Episode 1.7 "This Living Hand, Part 2" written by Michael Mraz

Mraz Inc.
"This Living Hand, Part 2"
Written by Michael Mraz

TEASER

FADE IN:

INT. BRENDAN’s STRONGHOLD- NIGHT

Radiohead’s “You And Whose Army” plays under the scene. There is no sound but the music. KRYSTAL is passed out, cuffed to the chair. Brendan lifts her head by the chin, and drops it. Her head falls limp. On “You think…”:

CUT TO:

INT. ANDREA’S OFFICE- SAME TIME
ANDREA stands in her darkened office, looking out over the city. She drinks a glass of champagne and smiles slightly. On the second set of “Come On”s:

CUT TO:

INT. ROOM- SAME TIME
MRAZ stands in tac gear. He slides a clip into his handgun and chambers a round.

CUT TO:

INT WAREHOUSE, MANHATTAN- SAME TIME
MICHENER stands in front of a crate; a laptop and an assault rifle sit on the crate in front of him.

ANGLE: On the small army of men that Andrea had assembled for the assault. The are moving around, organizing seemingly ready to go.

Michener wears a subtle look of triumph and concentration. He looks back at his computer and begins typing.

CUT TO:

EXT WAREHOUSE, MANHATTAN- SAME TIME
EDDIE and MOUMIN watch from the rooftop skylight. They are now joined by a squad of MRAZ INC TACTICAL OPERATIVES.

CUT TO:

INT. ROOM- SAME TIME
MARK fastens his tac gear and fits an earpiece to his ear.

CUT TO:

INT. MRAZ INC WAR ROOM- SAME TIME
On “Holy Roman Empire”, the camera resting on DUCKY and KEATING zooms out revealing a busy roomful of employees, buzzing about; prepping to run the missions.

CUT TO:

INT. ROOM- SAME TIME
ERIC, kneeling down, slides a knife into his boot sheathe. He stands tall, ready to go.

CUT TO:

EXT. BRENDAN’S STRONGHOLD, WILLIAMSBURG- SAME TIME
JANICE leans up against a car. A small computer sits in front of her with intel data scrolling. She sits, intent on her gun clip, in which she is meticulously placing each individual bullet.

CUT TO:

INT. BRENDAN’S STRONGHOLD- SAME TIME
Brendan stands in a room with the MAN who was recording the interrogation. Their voices are the only sound in the duration of the Teaser.

BRENDAN
Make sure you make a copy of the tape.

MAN
Should I have it delivered?

BRENDAN
No. I’ll deliver it personally after we destroy Mraz Inc.

CUT TO:

EXT. STREETS- SAME TIME
A black van drives down the street.

MAN (V.O.)
What about the girl?

CUT TO:

INT. BRENDAN’S STRONGHOLD- SAME TIME
Brendan turns to him, manacingly.

BRENDAN
Prepare a cyanide drip.

CUT TO:

INT. VAN- SAME TIME
Mraz, Mark, and Eric sit in the van, their expressions hard, concentrated.

BRENDAN (V.O.)
We kill her within the hour.

CUT TO:

EXT. BRENDAN’S STRONGHOLD, WILLIAMSBURG- SAME TIME
At the build of the song, the van stops in front of the warehouse where Brendan is holed up. A Mraz Inc TAC SQUAD starts spilling out and fanning out. Eric leads them off. Janice walks up to meet Mark and Mraz.

The squad starts pouring over the building climbing up to the roof; surrounding it.

CUT TO:

EXT. BRENDAN’S STRONGHOLD ROOFTOP- SAME TIME
Eric and three others move over the roof stealthily. Eric sneaks up on a guard and breaks his neck, quickly and professionally.

CUT TO:

EXT. BRENDAN’S STRONGHOLD ROOFTOP,OPPOSITE SIDE- SAME TIME
Another group of men neutralize another GUARD. They place a charge on the ground and press a button. A small red light comes on.

CUT TO:

EXT. BRENDAN’S STRONGHOLD FIRE-ESCAPE- SAME TIME
Another team of THREE MEN climb down a fire-escape and infiltrate through a window.

CUT TO:

EXT. BRENDAN’S STRONGHOLD, REAR-BUILDING- SAME TIME
A team-stands near a wall with a charge attached to it. The charge goes off and the wall crumbles. They move into the building.

CUT TO:

EXT. BRENDAN’S STRONGHOLD, FRONT DOOR- SAME TIME
Mraz and Mark walk up to the front door, with their guns out. They stop in front of the dilapidated door. Mraz kicks the door in. The walk slowly in the front door into the darkness, with determination. The picture fades to black as the song fades.


SMASH CUT TO:

MAIN TITLES.

FADE TO BLACK.


END OF TEASER

___________________________________________________________________________________


ACT ONE

INT. BRENDAN’s STRONGHOLD- NIGHT
Brendan walks down the hallway with a MAN following on his heels. He talks on his cellphone.

BRENDAN
I’ll be there in an hour. Be ready to move when I arrive.

CUT TO:

INT WAREHOUSE, MANHATTAN- SAME TIME
Michener, on the other side of the conversation, talks, still staring at the computer; with an annoyed look.

MICHENER
That’s cutting it close, Bradley. Andrea wants us moving out at 5 AM, before the bulk of Mraz’s staff is there.

CUT TO:

INT. BRENDAN’s STRONGHOLD- SAME TIME

BRENDAN
This is my plan, Michener. My operation. You’re nothing but hired help. You’ll follow my orders and we’ll move when I’m good and ready.

MICHENER (O.S.)
That’s cute. The dog thinks he got out of his leash. 1 hour. And try not to bring any unwanted guests.

