A Preemptive Strike - part 5

INT. AVERY HOME - LATER

A close-up view of sudsy water is shown. There is a rubbing
sound in the background. Suddenly, the water becomes
discoloured with red liquid that's being poured in. The red
liquid slowly diffuses into the water and the water turns a
dark pink colour.

Pulling back, we see that John is scrubbing the ceramic
floor near the front door of the house and ringing the
bloody rag into the bucket of soapy water. John is wearing
large yellow rubber gloves.

MASTER BEDROOM

John is soaking up the blood in the rug and scrubbing at it
wildly.

CUT TO:

John is firmly scrubbing the wall of the bedroom, attempting
to remove any trace of the blood splatter.

STAIRS

John is scrubbing the stairs frantically.

MASTER BEDROOM

John is back at the carpet, scrubbing wildly. There are
cleaning products all around him now.

GARAGE

John is cleaning the cement floor of the garage with a mop.

BASEMENT

John is taking his clothes off and putting them in the
washing machine.

MASTER BEDROOM

John continues scrubbing wildly. Even more cleaning
products are littered around him now. He pauses briefly,
and then throws up into the bucket. He continues scrubbing,
more slowly than before. After several seconds, he realizes
that he should probably get rid of the contents of the
bucket. He picks it up and heads out of the room.

SHOWER

John is showering, the blood and grime is quickly swirling
down the drain. He splashes water over his face and holds
his hands there, covering his eyes for some time.


EXT. AVERY HOME - MOMENTS LATER

John is walking down the street in his heavy winter jacket
with a key belonging to Dafino's car.

John approaches a Ford Focus and attempts to open it. The
key doesn't fit. He looks further down the street and sees
a beat up old Ford Escort.

John walks up to it and tries the key, looking around first
to make sure no one's watching. The key fits. John gets in
and drives the car around the block. He gets out of the car
and walks back to his house.


INT. AVERY HOME - EVENING

DINING ROOM

It's now dusk and the dining room is cast with an orange
glow.

John is sitting at the dining room table, now wearing
different clothes. He is staring at the table and something
unseen by the camera.

Now from John's point of view, we can see that he's staring
at the contents of Dafino's pockets, which are all laid out
neatly in the middle of the table. The pile includes his
cell phone, his keys, an after-dinner mint and a couple of
receipts.

John takes out his cell phone and tries calling Rachel. He
gets no answer.

Suddenly, there's the sound of a RINGING cell phone.

John assumes it's Rachel calling him back, however he looks
at his cell phone and there's no incoming call.

The sound continues. It's Dafino's phone, the display reads
"Blocked Number".

John stares at the phone for several seconds, unsure of what
to do with it. Eventually, he flips the phone open.

JOHN AVERY
Yes?

ANTON BRODY
Where have you been, Bill, I
thought you said you'd call when
you had it taken care of. Is it
done?

JOHN AVERY
It's done.

There's a moment of silence where neither men say a word.

ANTON BRODY
You alright, Bill?

After a beat:

JOHN AVERY
Mmmhmm.

Another awkward moment between the two men.

ANTON BRODY
So, I'll see you soon then.
Wellington's.

The call disconnects.

John stares forward with a concerned look on his face.


EXT. WELLINGTON'S PUB - LATER

It's a crisp, cold night. No snow is falling and it's
eerily quiet. The Wellington's pub fluorescent sign is
BUZZING incessantly.

CAR

John is sitting in his car with his heavy winter jacket,
gloves and winter hat. He's situated in the darkest corner
of the parking lot. He's watching people entering and
exiting the front door of the pub.

The time on the radio says 5:52. John turns the radio on
and Bohemian Rhapsody is playing, loudly.

RADIO
Oh mama mia, mama mia, mama mia
let me go
Beelzebub has a devil put aside
for me

John JUMPS, startled by the sudden noise. He turns the
volume down and flips the channel several times, stopping on
a talk radio station.

RADIO
(old man talking)
Now, see, the prospects of the DOW
are, in my opinion, directly
related to the state of the
economy. What's happening here,
and, by all means, correct me if
you think I'm wrong, but what's
happening here is that the economy
has been improving steadily enough
for long enough that...

John looks around impatiently as the old man on the radio
mumbles about the DOW Jones. He turns the radio off.

Panning up outside of the car, we see the moon, barely
visible become more and more discernible as it races past
the ever-brightening stars in the night sky.

Back in the car, John is still sitting and waiting. His
eyes are barely open and his mouth is ajar. His breath is
creating puffs of vapour in the cold winter air. The clock
in front of him now reads 12:54.

