13 Straight

"13 straight" ext. inglewood park - day a basketball hoop. the sounds of a bouncing basketball, sneakers pounding on cement courts, heavy breathing and smack talk. a basketball is caught above the rim and slammed through a hoop streetball players run back toward the opposite goal nate eat that, beeaatch! nate "silk" davis , 30's, tall and muscular african american male, d's up dave aka "doc", 30's, bookish-looking african american male. street baller #1 yeah baby, get that ass, silk! dave you don't want nonna this, silk! check up! better not leave me any space, i'll embarrass your old ass! nate bring it, doc! what you got? dave attempts a crossover. nate picks him clean, throws himself a lead pass in the opposite direction, bounces the ball at the foul line, catches off the backboard and slams it. multiple howls are heard. nate takes a bow and trots back toward dave, shaking his head in disbelief, gives nate his dap. nate (cont'd) i love this game, baby. pan the park to c/u on the backboard ext inglewood park- night the same backboard, a ball swishes through the net. a few players remain on the court, most milling about the sidelines, drinking beer and telling stories. doc plays one on one with mike taylor, 30's, african american, nerdish-looking. dave dribbles, contemplating a move. mike taunts him like one

10-year old would tease another. mike pussy doc, pussy doc! dave shut up! watch this! dave attempts the same crossover move as before. mike plucks the ball away, dribbles to the foul line, turns, drops a 15 footer in dave's face. howls and laughter are heard from the remaining bystanders. mike (laughing hysterically) get me my cell phone. i'm calling a.i. someone needs crossover lessons! we see nate turn from his conversation to laugh. more laughter from the bystanders. dave fuck you. take the ball out funny man. (dave reluctantly laughs) dave throws the ball at mike. int. jade's car - night two silhoettes a parked nondescript 5.0 mustang on a dark street about 100 yards from an upscale restaurant with valet parking. thumping bass from a hip hop tune from inside the car. in dash cd player. omar oh yeah! we see a hand turn the volume up on the player. omar (cont'd) oh baby, that's my jam! female hand turn the volume back down. omar, aa male, mid 20's bounces with the music. he wears a sean john sweatsuit and matching baseball cap. jade brown shakes her head. jade is a very attractive young aa woman mid 20's, also wearing a dark sweatsuit and baseball cap. jade we're not supposed to be draw attention, idiot! omar

we jammin' at the red onion friday night, you down? no

jade

omar come on, baby. we went out that one time. didn't you have a good time? didn't you? jade yeah. omar so whassup? how come a nigger can't get no play? jade shut up. you're so stupid. look, we've been out here for two hours, i just want to get this done, okay? is that okay with you? omar that's how stakeouts go, baby! you know what them cops be doin' on stakeouts don't you? (he moves toward her and licks his tongue at her) jade pushes him away jade (reluctantly laughing) eewww you nasty.. get away from me with that. (jade immediately gets serious) look. ext. upscale restaurant- night affluent looking midle aged caucasian couple in front of the restaurant approach the valet-driven new black mercedes s-55. jade that's it. you sure?

omar

jade the valet told ray that they're at this restaurant every wednesday night and they fit the description. omar how can you tell? they all look the same to me.

jade shows him a computer sheet with the picture. jade that's the car. that's the plate number. get ready. ext. street - night the couple drives past their position as they duck out of sight. jade turns the key and the modified 5.0 liter engine rumbles to life. jade slowly execute a u-turn. ext inglewood park- night mike and dave, like most of the players, are packing up to leave. nate is seen shooting foul shots with an entourage nearby. dave hey, pussy doc c'mere! dave reluctantly puts down his gear and approaches nate and the group. nate throws the ball at him. nate check up pussy doc. dave throws it back and nate begins his move. dave just doc, if you don't mind. nate aren't you a gynecologist? just shut up and listen. the key to a successful crossover is the center of gravity. you're dribbling too high. knee level! try to take it. dave lunges at the dribble, nate crosses him over, practically breaking dave's ankle as he drives past him for an easy dunk. nate throws the ball to dave. nate (cont'd) o.k., let's see you do it. dave, flattered and embarrassed by the attention, begins his move. nate pushes him down at the shoulder. nate (cont'd) still too high. dave complies, dribbling at knee level. he attempts the crossover, but nate swipes the ball with ease, then throws the ball at dave.

nate (cont'd) work on that. dave thanks silk, i will. dave is beaming as he approaches mike, who throws him his gear. as they begin to leave, they are cut off by a young aa male who flies past them so fast, he's a blur in a sweatsuit. seconds later, two police cruisers appear and screech to a halt. the officers exit and run toward the players. officer #1 where'd he go? street baller2 who? officer #1 that little punk in the blue sweatsuit! street baller #1 shrugs his shoulders. officer #1 turns to the rest of the group. they shrug their shoulders. the officers disperse except for one young black officer who recognizes nate. black officer hey, you're silk davis. nate i know. black officer autograph my ticket book? o.s. voice miller! let's go! nate quickly scribble on the notebook. black officer thanks silk, you're the greatest. the officer quickly runs away. o.s. voice that brother's in the valley by now the way he was bookin. mike and dave continue to walk mike interesting park you brought me to, dave. dave best players in l.a.

the pair don't get far before they are called back. street baller2 p.d.! where you going? we need two! dave nah. i gotta go. we're beat! mike turns and runs back toward the court, leaving dave behind. mike what do you mean, we? c'mon, you in? nate nods at mike in approval. the players happily begin to choose sides. they all turn toward dave, still standing in the same spot. nate c'mon pussy doc, you know you want to. i'll take it easy on you... nate unties his shoelaces nate (cont'd) look, i'll play without my shoes! they all laugh dave i have work to do at home! nate work at home? what kind of work does a gynecologist do at home? street baller2 (laughing hysterically) the poody doc takes his work home from the office! (they all laugh) dave reluctantly walks back toward them. nate you'd better tape your ankles, p.d. they all laugh as they take the ball out. cut to: ext street - night the benz pull up to a stop sign, then down a dark street. seconds later, the mustang stops at the stop sign. jade three more blocks until the freeway. we

got to do this now. jade puts on her mask. omar begins to put on his mask, but first, a snort of "nose candy". omar!

jade (cont'd)

omar it helps me focus. want some? jade hell no, and you'd better not let nate or ray find out! omar pulls his gun from under the seat. omar it's under control. let's do this! jade guns the growling engine and the car accelerates and cuts off the benz after it turns a corner onto a deserted dark street. the couple is shocked to see a masked omar as he jumps out and waves the gun at them. they frantically produce their wallet, purse, jewelry. the man lowers the window just enough to drop the items out, then raises the window. benz man that's all we have, take it and leave us alone. omar i don't want that shit! get outta the fuckin car! the man unlocks the power locks and slides out of the car with hands up, leaving the keys in the ignition. omar nervously looks around. omar (cont'd) put your fuckin hands down! (to the lady) hey lady, get outta the goddamned car. she snatches the keys out of the ignition and exits the car, trembling with indignation and fear. omar (cont'd) come round here! benz woman (contempt) honestly, why don't you just take the money and jewelry and just go? benz man

for god's sake, adriana! benz woman this is just unbelievable. we come into town just once a week... omar rolls his eyes omar hello? remember me? i want you and mr. hugo boss to have a seat on that curb. the man begins to move. benz woman you cannot be serious if you think that i would... benz man adriana will you shut the fuck up! do what he says! she starts to say something else, but her husband grabs her before she is able to. omar glances in the car. omar where are the keys? benz man in the ignition benz woman you're not taking my car and leaving us out here! steven do something! benz man do what? he has a gun! omar they ain't in there! (starting toward them) alright man, where are the keys? the woman defiantly tosses the keys into the dark bushes. omar and her husband stare at her. jade, watching from the mustang, rolls her eyes. omar (cont'd) you gotta be shittin me! benz man have you lost your mind? jade let's go! omar

don't move, unless you think you can outrun a bullet. omar starts laughing as he pulls out his tools, a laptop computer attached to a probe, which he inserts in the ignition. he pops loose the steering column ignition lock. omar (cont'd) german engineers are the best. don't you agree? intercut between omar at work and the couple seated on the curb. benz woman i will not just sit here while he takes my benz. omar nice security system. omar attaches the probe into the ignition and punches in a code on the laptop. close up on laptop screen the numbers scroll and stop at 71600924*2853. close up on omar omar grins and types in another code. benz woman you can forget it. the system makes the car virtually theft proof, so you might as well just take the jewelry and... omar presses the ignition button. the woman's words are drowned out by the 300 hp engine roaring to life. omar slide out of the car and does a little dance move. omar you were saying? whos bad? make sure you tell your country club friends that you were jacked by the best! jade impatiently flashes the high beams. omar (cont'd) all right. i'm just having a little fun with the people! damn! now... (turning to the couple) since you folks cost me an additional 95 seconds...face down on the curb! benz man what are you going to...