Brendan scowls; his rage growing.

BRENDAN
I’ll remind you that it wasn’t me that got captured. My position is secure. None of Mraz’s people can find this place.

CUT TO:

INT WAREHOUSE, MANHATTAN- SAME TIME

MICHENER
(smiling)
So, you just happened to run into Mraz’s personal assassin? Dumb luck, right?

CUT TO:

INT. BRENDAN’s STRONGHOLD- SAME TIME
Brendan angrily snaps the phone shut.

BRENDAN
Arrogant pr-- Double our watch. I don’t want anyone within 2 blocks of this place. I don’t care if they’re bums, kids, or—

They turn a corner. Brendan’s eyes goes wide.

ANGLE ON: Mraz, gun in hand, followed closely by Mark.

BRENDAN (CONT.)
--Mraz…

Mraz aims his gun and fires off 3 quick shots. Brendan quickly grabs the Man he is talking to and uses him as a shield. After the man absorbs the bullets he pulls his own gun blind fires running back down the hallway. Mraz and Mark scatter to either side dodging the bullets. Mark taps his earpiece.

MARK
All units move. We have contact.

CUT TO:

INT. MRAZ INC WAR ROOM- SAME TIME
Keating watches a screen displaying a schematic of Brendan’s stronghold. Red dots indicating the location of the Mraz Inc teams are spread throughout the building.

KEATING
Mraz and Mark have engaged. Lethal force is authorized but try to keep casualties to a minimum. Ducky, can you get a read on enemy positions?

DUCKY
Yeah, the infrared readings just came up.

KEATING
And?

DUCKY
Keeping casualties to a minimum may have to take a backseat…

CUT TO:

INT. BRENDAN’S STRONGHOLD ROOM- SAME TIME
A Mraz Inc squad bursts into a room firing, making short, efficient work of 5 armed men. They quickly make their way through, securing the area.

CUT TO:

INT. BRENDAN’S STRONGHOLD HALLWAY- SAME TIME
Two armed GUARDS walk down the hall about 10 feet behind a third GAURD, surveying the area. Suddenly, there are 2 pops as darts appear in the backs of the 2 rear Guards. As they fall, the third Guard turns as the door next to him flies open. He catches a rifle butt in the face, knocking him unconscious. 3 Mraz Inc Squad members emerge from their offscreen positions and secure the men.

CUT TO:

INT. BRENDAN’S STRONGHOLD- ANOTHER HALLWAY- SAME TIME
Eric and 2 Mraz Inc Squad members walk slowly, quietly down a hall. They hear sounds of commotion and duck into a open doorway.

ANGLE ON: Eric’s POV from inside the room he ducked into. A group of armed Guards sprint by yelling.

With the coast clear, they duck back out and continue down the hall.

CUT TO:

MAIN CONCOURSE- SAME TIME
Mraz and Mark move quickly down a hall lined with doors, trying to follow the path that Brendan took. They approach a large doorway. They both stop and exchange a glance. As they prep to make a move through the door, the door next to Mark slams open into him. A GUARD jumps out tackling him. As they begin to grapple, Mraz takes aim at the guard and is immediately knocked off his feet, his gun scattering across the floor.

ANGLE ON: Brendan, standing over him.

Brendan pounces. Straddling Mraz and trying to choke him. Mraz punches him in the face and uses the moment to roll Brendan over on his back.

MRAZ
You should have kept running.

He head-butts Brendan. Brendan elbows him in the stomach and flips Mraz forward into the wall. Brendan springs up, pulls Mraz up and pins him against the wall. They struggle but Brendan keeps him pinned.

BRENDAN
You’re too late. She’ll be dead in ten minutes and in less than an hour your headquarters will be slag. And you won’t get to either in time to stop it.

Mraz face fills with rage. Brendan just smiles triumphantly.

ANGLE ON: Mark, who has dispatched his assailant and is rising to his feet, and starting toward Mraz and Brendan. He stops short and winces when his earpiece shrieks with feedback.

KEATING (O.S.)
--repeat-- multiple contacts –extreme caution—center-- main—

MARK
Keating, you’re breaking up. Please repeat.

ANGLE ON: Mraz and Brendan.

BRENDAN
I doubt it’ll matter though. You probably won’t survive the next ten minutes.

Brendan swings Mraz around driving him into the closed double-doors of the large doorway.

The camera pulls back to a wide angle as Mark watches as Mraz and Brendan impact the doors. The doors fly open revealing a large room filled 20-30 GUARDS.

KEATING (O.S.)
--we have multiple hostiles in the center room connecting to the main concourse of the building—

ANGLE ON: Mark’s face going wide with surprise.

MARK
Oh hell.

Mark sprints into the room.

CUT TO:

INT. BRENDAN’S STRONGHOLD- HALLWAY- SAME TIME
Eric and the two Tac Members approach a doorway. Above it a thick bunch of wires run through the wall. Eric points up.

ERIC
Bet next week’s pay this is the interrogation room.

They approach the door and open it. They enter, cautiously.

CUT TO:

INT. OUTER INTERROGATION ROOM- CONTINUOUS
The three walk into the outer room and see Krystal through the glass immediately. She doesn’t look conscious. It is unclear whether she is dead or alive. Eric looks down at the desk. There are empty syringes.

ERIC
Keep watch. I’m gonna get her out of there.

TAC MEMBER #1
It’s too quiet.

TAC MEMBER #2
They’re too busy dealing with the rest of the squad.

CUT TO:

INT. INNER INTERROGATION ROOM- CONTINUOUS
Eric enters the room and rushes straight to Krystal. The two team members continue talking in the background.

TAC MEMBER #1 (O.S.)
But why leave the prisoner unguarded?