John stirs in his drowsy state and rubs his face with his
gloved hands. He stares forward for several seconds and
then decides that it's time to give up and leave. He puts
his keys in the ignition. Just at that moment, HEADLIGHTS
fill his car and the first car in an hour enters the lot. It
parks on the opposite end of the lot in a similarly darkened
area.

John is staring at the car with great interest. For the
first time in hours, he's alert.

Anton steps out of the car and looks around. He takes out
his cellphone and looks at it for several seconds before
walking towards the front door of the bar. Anton opens the
door and steps inside.

John's breathing quickens and his hands start to move
quickly. He takes the gun out from his jacket pocket and
checks that the bullets are still loaded, as if they somehow
might have jumped out when he wasn't looking. He nods to
himself and puts the gun back in his jacket pocket and
removes the key from the ignition.

John opens the car door and closes it behind him quietly. He
begins walking slowly towards the building, trying to walk
casually but instead walking with an awkward limp that would
look strange to anyone watching.

John approaches the front door of the bar and pulls it open.


INT. WELLINGTON'S PUB - CONTINUOUS

With his hands in his pockets, John walks slowly over to the
booth where he met Anton previously. Anton appears to be
sitting there with his back to John.

John, with a look of fear on his face, standing over the
man, fumbles around for the gun in his pocket. Suddenly,
the man turns around. It's not Anton, but a man much
younger.

MAN
(in a southern
drawl)
You got a problem, friend?

JOHN AVERY
No, I just...sorry.

An awkward beat.

ANTON BRODY
Look who it is.

Anton is standing behind John. John doesn't turn around.

Four men are playing pool in the corner of the room. One of
them loses a game.

POOL PLAYER
Are you kiddin' me?! Double or
nothin'!

The men start laughing very loudly.

ANTON BRODY
Imagine finding YOU here. For
someone that doesn't drink, you're
here more often than I am. I'm
about to sit down for a drink with
an old friend, but seeing as how
he hasn't shown yet, how about you
and I catch up?

John turns his head to the side, seeing Anton with his
peripheral vision, and lets out a stunted laugh.

Anton walks past John and orders two beers at the bar.

John stands still, staring at Anton.

Anton stares back at John, never taking his eyes off him,
while the waitress pours the drinks.

POOL PLAYER
(background)
You fuckin' amateur, I knew you'd
do that!

The two men continue staring at each other. The waitress
taps Anton on the shoulder and he pays her.

Anton walks over to a booth near John and sits down. He
sets one beer down in front of himself and one on the other
side of the table.

John slides slowly into the booth, his hands still in his
pockets.

Anton picks up his beer and raises it in the air.

ANTON BRODY
To new beginnings.

John slowly raises his drink and Anton clinks his glass
against John's. Both men take a drink. As soon as John
sets his glass down, his hand goes back into his pocket.

ANTON BRODY
I really do care about her, John.
I want you to know that. This
isn't just some fling, it's real.
And it was tough for me to come to
you like that, on my hands and
knees. I really wish we could have
made a deal. We still can, if you
want.

JOHN AVERY
Really.

Anton takes a drink.

ANTON BRODY
That shiner's lookin' better. You
put a steak on it yet? I hear
that helps.

JOHN AVERY
You're not getting it back.

ANTON BRODY
I hope you change your mind.

JOHN AVERY
I won't.

ANTON BRODY
That's too bad. I don't know what
I'll tell Rachel when she finds
out. It's gonna be tough.

John shifts in his seat.

Beneath the table, John is slowly pulling out his GUN.

Anton's eyes go down towards John's pocketed hand. His eyes
wince and he takes another drink.

ANTON BRODY
This is your move, is it?

John stares down Anton, his face going red.

ANTON BRODY
I figured you'd at least wait
until I was out in the parking
lot. Might be fewer witnesses
that way. I'm sure you already
thought of that, though.

John continues the stare-down.

ANTON BRODY
Well, just go ahead and do it then
if you're gonna do it. I don't
know what you're waiting for. Aim
for the stomach, one good shot and
that's all it'll take...although I
doubt you've ever fired that thing
before. Bet the safety's still
on, too. Come on, I want you to
do it. I want you to take charge
of the situation, show me who's
boss. One good shot and it'll all
be over, I'll be gone for good.
BAM!

Anton SLAMS the table as he says it, causing John to JUMP in
his seat.

Several bar patrons look over to see what the commotion is
all about.

Anton grins and takes another drink.