omar not that way...this way! face to his johnson! omar positions the couple head to crotch. jade flashes the high beams again. jade c'mon! omar waves her off. benz woman this is absurd! do you have any idea who we are? omar yeah, you're the muhfuckers who'll be counting backwards from 69 and not moving until you get to one! benz woman this is an outrage... omar (as he starts back toward the benz - pointing the gun at them) 69, 68, 67 benz man 66, 65, 64, 63 as they both begin to count, omar does another dance move before hopping into the idling benz. the woman starts to look up, but the man pushes her head down. omar pulls off, followed by jade. the couple, in the same position, as the man continues to count backward on the curb of the deserted street. the woman had stopped counting and looks at him in disgust. benz woman oh shut up steven! they're gone! ext. warehouse - night jade approaches the exterior gate, opening it with her remote, then opening the huge steel; warehouse door with another remote. she pulls in. int warehouse -night jade slowly drives past men working on cars, painting cars, stripping parts,etc.

jade exchanges waves with one of the workers. omar is seated on the trunk of the benz. jade pulls alongside and gets out. car body parts on the floor in the background. jade didn't you see that policeman? omar what policeman? he didn't see me! not as fast as i was going! jade you need to be more careful! jade glances up toward the second floor offices. ray, 50's, caucasian male, who wears a perpetual frown, watches them. as jade climbs the steps, followed by omar, work comes to a standstill as the workers admire the way jade fills her tightfitting sweat suit. int. ray's office - night ray stands by the door as jade and omar file in. omar dangles the benz keys in front of ray. when ray reaches for them, omar drops them. when ray tries to catch them, omar catches them first. omar (slapping the keys in ray's hand) you gotta be faster, ray! ray glares at him and omar glares back defiantly. ray (turning to jade) how'd it go? jade just as you said. they were there for their wednesday dinner and we got the benz. omar it was sweet, man! you should have been there! ray (crosses to his desk) nate's idea is paying off. those busboys are giving up some good information. jade yeah, nate's real smart that way.

omar look! i don't care how good the information is, you don't get the car without good hands and heart. jade (sarcastic) you were good. ray chuckles. omar good, my ass! i'm the greatest! ray (opening his desk drawer) omar, get over yourself. he pulls out two bundles of cash. omar yeah baby! come to papa! ray hands one to each of them. jade thanks. ray thank you! omar yo, ray, i don't mean to dis homegirl here, but i was the one who took all the risk. how come we get the same money? (to jade) nothing personal, strictly business, baby. ray omar we're been over this before. jade takes the same risk. nobody else will ride with you. omar that's bullshit, man. girlfriend asked to ride with me so she could learn from the master. it ain't right that the student gets as much as the master. ray word is that the student has gotten to be as good as the master omar no fuckin' way. i taught her everything she knows, but not half of what i know!

ray tell you what, then. why not discuss it with nate? omar gets silent omar naw man, that's alright. jade crosses to exit. omar follows. omar (cont'd) y'all gonna appreciate me one day! ray jade, take wants you to bring his car to him at the park. he tosses her the keys. she catches them and exits, followed by omar. int warehouse - night omar follows jade down the steps. the benz is a shell. omar yo, jade, hold up! jade continues toward a customized benz sl600 convertible. omar (cont'd) c'mon jade, don't be mad. it's just business. jade i'm not mad, omar. the one thing i can say about you is that it's easy to see where you're coming from! she moves to close the door. omar blocks it. omar let me come with you. jade shakes her head "no". omar (cont'd) c'mon jade, i need to talk with nate....(she stares at him) not about money, i got something else i want to talk with him about! no shit! jade (reluctantly) ...all right, come on. she closes the door as omar hops in on the other side over

the closed door.(the top is down) ext. inglewood park- night the games are over. several players remain on the court joking and laughing, trying ridiculous shots. mike and dave gather their gear. nate is having a conversation with a small white man. dave what time is it? mike 10:30 you need a ride? dave naw, i got this news pediatrics nurse bringing me my car. i gotta call her. (pulls out cell phone) street baller2 damn, it's 10:30, my old lady's gonna kill me. i told her i'd be home by 9 mike new nurse, huh? have you worked your way through the old staff already? dave gotta welcome the new employees, you know that's my job! welcoming committee! street baller3 (to street baller #2) look man, you're doing it all wrong! you gotta take charge of these bitches! you gotta set the rules! this is the way it's gonna be! dig? street baller #5 silk, i told my son i'd ask you to come by his school and talk to them. can you schedule it? street baller2 get the fuck outta here. street baller3 i'm serious as a heart attack. you gotta tell her straight up, otherwise she can't possibly respect you! nate sure, call me office next week. i'll schedule it.

a woman appears at the edge of the court. she appears to be looking for someone. she sees street baller #3 and eyes him impatiently. street baller2 my woman don't play that shit. street baller3 you gotta let her know whose got the balls in the house! street baller #5 thanks silk. i'm on this committee at school,trying to get as many positive role models as possible to come to encourage the kids. they'll be thrilled! nate not a problem. give me a call. woman t.c.! street baller #3 double takes. the woman stands with hands on hips. street baller3 oh shit! i'll be right there honey! he tosses the ball to the others, gathers his gear and sprints toward the woman. the others laugh. street baller2 t.c.'s full of shit. he's always like..."i'm the man", then she shows up and he's like..."anything you say baby!" all eyes turn as jade arrives in the sl600 benz and parks with a slight tire squeal. she throws the door open and strides proudly through the other players. omar tries to perpetrate like he's with her. nobody notices him. he diverts toward the courts. dave oh my god! it's jade! mike glances at her without emotion. dave (cont'd) she works for silk. jade, you remember i told you about her. the goddess who sold me my porsche turbo. mike i remember something about that between your obstetrician and hospital administrator...

dave man! i'd love to get with that! jade strides to silk. jade your keys, sir! (holding out the keys) the man with silk is spellbound, with mouth agape. nate (puts his arms around her) hey baby girl! how you doing? jade i'm doing well, nate. nate jade's my sales manager. best salesperson in the company! street baller #5 really? i...must get down there to see what you sell. omar hey nate! nate! nate glares toward omar, turns back to his conversation dismissively. nate you should stop by. we don't get any minivans in, but maybe jade can find something for you. omar hey jade, check this out! omar has a basketball, attempts to dribble behind his back and shoot a jumper which falls short. jade rolls her eyes. ext. inglewood park- night dave man, i must have her. i tried everything on her, but she was just not responding, cordial, just not giving up any rhythm! mike i'll see you later. dave c'mon mike. just because you're engaged, doesn't mean you can't look!

mike i have a motion to write for tomorrow! dave you'll be needing a car soon! they both turn to mike's 1985 cutlass. dave (cont'd) real soon! mike what did i tell you about making fun of my car. my dad gave me that car! dave when you left for law school, i know, i know! it's a family heirloom! don't you think it's time to put it away for your unborn children? mike she runs fine. there's no car note. insurance is inexpensive...i'm outta here. dave c'mon man please! maybe if i can break the ice by introducing her to a potential customer, maybe she'll show me that love! mike looks at him with exasperation. dave (cont'd) please! mike c'mon! mike you're pitiful. i'm not buying a car just so you can hook up! i have work to do. i'll never get home! i can't believe i'm spending the night in a park in inglewood. mike follows dave, who has already initiated conversation with nate and jade. jade gives street baller #5 a business card from her purse. jade call me. i'm sure i can find something that suits you. street baller #5 i'll bet you can! (he catches nate's eye and catches himself) oops, silk, i'm sorry, i didn't mean to...

nate it ain't like that. jade's like my baby sister so (mock threat) you'd better be real careful! they all laugh as dave approaches with mike trailing. omar is still showing out on the court, trying, in vain to get jade's attention. omar jade! jade! he shoots and hits, but nobody's looking. dave jade! how you doing? jade pretty good, dave. how's that turbo treating you? dave i'm having a ball! street baller #5 see you silk, i'll call next week. nate nods as he turns to leave. jade notices mike before he joins the group and watches him approach as she and dave talk. jade appears to like what she sees. nate observes. jade (somewhat preoccupied) bring it in for an check-up. i'll try to work you in... dave maybe you'd like to take a spin... (he notices that she's not listening to him as mike arrives) oh yeah, this is my friend mike. he might be a possible customer jade turns on the full charm jade nice to meet you mike mike (lukewarm) hello. jade you're looking for a new car?