TAC MEMBER #2 (O.S.)
(lowering his voice)
Think she’s even alive?

Eric kneels down and sets his gun beside him. He notices 2 more syringes on a tray next to him. These ones are full. He checks Krystal’s pulse. He snaps into action and moves to untie her from the chair.

TAC MEMBER #1 (O.S.)
SIR--?!

Eric turns in time to catch a pistol whip in the face. The attacking MAN puts him in a headlock then spins and fires two shots at the Tac members, catching one in the head and one in the throat. The man shot in the throat drops to the floor gurgling. Eric drives his forearm into the Man’s gun-arm, sending his pistol across the room. Still in a head-lock, he reaches for his own pistol but the man kicks it away and punches Eric in the face.

CUT TO:

INT. MAIN ROOM- SAME TIME
Mark sprints toward the room, as the men take notice and converge on Mraz, pulling him up by the arms. One tosses a pistol to Brendan.

MARK
Keating, divert all teams to our position-It’s a trap--must be their staging area. MRAZ, BLIND!

Mark tosses a cylinder into the room. The men are first distracted by Mark’s yell-then by the object entering the room. Mraz squeezes his eyes shut. The object-a flashbang grenade- explodes, blinding the men in the room momentarily. It erupts into chaos.

Mraz yanks the two men holding his arms forward slamming their heads together and sends a backward kick into the stomach of the man behind him.

Mark charges into the room and launches into an aerial roundhouse kick landing in the face of one man. He seizes the gun-arm of the man next to him, pulling it straight and breaking it at the elbow, following with as backhanded fist to his face. On the follow through, he grabs the next-nearest man by the arm, pulling him forward, off-balance, straight into his elbow, snapping the man’s head back. He engages the next man, slowly making his way to Mraz.

ANGLE ON: Brendan, lost in the swarm of men, comes to. He eyes Mark and Mraz, engaged with multiple men and starts to discreetly crawl away toward the door.
Mraz, holding a man in a headlock, swings him straight into the blind swing of another man. He grabs the puncher and drives his face down into his knee. Feeling a presence behind, he swings around with a backhanded fist. Mark, however is the presence and narrowly ducks the swing.

MARK
Jesus, Mraz! Nice way to show your gratitude!

He sends a jab at Mraz’s face. Mraz ducks and the jab lands in the face of an unseen attacked behind Mraz. Mraz rolls under the punch and sweeps the legs of a man behind Mark.

MRAZ
Gratitude for what?

MARK
Saving your ass! Or maybe you wanted Brendan to put a bullet in you.

Mraz begins to grapple with another man. Mark gets tackled backward slamming him back to back with Mraz. Mraz pushes his man back, getting separation. He casts a quick glance and a smirk back to Mark.

MRAZ
Maybe you could have found a moment to pick up your gun?

MARK
It’s just never enough for you, is it?

The man charges Mark; Mark sidesteps and Mraz whips a double-fisted punch backwards, close-lining the man and taking him off his feet. Mraz then swings forward catching his man with a double-fisted punch.

MRAZ
Speaking of Brendan, have you seen him?

They both survey the room.

MARK
Damn it!

MRAZ
These guys are recovering from the flash-bang.

MARK
Hey, Keating? What’s the word on back-up? This is about to get messy.

CUT TO:

INT. MRAZ INC WAR ROOM- SAME TIME

KEATING
Teams 3 and 4 are converging. But they were both coming from the far ends of the building. ETA 3 minutes.

MARK (O.S)
Good, 3 minutes. No sweat.

KEATING
Any luck on hailing Eric’s team?

DUCKY
No. No response. But see how the infrared dots notating the rest of his team are getting smaller?
KEATING
Yeah?

DUCKY
Only one reason for that. Unless they just took a sub-zero bath.

CUT TO:

INT. INNER INTERROGATION ROOM- SAME TIME
Eric launches up from a crouch, with a back-handed right swing. The man counters with a double-handed block. Eric follows with a hard left jab to the man’s ribs. The man winces but quickly counters, with a devastating,descending left-punch to Eric’s head. With Eric doubled over, the man kicks his square in the chest knocking him off his feet, near where his gun landed.

Eric slowly writhes for the gun and the man scrambles to get there first, but when he gets in Eric’s range, Eric drops his incapacitated “act”, kicks the man in the ribs with his right foot, and drives his left foot into the man’s shin, sending him to the ground. Eric rolls him over, punches him in the face, and begins to throttle him. The man gets his own grip around Eric’s throat. Eric releases one hand and reaches for the gun, just beyond the man’s head. His hand begins to grasp the handle as they wrestle, but the man sends a knee to his groin and flips him over, scattering the gun away-near Krystal’s unmoving form.

The man advances again. This time, in an effort to get the fight back on it’s feet, Eric launches upward, driving his shoulder into the man’s chest, then headbutts him under his chin. Eric lands a quick right cross, then a left cross, but his attempt at a second right is blocked, and the man hits him on the side of the head with an open-fisted left.

The man in quick succession right jabs Eric in the face, follows with left to the stomach, then a right elbow under the chin. The man swings again with a right-cross, Eric weakly deflects it, but the man simply gives him a shove to the chest, sending Eric to the ground, landing Eric near the 2 full syringes. The man straddles Eric and slams him into the ground, then grabs a syringe, and starts stabbing down toward Eric’s head. Eric struggles with his last ounces of strength to stop the needle’s trajectory. But it inches closer and closer until it comes within a centimeter or two of his eye.

CUT TO:

INT. MAIN ROOM- SAME TIME
ANGLE ON: Mraz, taking a brutal punch across face.