John lowers the gun and quickly puts it back inside his
jacket pocket. He gets up from the table, clutching the gun
awkwardly inside his pocket.

ANTON BRODY
You know, it's weird, my friend is
really late, I wonder where he
could be? This isn't like him at
all, I should give him a call.

Anton gives John a knowing glance while he takes another
swig of his beer.

John walks away in a hurry, still awkwardly clutching the
gun.

ANTON BRODY
Always a pleasure, John.

Anton relaxes his right arm and we see that he was holding a
GUN on John the whole time. Anton places the gun on the
seat cushion next to him. He runs a hand through his hair
and shakes his head.


EXT. WELLINGTON'S PUB - CONTINUOUS

John is SPEED-WALKING to his car, clutching the gun in his
pocket. He nearly slips on the icy pavement as he walks,
but manages to maintain his balance.

CAR

John gets into the car and lets out a primitive YELL. He
takes the gun from his pocket and BEATS it against the
steering wheel several times in anger and frustration. He
SCREAMS again.

After several seconds, the air bag INFLATES and fills the
front seat. John struggles with it and eventually manages
to DEFLATE it, though not without some effort.

John starts the car feeling utterly defeated and pulls out
of the parking lot.


INT. CAR - MOMENTS LATER

John approaches a red light at an intersection. He isn't
paying attention and nearly hits an old lady crossing the
street. He SLAMS ON THE BRAKES at the last second.

The old lady looks extremely annoyed and gives him an evil
stare, muttering to herself and shaking her head
dramatically.

John puts his hands in his head, and rubs his face.

The light turns green. After several moments, the car
behind John's begins to HONK.

The driver gets impatient and drives around John, giving him
the finger as he goes.

John regains his composure and continues driving, more
carefully now than before.


EXT. AVERY HOME - LATER

John is driving down a street in his neighbourhood, the same
street where he parked Dafino's car. He drives by and
notices a portion of the street untouched by snow. It's
where Dafino's car was parked.

JOHN AVERY
What the hell...

John pulls over suddenly and gets out of his car. He stares
at the empty parking spot.

After a beat:

John runs down the street a ways, searching for Dafino's
car. It's nowhere to be found. John puts his hands on his
head and has a look of panic on his face as he scans the
street frantically.

John is now pulling into his driveway. He slides out of his
car and approaches the front door in a hurry. He's about to
insert his key when he pauses to think twice about it.

John takes the gun out of his jacket pocket and walks around
to the back of the house through the side yard. He peers in
the windows as he goes. The house is pitch-black inside.

John approaches the back door and very quietly opens it. The
house is pitch-black and deadly quiet. He closes the door
quietly behind him.


INT. AVERY HOME - CONTINUOUS

John walks into the kitchen and notices that the bloody rag
is still in the sink from when he wiped his face with it.

John lets out a deep sigh.

JOHN AVERY
Jesus.

John takes the rag and throws it in the trash bin under the
sink.

John walks by the dining room table and notices that the
contents of Dafino's pockets are no longer there.

John's eyes go wide as he realizes that someone has been in
his house. He raises the gun and points it forward as he
scours the rest of the main floor of the house.

As seen from the top of the stairs, John stares up to the
second floor.

After a beat:

John walks slowly up the stairs, expecting there to be
another intruder.

Now on the second floor, he peers into each bedroom as he
goes.

John peers into the office and notices that the DVD and his
laptop are both missing. Sitting in their place is a
photograph.

John walks over to the desk with his gun now down at his
side. The photograph shows what appears to be divorce
documents signed by Rachel with an empty spot for John to
sign. On the papers is a section labelled "Fault Divorce"
citing infidelity as the reason. John picks up the
photograph and looks it over carefully. He flips it around.
Written on the back in black Sharpie is the following text:
"to new beginnings".

John stares at it with an emotionless glare.

After several moments, John begins to CHUCKLE. He slinks
down to the floor and continues LAUGHING, the sound getting
louder and more exaggerated. He tilts his head back and
stares up at the ceiling, making a strange, giddy noise.

There is a ceiling fan rotating quickly above, John stares
at it as his laughter slows until all that's left is the
sound of the fan WHIRRING overhead.

FADE TO BLACK


INT. AVERY ADVERTISING - DAY

JOHN'S OFFICE

John is staring up at the fluorescent lights above with
baggy eyes. He seems mesmerized by it.

The phone RINGS. John lazily looks down at it. After three
rings, he picks it up.

JOHN AVERY
(monotone)
Avery Advertising. John Avery
speaking.

The voice on the other end of the line isn't audible.