mike no, not really, dave's just trying to... dave (interrupts) uh..i'm still working on him. omar jade, jade! jade waves him off without looking jade (slipping him a card) maybe i can do something for you. mike takes the card, slightly amused. dave sees her attraction for mike and is slightly peeved. a red cabriolet pulls up and we hear the horn. the other guys stare slack jawed as the attractive driver waves toward dave. dave (reluctantly) there's my ride. good to see you jade. maybe i'll see you when i bring the car in. horn blows again dave (cont'd) she likes the horn. jade o.k dave, i'll look for you. dave grins and runs toward his car. he waves as he climbs in. omar joins the group. so...mike.

jade (cont'd)

mike (abruptly) nice meeting you. i gotta go, too. good games silk, see you this weekend! the park lights flicker. nate i guess we all gotta go. mike head for his cutlass as nate, jade and omar head for the benz. ext. inglewood park- night mike reaches the car, fumbles with the key in the lock

mike shit! not again! mike struggles with his key in the lock. nate and the group slowly ride by and u-turn in front of mike's car. jade, in the passenger seat, gives mike eye contact as they pass. mike, exasperated, finally gets the door open and throws his stuff in the back seat. int. courtroom - day the judge reads the motion. mike stands as another deputy sits beside him at the prosecutor's table. the defense attorney and defendant are also standing. defendant is a distinguished-looking gray haired caucasian male, 40's. judge has the defendant been fully counselled as to his rights in the proposed plea agreement and entered into it voluntarily? defendant i have, your honor. judge any sentencing recommendations from the prosecution? mike the prosecution recommends the maximum allowable sentence. the defendant is stunned and turns to his defense attorney. defendant what the hell's he doing? i though we agreed... the audience is heard buzzing. defense attorney (frantically protesting) your honor, we had an agreement with the prosecution that stipulated probation, no jail time! the prosecution has breached the terms of this agreement... the judge slams the gavel down. mike is unmoved. judge order!

defense attorney your honor, milton friedman is a well respected member of his community, involved in numerous social causes and charities... mike who, in these plea negotiations, represented that there were no additional counts of fraud not covered by this prosecution. we have since traced additional sham credit unions back to the defendant, which represent an additional 45 counts of fraud, which cost 45 hard working innocent investors in this community a total of $4.5 million in savings and pension funds. defense attorney your honor, that's absurd! this is a political move by an overzealous federal prosecutor... judge counsel, be quiet. i'd like to hear this. (turns to mike) counsel, i'd like to see both sides, and this new evidence in my chambers. fifteen minute recess. judge slams the gavel and exits. all rise

bailiff

everybody stands. int. chambers - day mike hands the judge and defense counsel file folders of evidence. they both read silently. the judge picks up the plea agreement and turns to defense counsel, whose expression indicates defeat and resignation. judge this seems pretty straight forward to me, counsel. this is not covered under your original agreement. defense attorney your honor, these credit unions failed as a result of bad investments, a downturn in the market...surely you cannot hold my client responsible for... judge (interrupts, shaking his head)

your client withheld material evidence, thereby voiding this plea agreement. should the people choose to retry this, they would be well within their rights. mike your honor, these additional 45 counts would put the defendant behind bars for up to 150 years, without the possibility of parole. we would decline further prosecution, provided that your honor impose the maximum sentence that is available based upon the plea agreement. judge any objections? the defense attorney silently shakes his head. int. courtroom - day the defense counsel is having a heated discussion defendant as the judge enters. bailiff all rise! judge (looks disgustedly at defendant) based upon this plea agreement, the defendant was to receive probation and community service. in light of the new evidence that has been presented, however, community service would be not only completely inappropriate in this case, it would probably result in the first lynching in l.a. in years should any of the defrauded investors get wind of his whereabouts. (laughter from the gallery) i feel that community would be best served if i impose the maximum available sentence, 25 years to life with parole consideration in 35 years as well as restitution from mr. friedman's liquidated assets. this court is adjourned. the gallery cheers. judge slams the gavel, glares at defendant, then exits. defendant is escorted from the courtroom. mike and his second chair nod in approval. all rise!

bailiff

the defense counsel approaches mike, shaking is head.

defense attorney mike, i swear, i had no idea about those credit unions when i agreed to the plea agreement but damn!, what political office are you running for? mike he's lucky we decided not to move on those additional counts. your client could rot away in prison and that would be just fine with me. and i'm not running for anything. defense counsel pats mike on the shoulder and exits, as mike disappears through the crowd, shaking the hands of well wishers as he goes. int. u.s. attorney's office -day mike strides down the hall. as he passes an office, his supervisor, bob freeman, calls to him. mike sits and waits while bob finishes his phone conversation. the office walls are filled with photos of bob with prominent figures. bob look, i'm a federal prosecutor, not a politician. yes, i've been approached about running for mayor, but i'm not so inclined. we have some major cases and i plan to see them through. no further comment. bob (cont'd) reporters!...hey mike, you're creating quite a track record for yourself! larry drake is real upset about getting ambushed today! mike well imagine how someone like mr. juan rodriguez must feel, five years from retirement, having to take a second job to replace the money that was keeping his son in college, while friedman's wife and kids live in a palm springs palace. larry's lucky that we declined further prosecution. bob good job! how's your caseload? i've got another case that may be right up your alley. mike it just so happens that i was about to ask for something with more of a challenge. most of this stuff is chicken shit.

bob (sliding a thick file across his desk to mike) take a look at this and give me your thoughts. mike what is it? bob a pending fbi/irs investigation into a possible rico, organized crime money laundering operation. mike that's what i'm talking about! bob thought you might approve. we want to take this to a grand jury for indictments in 30 days, so you'll need to put this on the front burner. mike i'm all over it! he grabs the file and heads for the door, but pauses. mike (cont'd) so...are you running for mayor? bob (shrugs his shoulders) who knows? i got my feelers out. you get me this prosecution and that would help. perhaps you'll take this desk if that happens. mike i hear you. fade to: int museum - night a black tie soiree - affluent-looking people are sip drinks and schmooze. waiters and waitresses move amongst them with finger food and drinks. chamber music is heard in the background. snooty woman there's stuart finebaum...founding partner of finebaum, wetzel and crane. extremely well-connected, low profile. man #2 i hear that bob freemen is still playing

cat and mouse with the press. man #3 ...and the democratic party, i might add. snooty woman #2 the mayor's nervous man #2 and for good reason mike and his fiancee lynn dixon, attractive aa female, 30's, laugh with another couple. lynn displays an air of self possession and aloofness. brenda so, lynn, have you two set a date yet? lynn we're still in negotiations. she and brenda exchange knowing smiles. ed uh oh, take it from me, this lady of yours can be very tough negotiator. mike tell me about it. deciding where to go to have dinner is like the camp david accord. ed there's david harris...honey, i want to talk with him before we square off in court next week. brenda duty calls. lynn, give me a call, we'll do lunch next week. i will

lynn

the couple moves off. a woman waves from across the room. snooty woman #3 mike, lynn! i'm working my way over to you. lynn hi sandy! mike nods and waves his drink. int. mike's condo -evening very light on furniture and heavy on stereo equipment,

television and computer. mike flips through documents until his attention turns to a tab called marked "exoticars" mike frowns and pauses. he reads another document that lists as co-owners, "nate davis" and "ray boyle". he picks up and dials the phone. int. dave's game room - evening a phone rings and the phone lights up and flashes. dave and his date, a beautiful young aa woman, play a video game on a huge television in dave's large and elaborately equipped game room that looks like an adult amusement park. they both wear toy space helmets. the music is too loud. dave and his date are preoccupied with the game. she loses a round and sits back disappointed. she notices the phone flashing and nudges dave. dave just when i was about to kill off the last of your army! to the victor go the spoils! i'm about to collect mine! (fondling her breast) she pushes away his hand. date just answer your phone. dave uses a remote to answer the phone and yells to it from across the room. his date resumes the game with renewed determination. dave i'm not on call! leave me alone! mike what? what did you say? dave. it's mike. dave uses the same remote to turn down the stereo. the video game sounds are audible. dave mike, is that you? what do you want? mike sorry to interrupt star wars night. i have a question for you... date got you, sucker!

dave (watching date) dammit, she got one of my cruisers. mike what's the name of nate davis' car dealership? date yes! she hikes up her skirt in excitement to reveal phat thighs. dave (preoccupied) damn! you should see what i'm seeing... mike did you say something? mike (patiently) the name of nate davis' car dealership is...? dave is watching his date wiggle with excitement. exotic...

date mike

exoticars? dave yeah, exoticars... mike in beverly hills? the video game makes a loud exploding noise. date jumps out of her chair as she wins. she turns to dave, looking like a wild woman. date to the victor go the spoils! dave mike, gotta go! he disconnects by remote while turning up the music. int. mike's condo - evening mike blinks as the phone clicks in his ear. he stares at the file for a few seconds before rifling through his gym bag to retrieve jade's card. he returns to the sofa and tosses the card on the file. lynn peeks out of the bedroom doorway. she wears a nightgown and appears to have been sleeping.