The next that comes in, Mraz catches by the wrist, and he sends an elbow into his attacker’s temple. Instantly, he is pinned from behind, as another man moves in from the front

MRAZ
How’s that back-up –

Mraz launches his feet up, kicking the man in front of him.

MRAZ (CONT)
-coming.

He uses his forward momentum to flip the man behind him, forward over his head.

ANGLE ON: Mark. He is engaged with three men. The man to his right flank, launches a punch which he easily blocks with his right, then quickly left jabs the man to his left in the face. The man behind him tackles him around the waste.

MARK
(Out of breath)
C’mon, Mraz. What’s the problem? Been sitting in your posh office chair too much?

He drives his elbow down into the head of the man wrapped around his waist.

MARK (CONT)
You don’t get out enough. I think you could use a work-out. This is a piece of ca—

Mark, forgetting to dispatch his first opponent, takes a punch in the face mid-quip.

MRAZ
Idiot.

Mraz gets tackled to the ground by three men. Mark slams his man into the wall and then catches a man behind him with a fist in the face without looking.

MARK
What was that you were saying?

Mraz struggles with the three men.

MRAZ
I hate you.

In anger, he throws a right cross, catching all three men in the face. He simultaneously kicks one in the groin, sends his right elbow into one’s face. Then comes back across with a left hitting the other two.

Mark punches a man in the throat, then in the face, but catches a punch in the kidney.

MARK
Rrrrr. What about Brendan?!

He grapples the man into a headlock and quickly snaps his neck.
Mraz gets driven into a wall.

MRAZ
Taken…care of.

He pile drive punches the man.

MRAZ
…back-up.

CUT TO:

INT. MRAZ INC WAR ROOM- SAME TIME

KEATING
Time-on-target, guys? I really don’t want to have to scrape my boss up off the floor.

TAC LEADER #1 (O.S)
90 seconds.

TAC LEADER #2 (O.S)
2 minutes.

KEATING
Hurry. Or I’ll be out of a job.

DUCKY
Should we send a team to Eric?

KEATING
…No…Mraz is the priority.

DUCKY
I thought Krystal was.

Keating shoots him a venomous look.

CUT TO:

INT. INNER INTERROGATION ROOM- SAME TIME
ANLGE ON: The needle a centimeter from Eric’s eye. All sound has dropped out, but Eric’s occasional deep breath and heart beat in slow motion. Two slow blinks of the eye. Slowly the breath steady’s, the heart-beat slows, and Eric’s brow furrows.

ANGLE ON: An overhead tight shot on the syringe going down. The world bursts out of slow-motion. Lightning-fast, Eric’s head twists to the left and the needle crashes into the concrete, narrowly missing. Eric palm smashes the man in the nose, breaking it. The man cries out, stunned.

He launches the man off of him – back toward the other side of the room. Eric locates the gun near Krystals and scrambles toward it on his hands and knees.
The man comes out of his shock and his eyes fill with victory.
ANGLE ON: The other gun, just a few feet away.

They both race to the guns. Eric gets to his and, in one-motion whips around and fires. Only to see the man wheel and shoot at the same time. Eric catches the bullet in the shoulder. His gun drops. He writhes. The man takes his hit in the stomach. With much strain, man grips his gun and starts crawling to the immobile Eric. Eric starts to worm towards his. But not quite fast enough—

CUT TO:

INT. MAIN ROOM- SAME TIME
The tides have turned. Mark and Mraz are tiring under the seemingly unweary army of henchmen. They have been moved apart by the men and can no longer team up. Mark breaks free of a man’s grapple, pushing him away. He right jabs another man twice in the face. But quickly two men are upon him. He headbutts one but cannot quite break free of the other.

Mraz elbows a man in the face and holds another at arms length, palming him in the face, but the man pushes him into the wall. He tries for a jab but the man ducks, punches Mraz in the stomach, and flips him. A few men dog-pile Mraz. He kicks one in the shin, but he is out-numbered.

CUT TO:

INT. INNER INTERROGATION ROOM- SAME TIME
The man has closes on Eric, still squirming toward his gun. The man levels the pistol at Eric’s head and cocks the gun. His finger tightens on the trigger. Then he lets out a sharp groan, the finger loosens, and his eyes go wide. He looks down.

ANGLE ON: Krystal, half-conscious. Her hand grasps the last syringe, which she has driven into the man’s thigh.

The man holds a moment, frozen, then falls, motionless. Krystal collapses.

CUT TO:

INT. MAIN ROOM- SAME TIME
The henchmen pull Mraz up, still struggling, and swing him around.

ANGLE ON: Mraz’s POV. Mark is in the same predicament, pinned against the wall by about 6 men. Mark takes a punch in the face then in the stomach.
Mraz takes a shot in the back sending him to his knees. One man grabs his hair. He lets out a growl.

Suddenly, an array of silenced shots pierce the hubbub. 12 men quickly fall. The other 8 turn dropping Mraz and Mark and holding their hands in the air.

ANGLE ON: A Mraz Inc. Tac team- three men- with their weapons trained.
The remaining henchmen back up, slowly. Mark slumps against the wall, panting. Mraz stays on a knee.

MARK
Took you long enough…

TAC LEADER #2
Thought you guys could handle yourselves for 3 minutes.

MARK
Sure…30 guys. No…problem.

MRAZ
I thought we…were limiting…lethal force?

TAC LEADER #2
Sorry, sir…

MARK
Neeeeever enough…

Tac Leader #2 begins to help Mraz to his feet. Something snaps with Mraz, he starts to try to move quickly.

MRAZ
Krystal…!