JOHN AVERY
Right. Yes, that's right. Well,
we're working hard to get that
done by the end of the week. Yes.
Yes. All right, good. Thank you.

John holds down the telephone hook for several seconds. He
takes a moment to put on a fake smile and then dials a three
digit extension.

JOHN AVERY
Hey. How are you doin'? That's
good. Oh really, again? Geez.
That's just...that's....

An awkward beat:

JOHN AVERY
I was wondering...are you busy
tonight? No? Do you feel like
grabbing some dinner with me?

An excited tone can be heard on the other end of the line.

JOHN AVERY
Great, I'll pick you up around
six? OK, sounds great, see you
then!

John's smile immediately disappears as he hangs up the
phone. He leans back in his chair and closes his eyes.


INT. SUPER 8 MOTEL - EVENING

A door opens into a dark room, letting in the swirling snow
from outside and the harsh light of a parking lot light
fixture. Two figures are standing in the doorway.

The intense WIND outside is causing the trash can outside
the motel room to RATTLE violently in it's metal cage.

John and Elizabeth enter the room. Elizabeth is laughing
and holding John's arm.

John flips on the LIGHT to reveal the cheaply decorated
interior of the motel room. John takes off his heavy winter
jacket and Elizabeth hands him hers. He places both on the
chair next to the bed.

John turns to face Elizabeth. She has a huge grin on her
face. She RUNS over to John and starts kissing him,
eagerly. She leans into him and they both FALL BACKWARDS
onto the bed.

Elizabeth starts unbuttoning John's shirt while they kiss.
She unbuttons her own shirt as well, to reveal a red lacy
bra underneath.

ELIZABETH REISENFELD
I've missed you so much.

They continue kissing passionately. John squeezes her
breasts and she moans.

FADE TO BLACK

John and Elizabeth are lying next to each other in the
darkened room. Elizabeth has her eyes closed and John's are
wide open, staring at the ceiling.

JOHN AVERY
Liz?

John nudges her slightly. She doesn't respond.

JOHN AVERY
Hey, you awake?

John nudges her harder. She opens her eyes slowly and
smiles.

ELIZABETH REISENFELD
Hey, you. Oh my God, are you
ready to go again already?

She reaches down under the covers to grab John. He shifts
his weight away from her.

JOHN AVERY
Actually, I'm still recovering
from round one. Can I talk to you
about something for a minute?

Elizabeth sits up with a smile on her face.

ELIZABETH REISENFELD
What's up?

JOHN AVERY
I haven't told anyone this yet
but...my wife and I...we're
getting a divorce. Or...maybe a
separation, I'm not sure what it
is yet.

After a beat:

ELIZABETH REISENFELD
I'm sorry. I'm not really sure
what to say. I mean...I didn't
mean for that to happen, you know
that right?

JOHN AVERY
I'm not blaming you. I made the
decisions that I made and...it's
not like I would change things.
It's complicated now though,
because it seems like she
might...try to use you.

ELIZABETH REISENFELD
What do you mean? Use me how?

John shifts uncomfortably in the bed.

JOHN AVERY
I think she's going to get you to
testify against me.

ELIZABETH REISENFELD
Testify? What does that mean,
exactly, testify? About what,
about us?

JOHN AVERY
Well, yeah, about us. See, she'll
have a real strong case if she can
prove that you and I were
together. The laws, they're real
strict when it comes to this sorta
thing, so you have to promise that
you won't--

ELIZABETH REISENFELD
That I won't what? What are you
asking? You want me to lie? To
like, a judge or something?

JOHN AVERY
Hey, now, listen...I don't even
know if it'll come down to
anything like that. If it does
though...there's only one way we
can get outta this, we gotta be
real certain we're on the same
page here.

ELIZABETH REISENFELD
You want me to just pretend this
didn't happen? I...I can't do that
John. How am I supposed to do
that? I'm not comfortable with
any of this.

JOHN AVERY
I can't afford this right now,
Liz. There's...just too much
going on. You really gotta help
me here.

ELIZABETH REISENFELD
Wait, wait, wait...is this why you
brought me here tonight? To
convince me to lie so you
don't...fuck up your life even
more than it already is!? You
know what, you're a fucking
asshole John. I should have seen
it before.

Elizabeth gets up from the bed.

JOHN AVERY
No! I--

ELIZABETH REISENFELD
And here I thought you really
wanted to see me again, I thought
there might be something real
here. I'm such an idiot, I should
have known you'd do something like
this.