lynn mike!...(no response) mike! mike hey baby, what are you doing up? lynn what are you doing up? it's after one. mike i'm going over this new case that i was telling you about. lynn (yawning) the money laundering thing... mike nods and turns back to the file. lynn watches him for a few seconds before quietly walking to him and wrapping her arms around him. lynn (cont'd) (rubbing her breasts against his back) i don't know, mike, it doesn't say much for my abilities when i can't keep you in bed with me for the whole night. mike lynn... (she kisses the back of his neck) i...just wanted...(she kisses his ear) to go through this file...(she rubs his stomach while kissing his cheek) before morning... lynn hmmm. my workaholic fiancee. what am i going to do with you? she plants a kiss on the side of his mouth. he turns slightly to respond. as the kiss deepens, she breaks it off and steps back. lynn (cont'd) come to bed. she backs down the hall. locking eyes with mike, she slides out of her gown and steps into the darkness of the hallway. mike jumps up and rushes into the bedroom, shedding clothes along the way. lynn giggles. int. mike's bedroom - night mike, half asleep, pulls lynn closer and snuggles. lynn is awake. she turns and looks at him for awhile before speaking. mike feels her gaze and opens his eyes.

mike what's the matter baby? lynn we should really go ahead and set the date.(beat) everybody keeps asking me... everybody?

mike

lynn okay, my parents, my sisters, our friends...me. we all want to know when we're getting married. mike i thought we agreed that i was going to get really established at the u.s. attorney's office first. lynn mike, you've been there two years with a 90% conviction rate. you have the full support of your boss. what else to you need to be established? mike i need that big signature case yet, you know? the case that puts me in the legal journals. i get these little white collar crime convictions, but to really establish myself, i need the big news conference case. lynn sighs and moves away from him. lynn i'm shooting at a moving target! why cant' we just set a date and be done with it if you're sure that you want to marry me? or is that the problem? mike lynn this is what we talked about and dreamed about since law school. he pulls her back toward him mike (cont'd) i'd have never gotten through law school without your love and support. lynn then set a date! if that's what you really want, set the date! mike hesitates. lynn angrily gets out of bed and begins to get dressed.

mike lynn, what are you doing? lynn i'm going home. it's 3am.

mike

lynn i will not wait around with my wedding date contingent upon the u.s. attorney anointing you with a big case. she gathers her things as mike scrambles from the bed. he fumbles for his clothes. mike at least let me take you home. lynn i have my car, remember? she exits from the room. mike scurries after her. cut to: ext mike's building - night lynn strides toward her car. mike catches up with her. mike lynn, can we talk about this? don't go, baby let's... lynn opens the door and climbs in. lynn i'll be making arrangements. if you want to be a part of this, let me know! if not, let me know soon! lynn!

mike

she starts the car and begins to back out. mike blocks her path. mike (cont'd) lynn, at least call me when you get home. she glares at him with the fury! mike (cont'd) i just want to know that you got home safely!

lynn mike, i swear you can really piss me off sometimes! she burns rubber as she takes off. mike look on with dismay and perhaps, a touch of relief. int u.s. attorney's office -day mike drops the file on bob's desk. bob so what do you think? mike that's one hell of a case. bob it's a press conference case. it's very high profile, a make or break prosecution with international ramifications. mike well there may be a problem, a conflict for me. bob what? mike i've had contact with one of the subjects of the case. with all of your civic involvements, you've probably met him, too. who?

bob

mike nate davis. remember him from the n.b.a finals two years ago? he hits a game seven ending 3 pointer. bob i shared a dais with him at the "who's who in corporate america" luncheon. so where's the conflict? you know him well? mike not well. i just met him, in fact, playing pick up basketball in inglewood. bob i don't see any conflic. have you socialized off the court? mike no.

bob he's not a family member. does he know what you do? mike no, it's just a bunch of guys playing basketball. bob i know you won't disclose anything to him. what's the problem. mike it just seems to me that there is a conflict. i'll be playing basketball with this guy every week during this thing. bob you know my signature case was the meisner banking fraud indictment. i sent howie meisner to the federal pen. he's a member of my club. i'd see him on weekends on the golf course after grilling him in court all week. same thing. no conflict whatsoever. mike but this is nate "silk" davis. i mean... this man's a hero... bob oh, i get it. he's a hero in the african american community, a role model. so if he breaks the law, he should get a pass because he's a celebrity? well...no.

mike

bob look, i understand the cultural implications here, but you've been on me about getting a high profile case. it won't get any higher than this one. you pass on this one and...who knows? mike i know, bob. bob besides, perhaps your weekend basketball games may reveal some information about him, his associates...i'm not paying you overtime for that. (laughs) mike nods his head, picks up the file and exits.

ext. mike's building - morning mike waits impatiently by his car. dave pulls up in his cabriolet. mike activates the garage door opener while tapping on his watch as dave drives into the garage. he climbs out of his car and sprints to mike's car. dave struggles with the door handle, mike opens it from the inside. dave another of the many things to get fixed on this old... mike shut up, you're late! dave you damned right i'm late. who's idea was it to play ball 8am on a saturday? mike it's after nine now, besides, you've got nothing better to do on a sat. morning. dave (looks at him with disbelief) listen dickwad, this is the first saturday i've had off in a month. nothing else to do? what did you do this week, send a couple of embezzlers to club fed? i performed three c-sections, and flawlessly, i might add! my car was broken into at l.a. county hospital. i had to replace my dashboard. mike (amused) poor baby. you want a hug? fuck you!

dave

they both laugh. dave (cont'd) just drive! at least we're taking your car. nobody's breaking into a car with an am radio. mike hey, what did i tell you. my dad... dave ...gave you the car when you went to law school i know, i know! cut to:

ext inglewood park - morning mike pulls into a parking space facing the main court. there are several games going on. omar plays on a side court. jade is sitting on the sideline, dressed to impress. dave jumps out of the car before it comes to a stop. dave jade! mike fumbles with the lock, then follows. dave sits on the bench next to jade. dave (cont'd) how are you doing, jade? jade i'm fine dave. dave i know that, i asked how you're doing! they both laugh. mike approaches. jade looks him up and down. morning.

mike

he passes her and sits by dave. jade isn't used to being snubbed by a man. morning.

jade

dave you're up early, i thought you'd be the type to party late, sleep in late, y'know, get that beauty sleep. mike smirks at dave's lame attempts. the game ends, another group of players takes the court jade no, i'm up pretty early. i don't need much beauty sleep. street baller #2 y'all in or not? dave and that's a fact mike dave, let's go. dave heads for the court where omar and others shoot around. dave

thanks for helping me get my car fixed. jade anytime. dave runs to catch mike on the court ext. inglewood park b-ball - day mike (mimics dave) y'know, get in that beauty sleep? dave hey man, i figure she needs 10-12 hours a night. mike what she needs is 10-12 hours to get that hair and those long ass nails done. jade hears the comments. she watches them as they play and purses her lips in a determined fashion. a less than typical inglewood park game; run, shoot, miss, swear. omar is, as usual, more mouth than substance. omar ball! ball! the ball is passed to omar, who goes in for an awkward move, which is swatted. omar (cont'd) he fouled me! (as he chases the play and they all ignore him) the ball is passed to mike, who walks the ball into the frontcourt. he accelerates through an opening, with omar waiting to block the shot. mike fakes a shot, sending omar flying as he passes to dave for an easy lay up. mike yeah, baby! omar shit! play d y'all. he and dave slap hands. omar glares at them as he catches his breath. mike's eyes meet jades' who nods approvingly. ext. inglewood park - day the game nears its end. omar makes a hard-fought basket. mike hits a jumper, glances toward jade. omar senses this interplay and over plays. instead of hitting

an open man, he attempts a shot that is blocked cleanly. omar steps to the player who blocked the shot. (face to face) omar motherfucker! street baller 4 boy, don't step to me unless you ready to do something! omar you'd better stay outta my face! dave hey! hey! it's just a game! street baller 4 tell this asshole that. omar don't make me have to fuck you up! street baller 4 what? dave brothers! brothers! can't we all just get along? street baller #2 take it off the court! we're out here to play! mike (to street baller #5) let's switch off. you take him. street baller #5 (glaring at omar) yeah. omar glances at jade, who displays her disgust with a single look, then gets up and leaves. omar turns back to face mike, who looks him dead in the eye, expressionless. ext. inglewood park parking lot - day jade is at mike's car. she opens the locked door after a struggle. she slides into the front seat and pops the hood. she starts to slide out, but first, she opens the glove compartment. she quickly examines the contents, pulls out a repair invoice with mike's name and phone number and puts it in her purse. she starts the engine. ext. inglewood park - day the winning basket is hit, the game is over. mike turns to look for jade - sees an empty bench. he and dave approach the

bench to sit, dave notices that mike's hood is raised. dave mike (pointing toward the car) mike aww shit! he takes off running toward the car. dave i'll grab your stuff. he grabs mike's bag and follows at a safe distance. mike hey, get the... mike stops in his tracks as soon as he recognizes the legs and figure leaning under the hood of the running car. jade straightens up and wipes her hands on an oily rag. jade you really should get this steam cleaned. mike what? jade it's a good engine., a small block 350, one of the last really good engines general motors made. ext. inglewood park courts - day omar looks for jade, sees her with mike in the parking lot. ext inglewood park parking lot