TAC LEADER #2
Secure, sir. The other team is with her. Keating diverted them. Eric’s wounded and his men are down, but it appears that he saved Miss Kelly’s life.

MRAZ
(to Mark)
Come on.

He starts down the hall, as fast as he can move.

TAC LEADER #2
Sir?

MARK
Secure these men. Prep them to be taken back to HQ for debriefing.

Mark starts running off after Mraz and stops short for a moment, groaning.

TAC LEADER #2
What about Bradley?

MRAZ (O.S.)
He’s exactly where he’s supposed to be.

CUT TO:

INT. BRENDAN’S CAR- SAME TIME
Brendan drives down the streets; the camera sinks down, revealing Janice, lying on the floor of the back seat.

FADE TO BLACK.

END ACT ONE

__________________________________________________________________________________



ACT TWO

EXT. BRENDAN’S STRONGHOLD, WILLIAMSBURG- NIGHT
Mraz and Mark stand out front of the building with Keating. There is a bustle of activity. Tac Team Members are escorting prisoners into the Mraz Inc. vans. There are also two ambulances with lights flashing. Eric is being wheeled by on stretcher.

KEATING
Our medstaff says he’ll be alright. A couple months rehabbing.

MRAZ
And the word on Krystal?

KEATING
She’s been pumped full of a lot of drugs. She’ll sleep for a few days, but other than that only superficial damage. She’ll live.

MRAZ
Keating, there was no reason for you to come down here yourself. You need to be at Mraz Inc. coordinating the next step of the Op--

MARK
Actually, Mike, I ordered Mraz Inc. cleared out.

MRAZ
What?! Why the hell would you do that?!

MARK
Eddie radioed in that Andrea’s force was getting ready to move. We have 30 minutes, tops.

MRAZ
So let’s take them before they move.

MARK
Why? Mraz Inc. is secure and cleared out. We let them get that far, they’ll think they have us in the bag. Then we ambush. We’ll mow them down. They have nothing without their ace in the hole.

He looks to Keating.

KEATING
Besides, if they attack Mraz Inc., we can justify defense legally. It gives us the best chance to avoid any sticky publicity situations. Our “security staff subdued them”. He’s right.

MRAZ
Fine. It’s your call.

KEATING
All of our Ops staff is mobile here onsite. Ducky is in the van. Andy is working on trying to freeze and trace Brendan and Michener’s funds.

MRAZ
How close is he?

KEATING
Well, he froze the account Michener gave us for transfer and he’s trying to track its history.

MARK
What’s the word on Brendan?

MRAZ
Janice just went off radio-silence. He’s near the warehouse where Michener and Andrea’s men are staging but he made a quick stop.

CUT TO:

INT ANDREA’S PENTHOUSE- SAME TIME
Andrea stares out the window, fuming.

BRENDAN
I don’t know--

ANDREA
I TOLD you!

BRENDAN
What--

ANDREA
WHAT- did I tell you?!

BRENDAN
There was nothing I could do—I don’t know how--

ANDREA
Obviously, Janice followed you!

BRENDAN
I lost her. There was no way—

Andrea wheels to him, suddenly eerily calm.

ANDREA
Is she following you now?

BRENDAN
No. There’s no way--

ANDREA
There was no way before. What’s different now?

He is silent.

ANDREA (CONT.)
Is the girl dead?

BRENDAN
Yes.

ANDREA
And did she give you the information?

BRENDAN
She gave me information.

ANDREA
The codes?

BRENDAN
No, but—

ANDREA
BRENDAN!!
(back to calm)
Go. Proceed with the operation.


BRENDAN
But—

ANDREA
This was your operation. The captain goes down with the ship. Michener shouldn’t have to die alone. So, you’re going to keep him company. And, if you’re not completely worthless, you may just take one or two of them with you.
(she smiles sweetly)
Make it count.

Brendan, speechless, backs out of the apartment.

CUT TO:

EXT ANDREA’S PENTHOUSE- SAME TIME
Janice sits on the ledge with a listening device. She switches it off and begins to climb down.

CUT TO:

INT MRAZ INC SUBLEVEL- SAME TIME
Eddie and Moumin stand in the center of 25 armed MRAZ INC TAC MEMBERS.

EDDIE
ETA of Michener and his men is 20 minutes. Their plan is to simple walk in the front door. We’re going to let them in, then we’re going to pin and flank them.

Moumin brings up a tactical layout on screen.

MOUMIN
We’re breaking into teams of five. We let these guys get in far enough to trip the security countermeasures. The lobby will go on lockdown. There are 40 guys. We’ll cover them from the 2nd floor from different vantages. They get one chance to stand down.

EDDIE
Which I don’t agree with. Most of these guys would kill you or me without a second thought. But even Mark is backing this one up. So they get one quick chance.

MOUMIN
OK, everyone head to your positions. And stand by for Eddie’s orders.

TAC OFFICER
Will we be receiving support from the Williamsburg team?

EDDIE
They’re just leaving now. Ducky will be providing mobile tech support but their ETA is 30 minutes. This’ll all be over by then.

CUT TO:

INT MRAZ INC MOBILE SUPPORT VAN- SAME TIME
Ducky sits back staring at 5 terminals with different tactical displays. ANDY sits with his nose inches away from his laptop.

DUCKY
Are you ready to rock and roll, buddy?

ANDY
Yeah…Of course.

DUCKY
Doesn’t sound like it.

ANDY
Almost…got it…

DUCKY
Got what?

Andy jumps up and points at the screen.

ANDY
VOILA! HA!

DUCKY
What?!?!

ANDY
I knew I could beat you!

DUCKY
Earth to Andy Chmelko.