JOHN AVERY
Liz, no. That's not why! Listen,
I do have feelings for you, I
just--

ELIZABETH REISENFELD
You brought me here so you could
FUCK me one more time and then
convince me to help you win your
fucking court case. This isn't my
fault, OK, none of this is MY
fault.

Elizabeth finds her clothes on the floor and starts getting
dressed.

JOHN AVERY
Liz come on. What are you doin'
there?

ELIZABETH REISENFELD
I'm getting the fuck out of here,
that's what I'm doing.

Elizabeth is almost fully dressed when John gets out of bed
and starts putting his clothes back on too.

JOHN AVERY
Hey, c'mon, can't we just stay a
bit and talk about this?

ELIZABETH REISENFELD
There's nothing to talk about!

John grabs his jacket and throws it on quickly. The gun
slides out of his pocket and thumps against the dresser near
Elizabeth.

She stares it in confusion.

ELIZABETH REISENFELD
What is that, is that a gun?

JOHN AVERY
It's nothing.

John quickly crosses the room and picks up the weapon,
putting it back in his pocket.

ELIZABETH REISENFELD
You brought a gun. Is that for if
I decide not to cooperate? That's
your backup plan?

JOHN AVERY
No...Jesus Christ, no! I only have
this because--

ELIZABETH REISENFELD
Stay the fuck away from me!

Elizabeth opens the door and storms out. Her shirt is
half-buttoned up and she's struggling to put her jacket on
as she runs.

John starts to run after her.

JOHN AVERY
Liz! Wait!


EXT. SUPER 8 MOTEL - CONTINUOUS

Elizabeth is almost to her car when she SLIPS on the icy
pavement and falls. John hears a loud THUD on the ice as
she hits it, face first.

John stops running and goes wide-eyed.

JOHN AVERY
Oh God!

John SPRINTS over to her as fast he can on the icy pavement.
Her nose and jaw are broken and there's blood SPURTING out
and starting to pool all over the ice in front of her.

ELIZABETH REISENFELD
Don't....don't....stop....

She's coughing up blood as she tries to form words.

John is hysterical. He has his hands over his mouth and his
eyes are wide. He looks at Elizabeth and then back at the
motel. No one is around, it's a pitch-black evening and the
snow is falling quickly now.

John takes out his phone and dials 9-1-1.

911 OPERATOR
9-1-1, what's your emergency?

JOHN AVERY
I'm...I need...

John closes his eyes and tries to think.

911 OPERATOR
I'm sorry sir, you'll have to
speak up. Are you in trouble?

John opens his eyes with a look of realization on his face.
He disconnects the call and puts the phone back in his
pocket.

Elizabeth's eyes are barely open as she looks up at John for
help.

John takes his gun out slowly from his jacket pocket and
looks down at it. His hand SHAKES as he holds it but he's
not pointing it at her.

ELIZABETH REISENFELD
Call...help...call...

Elizabeth is crawling towards his leg and grabbing at it
with her weak hands. Blood continues pooling all around
her.

John slowly points the gun at her and squints his eyes.

She doesn't react, she just stares back at him, MOANING.

John pulls the gun back to his side quickly, his hand still
SHAKING VIOLENTLY. He crouches down to steady himself,
afraid that he might pass out.

Elizabeth continues clawing weakly at his leg, grabbing at
his arm now.

ELIZABETH REISENFELD
Phone...

She's trying to reach into his pocket for the phone.

John stands up again, causing Elizabeth to lose her grip and
fall to the ground. She crawls forward again and tries to
grip his legs with her weak hands.

John puts his hand over his mouth to keep from screaming,
aims the gun at her again and pulls the trigger.

With a muted BANG, the sound lost to the wind, her body goes
limp, lifeless.

John stares at Elizabeth's body for several seconds, his
hand still over his mouth. He slowly removes it after he
finds that he's not making any noise.

There is a look of numb horror on John's face. He's in
complete shock.

John stares at Elizabeth's body as the falling snow quickly
begins to cover the evidence of what just occurred.

John calmly turns around and starts to walk to his own car.
He suddenly appears very calm and at ease. It's obvious by
his body language and demeanour that he's not in the right
state of mind.

John gets into his car and drives off into the dark,
snow-filled night.


INT. AVERY HOME - LATER

John is lying in his bed, staring at the ceiling with a dead
look in his eyes. He doesn't blink.

The moon outside goes down beyond the horizon and the sun
begins to rise.

John is still staring at the ceiling with the same look on
his face. His alarm BEEPS and it seems to break him out of
his trance. He turns it off and sits up, unusually alert
for someone that hasn't slept a wink all night.