- day

mike (still confused but fascinated) i like it. jade i can remember when this model came out. mike you're kidding right? you couldn't have been more than... twelve...

jade

dave arrives, winded. dave jade? what are you...?

jade just checking out this soon to be classic. dave you're kidding! this? jade mike, you really should bring this into the shop. we have a guy who can have it running like new. mike maybe i will. omar pulls up and stops with the tires screeching. he throws the door open for jade. jade i made a couple of adjustments for you. jade gets into the car. jade (cont'd) sometimes long nails come in handy. she shuts the door. omar pulls off. mike and dave are both dumbfounded. int. ray's office -night ray and nate inspect two cash-filled suitcases. nate how much? ray about a million five. nate from cabrera in mexico? ray yeah. cabrera's people pay on delivery, unlike those goddamned desarian brothers. nate are we still having trouble with them? ray it's like dealing with fuckin' barbarians. i was so glad to get away from those fuckin camel jockeys. i though the cubans were animals but they're just not like us. they just don't understand the american way of transacting business.

nate so, fuck 'em. no more orders from the desarians. we have more than we can handle anyway. nate locks the cases and walks toward the door. he opens it and calls to orencio. orencio sits quietly, watching the activity in the shop. nate (cont'd) orencio, esto va al cheque que cobra lugar en compton. (this goes to the check cashing place in compton) orencio takes the cases, nods and leaves. ray this is a sweet operation you built. dollars exchanged to pesos, deposited into secure caribbean accounts! you've got it all figured out, nate. nate looks out over the shop. he watches as a baby seat and other belongings are dislodged from a lexus suv. nate sure, now, maybe. not a few years ago... ray so, you got overextended. it happens. i'm been real impressed and so is my brother. let's just say that he's happy with his investment. nate watches men preparing to paint a car. he masks the windows and chrome. ray (cont'd) my brother's a big fan. he likes working with an american hero. nate turns serious, pensive. nate yeah...hero. ray punches the computer keyboard and prints a sheet. ray cabrero's people ordered this ferrari daytona about a week ago from our website. our spotters located one in bel air. it's been cased out. nate who's picks it up?

ray well marco's been asking for a pickup. his old lady's remodeling, he needs cash. nate who's driving chase? ray how about jade. i really like the way she operates. patient! smart. she knows the city real good. nate she doesn't know bel air. i don't want her out there. too high profile. too risky. ray she seems like she can handle it. nate i said i don't want her out there! ray okay, okay!..how about something in santa monica. she can ride with omar. she's the only one who can handle him anyway. nate when's the last time you pulled a test on him? ray last thursday! he was clean. he's just one crazy sonofabitch! nate he's not as crazy as you think...any word from cabrero on that shipment of ferrari's into long beach? ray all he knows is that it'll be coming in the next 2 weeks. nate stay on cabrero. tell jade to stop be when she gets her assignment. int. exoticars showroom - day jade moves among the cars, customers and salesmen. she heads for nate's office, a well appointed, sculpture and art-filled environment with a glass wall overlooking the showroom. int. nate's office - day nate has a customer in his office, a young yuppie type. they

stand up and shake hands. the door opens automatically as they approach it. nate if you have any problems whatsoever, call me and i'll send someone to your home or office to either pick it up, or repair it on site. your choice. yuppie customer as much as it cost me, that's the least you can do. nate look at it this way. you're the only one on your job with an aston martin volante! we pulled the strings for you to get it through customs. what else can i do to make you happy? jade waits outside for nate to usher the man out. yuppie customer there is one thing... nate stares at him for a second. yuppie customer (cont'd) well. i was wondering...i play pick up ball at sports club l.a....i was wondering if you would drop by sometime for a game. the guys would get a real kick out of it! nate ...why not? let me know when you play, i'll try to fit it in. yuppie customer that would be fantastic. i know how busy you are, but wow, to play ball with "silk" davis. nate yeah, well. keep in touch. (as nate shows him out the door) yuppie customer i will, i will! nate (desperate to get rid of the yuppie) jade! what can i do for you? jade you wanted to see me, remember?

nate that's right, come on in. (to yuppie) take it easy man. yuppie customer (ogling jade) yeah, you too. nate closes and locks the door behind him. ext. sidewalk cafe -afternoon mike and lynn are lead to a table close to the sidewalk. mike holds the chair for lynn, then sits. mike please bring us some evian with a lemon twist. i'm surprised you agreed to meet. lynn i was telling daddy about your latest case. he says that the publicity from a case like that one should allow you to write your own ticket. mike so bob keeps reminding me. lynn you have your signature case. does that mean that i can tell my family that we're setting a date? mike hesitates. int. nate's office -day nate you're looking good, jade. jade i try. nate (holding up some papers) you're my top salesperson every month. i just wanted you to know that i'm proud of you, the way you've grown up. jade thank you for the opportunity. it's a great job, plenty of excitement, and i love l.a.! nate you don't miss brooklyn?

jade what's to miss? ext sidewalk cafe - day lynn the real reason i wanted to meet with you is that daddy wants to talk with you. mike looks apprehensive lynn (cont'd) not about that. one of his golf partners is interested in you. the waiter arrives with water and bread. mike interested in me? lynn it could be you. he's looking for a bright young african american with a proven litigation background to join the in house legal staff at synergy technology. mike synergy technology? that's the firm being sued by epa for illegal dumping in that black town in louisiana? lynn i don't know all the details. daddy just said they're looking for... mike i know. a young african american attorney with a proven litigation background" doesn't it seem to you like there's something wrong with this picture? lynn gives him a puzzled look as the waiter approaches. int. nate's office - day nate have you heard from your mother? jade yeah, i wired her some money about a week ago. i called to see if she got it and got an answering machine. nate is she still with sonny dove?

jade yeah, as soon as he gets that front office job, he's gonna leave his wife and they'll get married. i've been hearing that for years! nate don't be too hard on jackie. she'll always need someone to take care of her. jade i'm glad that's not hereditary nate (laughs and shakes his head) ouch! you haven't lost your chip. when i first met you, you were the toughest 10 year old i had ever met! i'd hate to be the one who crosses you! jade momma was the romantic in the family. i was always the realist. still am. ext. sidewalk cafe - day the waiter takes their orders. waiter any dessert? no thanks.

mike

the waiter nods and leaves. lynn anyway, i figure you can get details from daddy at sunday dinner. mike has a blank look lynn (cont'd) you didn't forget, did you? mike i'll be honest with you. i had. i really need to put some time in on this case. lynn (growing impatient) among other things, the folks want to discuss our wedding plans so they can make the necessary arrangements! mike lynn, you take care of...

lynn i'm not doing this alone, mike. why do i feel like i'm dragging you into this?..., after seven years! this is not the way i want it to be. if you can't take the time to be involved... mike you and your sisters... lynn this has nothing to do with my sisters. i'm talking about you and me! all of a sudden, we're not on the same page about what we want. what's going on? mike lynn, what do you want from me? lynn how can you ask me that? i've been telling you that since we met. i want a husband who adores and respects me! i want a comfortable home! i want children! i want what my parents have. why is that suddenly a problem for you? mike the "comfortable" home you're talking about is some $1.5 million palace in palos verdes estates... lynn i don't recall putting a price tag on a home. mike you know what i mean... like what your parents have. lynn oh, i think i know where this is going...and? mike and, i like my job! i'm not going to make that kind of money working for the government to live at that level... lynn that's why i work in house corporate... mike and what happens when we have children and you want to stay home for a few years? with a child and that huge mortgage, i'll have no choice but to go corporate.