ANDY
I locked onto the wire-paths of Michener’s off-shore account. There’s an electronic paper trail that gets bounced through a few hundred portals, but managed to reverse the stream and lock onto the source grid.

DUCKY
Electronic paper- wha? Dude, I’m the tech-geek of this company and I didn’t understand a word of that.

ANDY
An electronic game of connect the dots, which I just won. And I have who’s been paying Michener for Mraz Inc secrets.

DUCKY
That’s great!

ANDY
That’s weird!

DUCKY
Why weird?

ANDY
I’ve seen this profile before.

CUT TO:

EXT MRAZ INC – SAME TIME
Janice stands across the street, inconspicuously.

JANICE
…they’re going ahead with it. He was talking to Andrea. Sounds like our boy Brendan has fallen out of favor.

MRAZ (O.S.)
Great. Peel off. We can take it from here. Good work, Janice.

JANICE
Negative. I’m still on Brendan’s tail.

MRAZ (O.S.)
Jan, your work is done…where are you?

JANICE
Outside your second home. Or is it your first home now?

MRAZ (O.S.)
Janice, get out of there. It’s too dangerous. You’ll get caught right in the middle of our tac op.

JANICE
Come on, Mikey. What’re you going to do? Fire me? You should know better. Tell me it’s dangerous I’m more likely to stay.

MRAZ (O.S.)
No. Eddie and Moumin have the situation in hand.

JANICE
And Brendan is my situation. Don’t worry, I won’t burn the place down.
CUT TO:

INT MRAZ INC VAN– SAME TIME

MRAZ
Janice? Dammit!

MARK
What? Was that all about?

MRAZ
Janice.

MARK
(with realization)
Dammit!

CUT TO:

EXT STREETS- SAME TIME
Michener stands with the mercenary army, eying Mraz Inc from a few blocks away.

They are ready to move. Brendan walks up. Michener does not look back. He just smiles.

MICHENER
You’re late.

BRENDAN
Shut up.

MICHENER
You have the codes?

BRENDAN
Yes. We’re ready to go.

CUT TO:

INT MRAZ INC- SAME TIME
Eddie is crouched with his team.

EDDIE
Stand by.

MOUMIN (O.S.)
Teams are ready.

FADE TO BLACK.

END ACT TWO

___________________________________________________________________________________


ACT THREE

EXT MRAZ INC- NIGHT
The group of Andrea’s men have lined against the outer walls of Mraz Inc, with Brendan and Michener on either side of the door.

BRENDAN
There’s an outer door code to open, then a security safeguard; a second code that has to be inputted within one minute after entry. Otherwise, a silent alarm will trip.

MICHENER
Well, stop stalling and enter the codes. I don’t want to be waiting at the front door when Mraz and Souza get back.

Brendan hesitates a moment, takes a breath to enter the code. The door beeps 3 times. He and Michener share a look. The door releases. Michener heads in and nods to the other men. They begin to file in after him, Brendan waits for the end.
Out of view of Michener, Brendan betrays a momentary expression confusion and relief.

CUT TO:

INT. MRAZ INC- SAME TIME
Moumin holds with his team, crouched on the second level, with binoculars.

ANGLE ON: The view from his binoculars. Men are filing in the front door. The line ends and Brendan moves in the door.

MOUMIN
The package is in the building.

EDDIE (O.S.)
Package confirmed.

MARK (O.S.)
Good.

CUT TO:

INT. MRAZ INC VAN- CONTINUOUS

MARK
Permission to move when ready.

MOUMIN (O.S.)
Roger.

EDDIE (O.S.)
With pleasure, champ.

MARK
The ambush is a go. We’ll be there in 7 minutes

Mraz looks over.

MRAZ
Could you drive faster?

Mark shoots him an annoyed look.

MARK
Weren’t you just complaining about my driving?

CUT TO:

INT MRAZ INC LOBBY- SAME TIME
Brendan closes the door behind him and surveys the empty lobby, still suspicious. Michener is at the other end of the lobby.

MICHENER
Clear! Brendan, get on that code.

BRENDAN
Right away.

Brendan heads back toward the door, slowly. He enters three numbers into the key pad. He pauses; his eyes narrow for a moment. He enters the remaining 2 numbers. There are 3 quick beeps again.

CUT TO:

INT MRAZ INC LOBBY- SAME TIME
At Eddies position:

EDDIE
Lockdown engage in 5, 4, 3…

CUT TO:

INT MRAZ INC LOBBY- SAME TIME
Brendan slips quietly out the front door, while Michener and the men are otherwise occupied. He closes the door and looks in through the glass.

MICHENER
Brendan, are we—

He looks back and sees Brendan out the door.

MICHENER (CONT.)
BRENDAN?!

Floodlights flash on from above, illuminating the lobby floor and leaving the second floor in darkness. Steel doors drop down at all the exits. On last glimpse of Brendan is seen, watching calmly, before the steel trap closes. Rage fills Michener’s face.

MOUMIN (O.S.)
(unseen, from above)
Attention! You are covered from multiple positions. You have one minute to stand down, and place your weapons on the floor, or we will open fire. I repeat, you are covered from multiple positions.

MICHENER
Damn him! He set us up!

CUT TO:

EXT MRAZ INC- SAME TIME
Brendan runs down the street, toward an alley. The camera pulls out, revealing Janice, watching.

JANICE
Not this time, B.

She pursues.

CUT TO:

INT MRAZ INC LOBBY- SAME TIME
The group of men seem torn. They still hold their weapons, waiting for an order from Michener.

MOUMIN (O.S.)
(unseen, from above)
30 seconds.

MAN 1
Michener?!

Michener still stands at the door where Brendan escaped.

MICHENER
Coward!!

He fires a round at the door.

