you so sure she did it? BILL: Because she’s rich, she’s got a motive and she’s a bitch! PETE: If you’d taken seriously her husband was trying to kill her- BILL: We check it out; there was nothing to go on, all right? PETE: Bullshit! (They continue talking over each other, Bill stands and comes right up close to Pete, millimetres apart, looking up at him. They’re yelling and individually what they say is pretty hard to pick up but it makes for tension) After some more argument... BILL: Don’t you tell me how to do my job you incompetent dickhead! (Pete scowls) Bernie goes to leave but ads that he wants to make a conspiracy to murder charge stick to Fleur, so to put Pete back in and try to get some money changing hands. DESERTED PARK YARD AT NIGHT: Pete, Fleur Pete’s sitting in his car and when Fleur pulls up he gets out and gets in beside her. He demands she pay for his efforts – he wants money – but she refuses. Pete threatens her and she holds her hand to the horn until he backs off and gets out, when she reverses and speeds away. BERNIE’S OFFICE: Watching a report on Roger Newstead’s murder. The partner is being interviewed. Mac enters as he turns the TV off – Bernie, Mac BERNIE: Anything? MAC: Didn’t happen. She doesn’t wanna know him. BERNIE: Right then, that’s it. We gave it out best shot, now it’s in Homicide’s lap. Tell Church. (Mac looks at him reluctantly before turning and leaving) CALIFORNIAN MOTEL, HAWTHORN: Pete’s room – Mac, Pete Pete’s laying across his bed in a singlet and pants, watching what looks to be an old gangster movie. There’s a knock on the door. PETE: Who is it? MAC: It’s me. (Pete gets up and let’s Mac in.) PETE: No one tailing you? MAC: No. (She dumps her bag at the floor at the end of the bed and turns to face him as he walks over to her) I’ve got a message for you... (She takes his hands and pulls him to her as they kiss deeply, arms around each other. They pull away slightly) PETE: That the message? MAC: (takes a step back) Bernie’s pulled the plug. PETE: No way. Shit! MAC: I’m sorry. It’s over. It’s an order, Peter. PETE: Oh shit. Why do I do this job? (He walks from her and gets drinks out of an ice-filled bathroom sink) MAC: Because you love it. You’re too good at it. PETE: Well not judging by recent form. Travis Winter’s been Fleur Newstead’s go-between. I got conned. (He sits on the bed, drinks in hands) I reckon he’s the key to all of this. MAC: Forget about Travis Winter. Stop beating yourself about the head 9She kneels in front of him and looks into his eyes) That’s my job. (Pete smiles, opening both cans at the same time, handing one to Mac and they clink) PETE: I’m glad you’re here. MAC: (softly) Need some company? (He nods) PETE: Mm-hmm They put their drinks on the side table at the same time and Pete reaches out to Mac, pulling her close. They kiss and fall against each other on the bed. THE NEXT MORNING: Same hotel – Mac Mac’s still sleeping the next morning, sun shining into the room. You can see that she’s alone in the bed, sheets pulled around her. She stirs. One of her arms is spread behind her, where Pete was. She moves it around, realising he’s not there. She rolls onto her back, seeing for herself. MAC: Peter? (There’s no response) Shit! THE BAR WHERE PETE FIRST MET WINTER: Pete, Winter Pete finds Winter on the phone. He takes it and smashes it, saying that this is more important. He’s not going to take the fall for the Newstead murder and blames Winter for it all: PETE: I’m not gonna do time for you or anyone else, you can count on that! DEVELOPMENT SITE: Pete’s in his car Pete follows Winter to the Newstead development project site and watches him go up and argue with Newstead’s partner, Brian, in the distance. BERNIE’S OFFICE: Mac, Bernie MAC: Church’ll contact us. BERNIE: When he’s good and ready (Mac goes to leave) Hey Mac, how’d you know he’d gone AWOL? (absent without leave) MAC: Wild guess Bernie watches her leave, suspiciously. OUTSIDE FLEUR’S HOUSE: Pete Pete watches Newstead’s partner, Brian Carter, enter Fleur’s house. He prepares to follow, calling Mac. She alerts Bernie but Pete hangs up, ignoring the fact that this is an “unauthorised operation.” He follows Brian inside. FLEUR’S HOUSE: Pete, Fleur, Brian Pete barges in and starts accusing... PETE: You wanted to kill your partner (Brian) and you wanted to get rid of your husband (Fleur) so you two could cosy up together... He starts shooting off at the mouth, his wire running so that Mac can find the signal and listen in (She’s on her way to Fleur’s house with Kaye driving her) Pete tries to get $250 000 for silence, or he’d “Put a bullet through your friggin heads!” Brian reaches into his jacket for his chequebook. At that moment, while Pete’s making sure Brian doesn’t pull out a gun, Fleur turns and reaches into her own bag, pulling out a silver pistol and pointing it at Pete. FLUER: On your knees...Hands behind your head. Mac’s listening and immediately dials out MAC: ...Signal one, Signal one, we have an operative in extreme danger... Brian is ordered by Fleur, who is standing behind Pete, gun to the back of his head, to pat him down. In the process Brian finds the wire. Mac’s transmission cuts out. MAC: I lost him... Pete reveals he’s a cop, he’s wired and this conversation is being picked up as they speak. Fleur quickly moves to stand before him, pointing the barrel into his face. She tries to hand the gun to Brian. FLEUR: Shoot him, Brian. Brian doesn’t want to shoot and gently tries to get out of it. FLEUR: Shoot him, Brian! They argue heatedly, screaming at each other, and wrestle with the gun. While they’re distracted Pete reaches back to his ankle holster and prepares to draw his own gun. Fleur gives up on Brian, gets the gun away from his reach and points it at Pete. Gunshots ring out, muffled to the viewer by the screech of Mac and Kaye’s tires. Mac heard it though, getting out of the car, ordering Kaye to stay there, with the radio. She runs to the house. Inside, gun poised and held close to her, ready to aim and fire, she walks through the entrance, a skinny hallway. Peering around the corner, she sees Pete slumped against the wall, looking at the gun in his hand. She relaxes her grip on her own gun and approaches him. MAC: Are you okay? As she gets closer, she sees Fleur and Roger. Roger is slumped against an antique wooden cupboard, bullet wound to the head. Fleur is lying sprawled between the two men, her chest and torso covered in blood, soaked through her cream garments. Mac bends down to Pete’s level and takes the gun slowly from his hands, putting it on the floor beside him, although this can’t be seen on screen. She watches his face, concerned. PETE: And you reckon I’m good at this job. MAC: (whispering) Come on, Pete. She helps him up and keeps an arm around his waist, walking him through the house supportively. PETE: Never ends, does it. DISSOLVE AND FINISH. NEXT WEEK...