lynn you say it like it's a bad thing. mike that's not my choice! lynn and where do you propose that we live, in south central l.a., with gangs and drive by's. mike it's not all about gangs and... lynn don't you even try it! mike you act as if there's no middle ground! i just don't want to raise my kids out there in some fairyland. i want them exposed to diverse cultures and real life. lynn that's our responsibility! mike we'll be so busy working paying a huge mortgage... lynn wait. your logic is eluding me! (beat) when you took this job, you said it was only going to be for a couple of years... mike right, i was going to do a couple of years, gain the experience that would allow me to get a top-level corporate job. well, i've changed my mind...i like this challenge. lynn and how long will this phase last? mike ...i don't know. there is silence. the waiter arrives with the lunches. lynn thank you. lynn stares at the plate. int. nate's office - day

nate what about omar? seems like there's some romance there. jade (shakes her head) we went out once. he reminded me too much of every guy i've ever gone out with. nate ray thinks he's crazy. it may be time to cut him loose. jade he does a good job of bringing inventory...i've learned a lot from him. nate he profiles too much. he presents too much risk. there's a lot at stake here a lot of other people involved. jade he's just a little wild...he's hyper! nate chemicals? jade pauses. they lock eyes. she half shrugs. the phone rings, nate reaches to answer it. jade gets up. nate (cont'd) i'm not finished...yeah, put him through. jade sits. ext. sidewalk cafe - day mike now the silent treatment. talk to me! lynn this isn't about the job, or where to raise our children, isn't it? mike ah, lynn, can we not get into... lynn it always comes back to this. mike, i thought i'd convinced you that i would never do to you what your mother did to your dad. mike leave my dad out of this. he's a...

lynn a good man! a wonderful father! the kind of father that i hope that you will be. ever since i met you, i've been trying to resolve that fear. mike lynn, i love and respect you. i know you'd never... lynn you've got to trust me, mike. it's not just me, you're afraid to trust any woman. mike that's not true. we've been together for 7 years! lynn i know. that's why i can say that. i think we need to take time to regroup. i understand what you feel about making things better. i have my pro bono cases and charity work, but this is not what we planned. mike plans change. lynn no, i think we need to think about whether we're headed in the same direction. don't worry about sunday dinner...i'll... call you. she walks away, leaving mike with two plates of food. he stares at them. lynn!

mike

she stops, stares at him, keeps walking. int. nate's office - day nate hangs up the phone, turns to jade. nate well? is it? jade it's coke and heroin. nate and that's just what i don't need! i almost lost my shirt three years ago to keep this dealership afloat. now i got

the chicago boyle brothers as partners and that's not what i had in mind when i started this. i just want to buy them out and i don't need no internal shit getting in the way. keep an eye on him. if he doesn't kool out, i want to know! jade nate, you know i'm no rat... nate what did i tell you about accountability? jade i am responsible. i do my job. i keep my mouth shut. i'm loyal... nate loyal to whom? you're a realist, so believe in this 'cause this is as real as it gets...if he or anybody else fucks with this, the hammer comes down and i ask no questions! jade what are you gonna do? he stares at her. she trembles as she looks back. jade (cont'd) i don't want anybody to get hurt. i left n.y. to escape that shit. nate hey, you wanted in. you're in! the main thing to being in is that you do as i tell you, and i'm only telling you once! got it? accountability! she nods. he waits for her to compose herself, then pushes the button to open the doors. she stands up and leaves. int. mike's condo - night mike studies the file, making notes. he sits back and stares at the phone. he reaches over and dials. int. lynn's apartment - night we see lynn reading as the phone rings. the machine picks up. mike (v.o.) lynn, this is my fourth message, not counting the two i left at your office. give me a call, okay? he hangs up and wanders into the kitchen, gets a beer and sprawls on the sofa. he turns on the television, but doesn't

watch it. he reaches for the phone and dials. int. dave's fitness room - night the fitness room has every imaginable weight machine, stair machine, treadmill, etc. dave and bambi, 20's, attractive caucasian woman, exercise to blaring pop music. she is young and energetic, he is winded. the phone rings and he stumbles to pick it up. dave mike, thank god! what's up? mike what are you doing that got you so winded? should i even ask? dave hold on...bambi, turn that down please. she nods as she dances over to hit the remote. as she turns it down, she waves to him. mike are you dating a deer, now? dave aerobics instructor. what's up, man? mike aw man, i really screwed up with lynn today. she's bigtime pissed at me. dave what happened? mike i let her know that i wasn't into pursuing any kind of high pay corporate gig right now and she's questioning everything that we planned. dave damn! you told her the truth? what's the matter with you? mike i guess i did, then she started with all that not trusting her, and my dad and mom and... dave time to let it go, man! mike my dad taught me to honor and respect women...

dave mike, i'm not arguing with you. being taught something and having it actually work are two different things sometimes. i've been there. let's see..."you need time apart to think...you're not headed in the same direction... mike that's it! i've been leaving messages... dave let it go! mike i can't just "let it go" we've been together for... dave i don't care how long you've been together. you never took the time to play! mike that's your style, dave, it was never mine. dave look mike, you haven't even dabbled. you got to l.a., caught up in law school, then the trophy fiancee straight up. lynn's right. you both need time apart. figure out what you want...what she wants. if it's the same thing you'll get back together, if not... mike since when did you become the philosopher? dave man, i fall in love every day. i have to be philosophical! bambi dances over and pulls dave to his feet. (jogging in place) give some space for a few days, then try to call her. in the mean while, just kool out, have some fun...i'm out! int. mike's condo - evening mike disconnects. he glances up at the basketball game and notices nate being interviewed. he turns up the volume. jim gray we found nate "silk" davis in the

audience. how are you, nate? nate pretty good, jim. i'm just glad to be here and not out there playing. jim gray it's been a brutal game. it hasn't been long since you retired. is it more physical than you remember? nate well, a few years ago each team had an enforcer, maybe one or two physical guys, but not the whole team. you got to deal it the way its being dealt to you. if they play you physically, you can't back down. jim gray that is the name of the game, isn't it? physical! good seeing you "silk". back to you marv. mike (picks up the file) this ain't no game, silk! the phone rings female voice hi mike lynn! baby, i've been calling... female voice nope. guess again...it's jade. jade!

mike

jade remember me? from inglewood park...exoticars. mike yeah. what can i do for you, jade? jade i was calling to see if there is anything i can do for you. excuse me?

mike

jade your car. do you want my mechanic to work

on it? he says that if you can bring it in this week, he'll look at it. mike oh yeah. can i get back to you? jade sure, you have my card. give me a call. mike sure, hey how did you get my... jade disconnects jade ...my number? that was weird. int. u.s. attorney's office - day fbi agents brief mike, bob and other ausa's around a table agent #1 we've followed this man, orencio lopez (shows a slide of orencio) for the past 3 months. he's the bag man for the organization. he transports cash to a network of check cashing, currency exchange storefronts. mike they are not regulated as banks, so oversight is very lax. they handle millions of dollars every month. bob so, how does the money leave the country? agent #1 once the check cashing places deposit the funds in their business accounts, a portion is given back to the bagmen in cashier's checks, the rest is converted to pesos and euros, then transported over the mexican border through their mexican connections. the boyle brothers have a labyrinth of fictitious companies set up for these transfers. ausa #1 where are they getting all this money from? agent #1 cash payments from the sale of stolen exotic cars and parts. we suspect that this is just the tip of the iceberg, since this ring fills orders from around the world, we suspect that overseas

buyers make their payments directly to accounts either in the caribbean, mexico or switzerland. bob no other surveillance subjects? agent #1 no, and we've tried to get people into the body shop. nate davis and his people are very close knit. no outsiders get inside. mike what would you need to know? agent #1 the basic layout. we need pictures of known stolen cars or their parts. mike i may be able to get inside. everybody in the room turns to mike. how?

agent #1

mike i have an opportunity to have my car worked on by one of their mechanics. i really hadn't taken it seriously... bob that's great! there we go! mike wait! i don't have the first idea of what to look for... agent #1 we'll brief you. anything you might get will help. bob so you guys brief mike and set it up. i see the headlines now..."assistant u.s. attorney leads undercover operation on car theft ring led by nba superstar!" the others chuckle. mike is not amused. bob (cont'd) if there are no other questions, we're done here. the meeting breaks up, the others gather papers and exit. mike stops bob.

mike can we talk? bob sure mike i just want to make sure that our objectives are clear here. bob sure, get the bad guys. what's the problem? mike is splashing nate davis through the media for profile more important to you than making sure we have a solid case? i've studied the file. the evidence is largely circumstantial. we have nothing that ties nate to any wrongdoing. do we even know that nate knows what's going on his body shop? bob mike, you gotta be kidding me. mike as an african american man, i just don't want it to look like i'm going after this guy because he's highly visible, successful and african american man. bob you know there's more to it than that! mike i know, but it's the appearance that concerns me. i know i was assigned this case for political reasons. an african american prosecutor is perhaps more palatable to a jury when an african american defendant is concerned... bob that never entered into it. mike and nate davis, an american icon, a symbol of african american success, owns one of the showplace dealerships in a town that worships cars... bob no he doesn't. mike

no? bob he's a figurehead. three years ago, he nearly filed chapter 11, then overnight, he had a cash infusion. he's a front. mike for whom? why was this not mentioned in the file? bob we made an agreement with the bureau to restrict our investigation to local activities. nate davis is very well connected. we can afford no leaks and no stepping on bureau toes. the bureau has been tracking the boyle brothers as part of their organized crime task force. they hope that our investigation of exoticars will turn up the direct link with the boyles, part of the chicago wing of the gambino crime family. mike you mean this is all about some chicago mobsters? bob ray boyle has been in town since the bailout. mike i think it's about time for me to know everything. bob agent smith will brief you. int.