CUT TO:

INT MRAZ INC LOBBY- SAME TIME
Eddie is crouched at ready.

EDDIE
Enough for me, OPEN FIRE!

The lobby erupts in gunfire.

CUT TO:

EXT ALLEY – SAME TIME
Janice moves cautiously through the alley where Brendan went. He is nowhere to be seen. She creeps to the end and looks at the street at the other end: nothing.

JANICE
What the--

Janice turns but is sent sprawling to the ground, from a kick.

ANGLE ON: Brendan, dropping from the fire escape above. He stands over her, leveling his gun, smiling

BRENDAN
Looks like this time, I found you.

He cocks the gun. The opening chords of the final verse of Springsteen’s “Lost in the Flood” fade in.

CUT TO:

INT. MRAZ INC VAN- CONTINUOUS
Mark and Mraz are silent and tense. Mark is flooring it.

CUT TO:

INT MRAZ INC LOBBY- SAME TIME
The battle plays out to the music of the song. There is no sound, only the visual. Muzzles flashes can be seen from multiple elevated positions in the lobby. The men on the floor frantically fire upward, but are quickly mowed down; taken off their feet by sprays of bullets.

ANGLE ON: A quick shot of Eddie firing down at the floor.

ANGLE ON: Moumin, ducked back down, reloading and yelling something.
Michener, staying low, makes his way across the floor, firing upward, blindly. He makes his way to the front security desk and takes cover, continuing to fire upward.

ANGLE ON: A man running for cover, firing, but falling to the floor, taking a hit in the leg.

ANGLE ON: Another man firing, taking three hits to the chest, his gun still firing as he falls an hits the ground.

ANGLE ON: Moumin, he begins to his team across the second floor balcony of the lobby. His team has ceased firing.
Michener steps out from behind the desk, aims upward an firing.

ANGLE ON: Eddie. Michener’s move has opened his back up to Eddie’s sights. Eddie aims and pops off a quick shot, hitting Michener in the shoulder. Michener falls. The first sound, other than music breaks through:

MOUMIN (O.S.)
Cease fire! Cease Fire!!

CUT TO:

EXT MRAZ INC. – SAME TIME
The Mraz Inc van brakes out front, tires squealing. Mraz and Mark jump out of the car. Mark runs toward the front. Mraz runs off to the side. Mark sees Mraz running away from the building and stops.

MARK
Where the hell are you going?!

MRAZ
Loose end! Secure the building!

Mark shakes his head and runs toward the door. He inputs the code. It beeps 3 times and the steel door begins to lift.

CUT TO:

EXT ALLEY – SAME TIME
Janice looks defiant, but trapped. Brendan still holds her at gunpoint.

BRENDAN
You are not going to make me look foolish again!

JANICE
I don’t know. It’s pretty easy, Brendan. I’m not sure I can help it.

Brendan pistol whips Janice, knocking her back.

BRENDAN
You and I are going to finish what we started months ago. I’m going to start with you, then Mraz, until I pull this whole organization down.

JANICE
Well, B, you can’t even take a walk without getting tailed by me. So if your going to carry out those big plans you might want to be a little more discreet.

Brendan fires a shot into the ground in front of her.

BRENDAN
I won’t have to worry about that anymore. Because it’s time for you to say goodnight.

He takes aim at her forehead. She smiles and leans toward the gun.

JANICE
By the way, I forgot to mention how much I love that scar.

BRENDAN
Heheh. Defiant to the last.

JANICE
Just sad I won’t be the one to take care of you for Andrea.

BRENDAN
Well, she did ask me to take a few of you with me.

His finger tightens on the trigger. A shot rings out. The gun falls from his hand. Three more shots. He looks down at his chest to find four bleeding wounds. He looks back up at Janice with surprise. She smiles at him, he falls to the ground, revealing Mraz, behind him aiming a gun.

MRAZ
Too bad. You disappoint her again.

He drops his aim.

JANICE
Thanks, Mikey.

MRAZ
Janice. Why do I always have to save your ass?

JANICE
Because you owe for all the times I’ve saved yours. How did you find me.

Mraz smiles and holds up his phone. There’s a map with a red blinking light.

MRAZ
Tracker in your cell.

Janice tosses her phone against the wall. The red light goes out. She smiles

JANICE
Remind me to never let you put my phone back together again.

CUT TO:

INT MRAZ INC. LOBBY – SAME TIME
Mark walks in and surveys the scene. There are bodies strewn about. The rest of the team, including Moumin, are rounding up the remaining 15 or so men that have surrendered. Eddie makes his way to Mark.

MARK
Seems like you’ve got this pretty well in hand.

EDDIE
No casualties on our side. Michener fired off a shot, sparking the fire-fight. Mo was able to call a cease fire and get the remaining goons to surrender. Let’s wrap this up and grab a victory drink?

MARK
No way; Taylor is gonna scream at me for hours about this tomorrow. My hangover wouldn’t be able to take it.

EDDIE
Fair enough. Your loss.

Moumin walks by, dragging a prisoner.

MARK
Mo, you have bonus check coming your way.

MOUMIN
Why?

MARK
Exceptional performance.

MOUMIN
Sweet.

EDDIE
What’s the real reason?

MARK
Rather not say.

One of the Tac Team Members hauls Michener by.

MARK (CONT.)
Have fun in Sing-Sing, Michener. I’m gonna miss him.

Michener, enraged, breaks free of the man and seizes his sidearm. Before he can fire Souza, wheels and kicks the gun out his hand and knocks him out with a right cross. Eddie shoots him a look. Mark cocks his head and shrugs.

MARK (CONT.)
I’ve been wanting to shut that guy up all day.

