EXT. AN ALLEY - NIGHT
We hear gunshots. Manning and RADCLIFFE duck into the alley. They both have pistols and are a bit out of breath. Radcliffe wears a black jacket over a Marilyn Monroe T-shirt.
Their friendship is quite like that of Butch and Sundance.
RADCLIFFE
Damn! Those guys are good!
MANNING
Not as good as us. Close, but not as good as us.
RADCLIFFE
They have us cornered in an alley, Glen. They're pretty good.
MANNING
We've been cornered before.
RADCLIFFE
Okay. I don't want to argue. It's my birthday. Let's play nice, okay?
MANNING
Here's what we're gonna do: I'll take out Castle and you go for Woolsey. We'll ice these assholes, drop off the microfilm, and then go get drunk.
RADCLIFFE
I want Castle.
MANNING
No way. Castle's mine.
RADCLIFFE
But it's my birthday.
MANNING
Throw that up in my face.
RADCLIFFE
I just did.
MANNING
All right. You can have Castle. But you owe me big time. I hate that Castle.
RADCLIFFE
And don't forget our deal.
MANNING
You're getting on my nerves with that.
RADCLIFFE
C'mon, we made a pact. Say it with me. You know you want to.
MANNING
I don't like saying it, Cliffie. It scares me when we say it.
RADCLIFFE
Remember that night in Sheboygan? We made the pact and got the tattoos?
MANNING
That's true! What were we thinking that night?
RADCLIFFE
It wasn't the thinking it was the drinking. Now...are you gonna say it with me or what?
MANNING
Aw, hell. Alright. I hereby swear...
RADCLIFFE
...that if anything happens to one of us...
MANNING
...the one of us that is not dead...
RADCLIFFE
...will find someone else and...
MANNING
...teach him...
RADCLIFFE
...or her...
MANNING
...everything that we now know.
RADCLIFFE
That wasn't so hard, was it?
MANNING
Are you happy now, birthday boy?
RADCLIFFE
Yes. Very. My nipples are stiff and I'm starting to get damp.
MANNING
Swell. Can we go kill these guys?
RADCLIFFE
There's nothing I'd rather do.
They brace themselves, count to three, and step into the street.
STREET
WOOLSEY waits in the doorway of a closed liquor store.
CASTLE is hiding behind a parked car.
Woolsey fires at Manning, missing him completely but blowing two holes in a phonebooth.
Manning shoots Woolsey, who falls through the window of the liquor store.
Castle fires an Uzi at Radcliffe.
Radcliffe spins around in a circle and shoots Castle in the shoulder. Castle falls to the street.
Radcliffe slumps down on a bus bench and sighs. Manning steps up to him.
MANNING
Goddamn! That was easy! Let's go have a birthday party, tough guy!
Radcliffe is very depressed and whiney.
RADCLIFFE
I don't wanna.
MANNING
Why not?
Radcliffe mumbles something.
MANNING
What?
Radcliffe mumbles again.
MANNING
Can you try that with an American accent? You know, just once?
RADCLIFFE
I'm shot in the chest.
Manning laughs. Hard. He doesn't believe it for a second.
MANNING
That's a good one! Let's go.
Radcliffe opens his jacket. His Marilyn Monroe T-shirt has three holes in it and he is bleeding. Radcliffe is angry, both at Manning and himself.
RADCLIFFE
See the holes? Do you have holes? I do! You wanna know why? Because I'm shot in the fucking chest, that's why!
MANNING
Does it hurt?
Radcliffe points his gun at Manning.
RADCLIFFE
Hell if I know! Why don't you stand back and I'll shoot you in the chest a few times? That way you can tell me!
He drops the gun.
MANNING
Hang on, tough guy. I'll get you an ambulance.
RADCLIFFE
Ambulance? Get me a priest! I'm shot in the fucking chest!
MANNING
Maybe you should take it easy, huh?
RADCLIFFE
Take it easy? Are you blind? I'm shot in the fucking chest!
MANNING
I don't know what to do.
RADCLIFFE
Shit! Me either! This was my favorite shirt! I guess this screws the hell out of my birthday, huh? I already paid for the hookers and everything!
MANNING
You got hookers?
RADCLIFFE
Yeah. I was gonna take the redhead and let you have the blonde.
MANNING
It's your birthday! You should've picked the blonde, you know? You love blondes!
RADCLIFFE
Yeah, that just shows you what a good heart I have! Now I'm shot in the fucking chest! Is that ironic or what? Heart? Chest? Holes? Do you see what I'm getting at here?
He coughs and spits up about a half a cup of blood.
RADCLIFFE
Oh, great! Now I'm coughing up blood! What's next? A paper cut?
MANNING
Hang on, man. I'm gonna go to that pay phone over there and get you some help.
Manning takes a step toward the phonebooth. Radcliffe calls to him. He is suddenly calm and serious.
RADCLIFFE
Glen? Don't bother, okay?
MANNING
Hey, c'mon now. Don't give up on me, tough guy. You're gonna make it through this.
RADCLIFFE
It's out of my hands, Glen.
MANNING
C'mon, Cliffie. Hang in there.
RADCLIFFE
I'll say hi to Marilyn Monroe for you.
MANNING
Cliffie. Fight it, man.
RADCLIFFE
Don't forget our deal. Promise me.
MANNING
I promise, tough guy. I promise.
Radcliffe breathes his last breath. He slides over to a laying position on the bench. He is smiling. Ever so slightly, but smiling none the less.
Manning takes an old broom out of a trash can next to the bench and snaps it in half over his knee.
MANNING
Aw...shit...
We hear a weak voice. Castle is still alive.
CASTLE
Manning? I could use an ambulance.
Castle is laid out on the sidewalk. Manning starts toward him.
MANNING
Castle? You're not dead?
CASTLE
No, Manning. Not yet.
Manning moves closer, holding the broomstick like a club.
He smiles at Castle.
MANNING
Let's see what we can do about that.
Castles eyes get wide. He's about to get beaten to death and he knows it.
CASTLE
Oh, fuck...
Manning raises the broomstick. He brings it down with full force.
Just before it makes contact with Castle's head we...
JUMP CUT TO BLACK
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