exoticars showroom - day

mike strolls into the showroom and becomes dazzled by the collection of six figure price tag exotics. jade is talking with the other salesmen and notices him. her expression changes. she rushes over, delighted. hey!

jade

mike i decided to take you up on your offer. jade good! you won't regret it...i'll call john and see if i can have the car sent over.

mike over where? jade the shop is in compton. mike can i see it? jade (shaking her head) nothing to see. it's just a shop. i'll be right back. she goes to the phone and dials. mike strolls around the shop. she sees nate in his office. nate doesn't notice him. int. nate's office - day the phone rings, nate answers. nate nate davis...tammy! long time no see. how are you doing with your fine self? what's new at the courthouse? mike walks past and waves. nate nods back. nate watches jade on the phone. she watches mike as she talks. nate (cont'd) (turning his back to the showroom) what?...how long have they been investigating?...when are they going to the grand jury?...shit! i need that document you found. how about dinner tonight? no baby, you know it's not just the paper i want. i'll see you tonight and i'll have a special gift. thank you, baby. i'll pick you up at 8. (disconnects) nate looks concerned. int. exoticars showroom - day jade hangs up and finds mike. jade everything's okay. i can have the car taken over. mike sure i can't go with it? jade it's just a shop. judging from your car, mechanics is not your specialty. don't

worry, my guys will take good care of it. mike how do i get back to work? jade we always provide transportation for our clients mike i'm impressed. jade dealerships have changed a lot in fifteen years. mike very funny. they exit the showroom. int. u.s. attorney's office - day mike steps out of his office, papers in hand, and heads down the hall to the secretarial pool. mike tammy, i can't figure out which... he stops. lynn is there. tammy look who's here, mike. mike lynn! lynn i was in the building...i stopped to say hello to tammy. i gotta get back, now. mike let me walk with you. he takes her arm, they walk to the elevators. int. u.s. attorney's office hallway- day they stand next to a group of chattering women. lynn averts her eyes from mike. int. u.s. attorney's office lobby- day the group spills out into the lobby, followed by mike and lynn. mike we need to talk

lynn mike, we've talked enough for now. mike lynn, it's not... she quickly steps into the revolving door. he follows. they exit the building. he stops her on the front steps. mike (cont'd) wait lynn, we need to set things right. lynn i don't think i misunderstood you the other day. do we have a wedding date? we hear a car horn. mike no, it's not as simple as... lynn it's very simple. yes or no? mike i think we can work this through. lynn and when you change your plans about our future again? what am i supposed to do? car horn blows jade (o.s.) mike! mike is slightly distracted. mike it was not a sudden decision. car horn again. jade (o.s.) michael taylor mike and lynn both turn. jade slides out of mike's car, still honking the horn. she waves to him. lynn well you certainly waited long enough to cue me in on it. someone's waiting for you. i gotta go. she hurries down the steps. he watches her leave, then, in frustration, turns to jade who primps for him. he walks over to the car and she drapes herself across the hood.

jade i decided to bring it down myself! it sounds better than new. i even talked the guys into detailing it and fixing those stupid door locks. mike stares at her. she hops off the hood, hands him the keys. jade pushed him into the car. jade (cont'd) fire it up. mike turns the ignition key, the car starts right up smoothly. jade (cont'd) you've never heard it run that smoothly...a little excitement please! mike sorry. i've had a long day. jade and i'm starving. you owe me dinner. mike jade...i... jade well at least you gotta take me back to beverly hills. i left my car there to bring you your's. mike i'm still at work. jade did i mention that they fixed your door locks? mike all right, wait here, i'll go get my things. he slides out, she slides into the passenger seat with a proud smirk, having gotten her way. int. downtown deli - day jade eats hungrily. mike looks at her. mike you've got a good appetite. i figured you for the type who eats like a bird. jade i like good food.

mike i know how ladies like to watch their figures. jade no, you know how men like to watch ladies' figures! i got good genes. my mom is in her 40's and she still gets carded at liquor stores. mike well enjoy. i want to make sure that this is proper payback...let me ask you something...how do you know so much about cars? jade nate always collected cars. he taught me. he and my mom used to kick it when i was a kid and he kind of took me under his wing...a big brother-type thing. mike i thought you two were...you know? jade shakes her head. mike (cont'd) but you're pretty close. jade as close as nate lets anybody get. mike nods. jade (cont'd) so what's your story? was that your lady i saw you with? mike shrugs. mike she was, or, is. i'm not really sure at this point. jade looks into his eyes and smiles. mike (cont'd) we're going through a thing right now. jade really? what a shame. mike is oblivious to jade's suggestive look. ext. jade's apartment bldg - night

jade and mike walk to the door. jade opens the door. jade thanks for the dinner. mike i appreciate the work on my car. jade let's hope you still do when you get my bill. mike shrugs. they look at each other. jade (cont'd) you want to come in? mike no...it's getting late. they look at each other. jade i'd better go (looks at mike expectantly) good night. mike (backing off) yeah, see you later, and thanks again. he turns and walks away. she watches him with disappointment and determination. ext. body shop parking lot - morning jade gets out of her car. as she reaches in for her purse, omar appears at her side. omar i waited for you last night. jade why? omar we were going to case neighborhoods, remember? jade (walking toward the shop) i was busy. omar hey, i thought we were a team! jade you didn't need me last night. it doesn't

necessarily take two to case. omar we're supposed to be a team. jade wait a minute! how many times have you stood me up? omar why'd you have to take the dude's car to him. the boys usually deliver customers' cars. jade none of your business. omar there's something fake about mr. buppie! jade shut up, you know nothing about him! omar i seen on the basketball court, trying to be something he ain't. jade give me a break! omar and he ain't interested in but one thing from you...! jade and you're interested in something else? omar yeah, but you know what i'm about! he's not your type! jade and you are? omar i know what you need... jade (walking away) what i don't need is a boy. you need to grow up! omar (changing tactic) hey, you gonna run with us tonight? p.v. estates! it'll be sweet! jade

(still fuming) i don't know int. u.s. attorney's office - morning mike arrives and walks past tammy at her desk. tammy mike, i signed for a package for you. it's on your desk. int. mike's office - morning mike enters his office, sees the package and opens it. mike pulls out an engagement ring. he picks up the phone and dials. mike lynn holland please...mike taylor. voice ahh. lynn has taken a couple of days off, mike. i see.

mike

he disconnects and angrily dials lynn's home number. he gets the answering machine, starts to speak, then hangs up the phone. int. mike's condo -

evening

dave hey mike. call me on my cellphone. he dials his phone. what's up.

mike

dave yo! i got tickets to the hollywood bowl tonight, but i have a delayed delivery about to happen tonight. woman's been in labor for 17 hours and it's time to induce! i can't make the show, but i figure it might get you and lynn talking. mike forget it. she returned my ring to me today. dave you're kidding. what did she say? mike

nothing! she fedex'ed it! dave damn! that's cold!...well what about the tickets. mike what about them? dave take them and invite a friend and enjoy yourself. mike dave, i'm not like you with a little black book with a stable of... ask jade!

dave mike

jade? dave she obviously likes you. she called you at home. hell she's already given you more play than she'd ever give me and i bought a $120,000 automobile from her! mike i don't know if that's a good idea... dave lynn's like a security blanket. time to lose the blanket, linus....oops! that's my pager, gotta go! later...

mike

mike hangs up the phone. thinks for a minute, then dials again. ext. hollywood bowl -evening mike enjoys the concert. he looks over and we see jade with him, entranced by the music. ext. street - night a van door opens. five men, including omar, exit the van. they are dressed as valets from five different l.a. restaurants. omar straightens out their jackets, and hands out fake photo i.d.'s. they disperse. ext. restaurant - night omar checks in. the man stares at his i.d., looks at omar,

(look impatient) the man reluctantly waves him in, then disappears into the restaurant. omar falls in line with the other valets. he delays as others scurry to get cars and line up to park cars. as a bentley continental pulls up, omar tricks the valet in front of him to get out of the line. the bentley owner gets out hands the keys to a smiling omar. ext. hollywood bowl - night mike and jade exit with other attendees. jade is jostled into mike, who places his arm around her protectively, guiding her through the crowd. mike hungry? always.