Eddie chuckles and slaps him on the shoulder. They walk toward the rest of the group.

CUT TO BLACK.

END ACT THREE

______________________________________________________________________________


ACT FOUR

EXT MRAZ INC- DAY
The camera rotates around a scenic shot of the Mraz Inc building, with the sun glistening off the windows.

CUT TO:

INT MRAZ INC MEDCENTER- SAME TIME
Mraz stands at Krystal’s bedside. She starts to come to, sees Mraz and smiles.

MRAZ
Hey there. You had a rough day.

KRYSTAL
Not bad for my first couples months, huh?

MRAZ
I’d say you definitely have made a splash within the ranks of the company.

KRYSTAL
Living Hand?

MRAZ
Was a failure.

KRYSTAL
And Brendan?

MRAZ
Dead. It’s going to take awhile for Andrea to recover from such a failure. She drained a lot of resources.

KRYSTAL
That’s good. When can I get back?

MRAZ
Heheh. Don’t worry about that too much, I think you deserve a bit of a rest.

He gives her hand a squeeze and leaves it there for a moment. Then he turns and starts heading toward the door. He stops short.

MRAZ (CONT.)
You also might want to pay Eric a visit when you feel a bit better. He was the one responsible for saving you.

KRYSTAL
I guess I’ll have to thank him.

Mraz gives a small laugh and starts toward the door again. It opens just as he gets there and Mark walks in. He looks a bit startled. He leans on the door.

MARK
Oh, hey, Mraz! How’s our champ doing?

MRAZ
I think she’ll be up and about soon. My office?

MARK
Yeah, I’ll be there in about ten.

Mraz exits and Mark slips the rest of the way into the room. He whips a bouquet of flowers out from behind his back, which he had obscured behind the door, and gives a slightly self-conscious smile.

KRYSTAL
Oh, how sweet!

MARK
Heh. I thought I’d get you some flowers for real this time, not leftovers from a bad date.

Krystal lets out a giggle.

MARK (CONT.)
I hear they speed up recovery.

KRYSTAL
Thank you!

MARK
Hey, just don’t go getting yourself kidnapped anymore.

CUT TO:

INT MRAZ INC- SAME TIME
Mraz walks toward his office door. He spots Keating at her desk and changes course, toward her.

MRAZ
Hey.

KEATING
Hey!

MRAZ
I just wanted to say sorry.

KEATING
Sorry for what?

MRAZ
For not figuring out that you were the target earlier, for not being around after the attack, for--

KEATING
Hey, hey. It’s ok.

MRAZ
No, it’s not. Keat— Lauren, your better to me than I deserve. I should have been there. I should have made sure you were alright.

KEATING
Mike, you can’t protect everybody. I knew what I was getting into when I started working here. I’m a big girl.

MRAZ
I know.

KEATING
Stop worrying. I’m fine. I’ll be fine.

Mraz cracks a smile. He gives Keating a gentle kiss on the head, then looks at her, cracking a lopsided grin again.

MRAZ
What would I do without you?

Keating cracks a nervous smile. Mraz goes into his office and Keating watches until the door closes.

CUT TO:

INT MRAZ’S OFFICE – SAME TIME
Mraz leans up against his window. The door opens and Mark strolls in. He sits at the desk.

MARK
Sorry, I’m late.

MRAZ
It’s ok. I’m used to it by now.

MARK
Did I miss anything?

MRAZ
You missed Taylor’s report.

MARK
Good.

MRAZ
He wants to see you in an hour.

MARK
Of course he does. I knew I shouldn’t have gone for that drink last night.

MRAZ
Only one?

Mark shrugs, obviously having stayed for more than one. There’s a knock at the door.

MRAZ (O.S.)
Come in.

Andy enters; he seems a bit more on edge than usual.

ANDY
You wanted to see me?

MRAZ
Yeah. Ducky said something about you finding an “electronic paper trail” in his sit-rep?

ANDY
Oh… yes… ummm…

Mraz and Mark both look at him, waiting.

MRAZ
Yes?

ANDY
… …didn’t pan out. I need more time to…work.

His eyes flick quickly to Mark then back to Mraz.

MRAZ
Ok.

ANDY
Should I go?

MRAZ
If there’s nothing else to report?

ANDY
No? No!

Andy exits.

MRAZ
That was weird.

MARK
Eh, it’s Andy.

MRAZ
Even for Andy… Well, I think Andrea may be quiet for awhile.

MARK
Never know, with her.

MRAZ
True.

MARK
Krystal acquitted herself well.

MRAZ
That she did. We can probably use her in the field more.

MARK
She took quite a bit from Brendan and didn’t snap. There aren’t many who can do that.

MRAZ
No, there aren’t.

There’s a silence.

MARK
Alright. What’s wrong?

MRAZ
Nothing. I just don’t like waiting on Andrea. I feel like the more we let her sit in hiding, the stronger she gets.

CUT TO:

INT ANDREA’S PENTHOUSE – DAY
Mraz’s voice continues as a V.O. as the scene progresses. Andrea sits staring out her window, as two figures come into frame.

MRAZ (V.O.)
The longer we leave her idle, the bigger chance she has of finding some unknown edge.

Andrea looks up. Her personal guard, BIRDO, has brought a visitor. It is the man recording Krystal’s interrogation earlier. He holds up a disk.

MRAZ (V.O.)
Some way in that we can’t foresee. Some bit of deadly information.

Andrea eyes the disk.

CUT TO:

INT MRAZ’S OFFICE – SAME TIME

MARK
We’ll get her when she surfaces. You’re worrying too much again.

MRAZ
I hope so.


FADE TO BLACK.


THE END