jade

mike i know a place on this side of town... jade actually, i was hoping for someplace with some privacy... mike it won't be crowded at this time of night. jade a place that only serves two. mike looks at her as if he finally gets it. mike any suggestions? jade i heard about a place called...chez mike's. she grins at him. he is intrigued despite himself. mike i heard of that place. they only serve omelettes. jade i like omelettes. int. mike's kitchen - night jade sits on the counter while mike pulls ingredients from the refrigerator.

mike hands jade an onion and grater. mike i won't refuse any help. jade why is it that men only think of help when they're in the kitchen, but not when their wives or girlfriends are cooking? mike at chez mike's you don't help, you don't eat! jade (hopping off the counter) yes, sir! she grates as mike pulls things from the refrigerator. int. mike's dining area - night the meal is finished, they sit an listed to the last notes of a jazz cd. jade my turn! mike nods as she jumps up and disappears into the living room. he begins to clear the table as she puts on an new cd. jade dances through the door, moves over to mike, takes the dishes from him and places them on the table. she and mike begin to dance slowly. jade looks up at mike, she leans forward and kisses him. he responds after hesitating. halfway through, he abruptly stops and holds her away from him. she looks at him, puzzled. mike i've got to get you home. jade no you don't. mike (looking for his keys) yes, i do. he finds the keys and grabs her shawl. mike (cont'd) ready? jade (sardonically) i guess i am!

she turns her back on him, waiting for him to drape the shawl. he does so awkwardly trying not to touch her. there is a pause between them. jade turns suddenly and exits. ext. jade's apartment bldg - night mike and jade walk up to her bldg. she opens the door. jade (trying again) well...thanks for the concert and... dave you can thank dave for the tickets... jade i'd rather thank you for the company. mike (uneasily) i enjoyed your company, too... jade you want to come in? mike (deep sigh) no, i'd better not. jade saving yourself for ms. lady? mike i've got a big day tomorrow... jade smiles knowingly at him. he hesitates, then reaches for her and they kiss deeply. they can't seem to get enough of each other. omar yo, jade! they break apart. jade what are you doing here? omar i need to talk with you. mike i've got to go. (glance at omar) you'll be o.k.? jade (grim) yeah.

he walks away, past omar. they make eye contact. omar glares at him. jade watches as mike climbs into his car and drives off. omar have a good time with mr. uptown? she moves to close the door. he stops her. omar (cont'd) you too good to talk to me now that you're hanging out with that uptown nigger? jade no, i was always too good for your fool ass. omar (he grabs her) fool! who are you calling a fool? jade get your hands off me... he glares at her, she stares him down. jade (cont'd) i'm not playing. omar releases her. she turns to leave. omar nate wants to see you. jade at midnight? come on, omar... omar i'm serious. he's calling a meeting. something's gone down and he wants everybody at the shop. he sent me for you! she stares at him. omar shifts uncomfortably. jade this better be for real he points toward his car. she slides past him. jade (cont'd) no! i'll drive myself. int. body shop - night everyone is there as jade and omar enter. she gets some

whistles and appreciative glances. omar glowers at her from the side. nate and ray stand in front of the group. nate who's missing? ray tommy and hector... nate i'm not waiting any longer. let's get this thing going. (to the group) listen up! nate (cont'd) two important things going down! first, i'm closing this shop, paying everybody off. group murmers. nate (cont'd) i got word that the feds are closing in. yeah! they've been watching us for months and they're trying to get grand jury indictments in a couple of weeks. i figure we got less than a week to get outta here, so i'm paying off everybody tonight! better to lay low for awhile. group i hear that! man nate, you said two things. nate we have some information about two truckloads of ferrari's and lamborghini's due to arrive at the long beach port in 48 hours. they're headed for northern california,... correction...were headed to northern california. (laughter and cheers) four 18 wheelers. we have inside connections at the gates who will allow our drivers to get out of the port with them with about a 3 hour headstart - long enough to run them down to baja, mexico. one last big hit. i need four cdl's and four escorts. who's in? group mexico's a good place to chill while things cool off. i can dig that. man #2

yeah, i got a house down there. older man how real is this thing? nate defers to ray and steps aside to listen. omar glares at jade, who doesn't notice as she listens to ray. ray we have all the necessary forged documents, keys and uniforms. we get there two hours before the regular crew and lock them up when they arrive. the risk comes in the run to mexico. we don't have much lead time. cabrero's people have mexican customs in their pocket. high risk, high reward! older man too much risk. i'm to old to end up in some mexican jail. ray it ain't like a pick up in bel air. there's no way to case this. nate it's up to you. some others shake their heads. man what's the split? nate it works out to $500k per driver, $250k for each escort. man shit! you can live for awhile in mexico with that. i'm in to drive the 18 wheeler. man #4 i'll drive escort man #5 yeah, me too. nate just let ray know if you're in. they gather around ray. jade stays pit and thinks. nate walks over to her. nate (cont'd) what are you going to do?

jade i don't know nate. this is very sudden, i have to think about it. i knew this wouldn't last forever... nate if you need money... jade no, i always save for a rainy day. maybe this would be a good time to go to college, then settle into a 9-5. nate whoa! i didn't see that coming from ms. "i gotta have excitement..." omar overhears this and comes over. jade from what i come from, that doesn't seem to bad now. nate what's brought all this on? omar that sellout uptown nigger she's been running with! jade nobody's talking to you. omar her shit don't stink since she's got mr. uptown hanging around! nate (glares at omar) chill! she...

omar

nate gives him that look, omar glares back, then he shuts right up and walks away. jade nate' you didn't have to say anything, i can ... nate take care of yourself, i know you can. i warned you about that boy. jade omar's just mad because i went out with this guy a couple of times. i was

straight up with omar from the start. nate he doesn't understand "straight up"... who's the guy who's got him all fired up? jade i met him at the park. he's one of the guys you played ball with. mike...mike taylor. the serious guy who's always with dave. nate is not familiar jade (cont'd) pussy doc dave? bought a turbo cabriolet a couple of months ago. nate ohhh, pussy doc! my man p.d. and his buddy. i remember them. he doesn't seem to be your type. jade he's different. he's making me work and i'm not used to that. i guess all my tricks don't work on regular guys. nate "regular" guys? jade you know, regular car, regular crib, regular gig. he's not a player. nate well can this regular guy support you in the style to which you've become accustomed? what is his regular job? jade i don't know. i know he works downtown, in the federal building. nate's smile changes slightly. nate he's never talked about his job? most guys do. jade i'm still trying to figure him out. nate seems like he's got a good head on his shoulders. jade

i'll let you know. nate (pensive) pick up your money from ray and let him know what you want to do. she nods and heads toward ray. int. ray's office - night nate and ray are meeting, most of the crew have left. nate did we get a full crew? ray (handing nate the list) full crew. jade's gonna let me know tomorrow. we've got enough to man four semis and eight escorts. nate i don't want omar on this gig. ray we need him. he's one of the few who is cdl and can handle an 18 wheeler. nate he's wild and he's on the nose candy. i don't want that risk! this is my last big hit. i'm paying off your brother and retiring. i don't need him fucking this up for me! ray nate, there's no time to find someone we can trust. we drop one truck, it lowers our take by 25%. we need omar. jesus christ, i complaining about this cocksucker for months and now, when we really need him, you want to cut him loose! nate thinks about it for a few seconds. nate okay, you want omar, then he's your responsibility! the baby-sitting job is yours. you sit on him! ray all right, i'll sit on him, for christ's sake! int. nate's office - night

nate dials the phone on his desk. nate hey baby. i know it's late. i just wanted to hear your voice!...how you feeling tammy? how'd you like the leather outfit i sent over?...of course i would know your size! i'll bet you fill it nicely! tammy... baby, you know somebody named mike taylor? he works downtown in the federal building....oh yeah?...assistant u.s. attorney?...what's his reputation? nate winces nate (cont'd) hey baby, can you find out if he's working on that investigation?...i know, i know. i don't want you getting in any trouble either, but i really need to know....baby, you know there's always something special in it for you of you can help...thanks, baby. let me know. int. u.s. attorney's office - morning mike stops by reception area to get mail. mike morning tammy. tammy (nervously) bob wants to see you in his office. mike what about? tammy i don't know. int. bob's office - morning bob paces, highly agitated. mike knocks and enters mike what's going on? bob last night, nate davis' crew hit five of the most exclusive restaurants in town. mike what? bob i'm at chez lausanne with the wife when maurice, the maitre'd asked me for help.

several very expensive cars were discovered missing from the parking lot when their owners finished their dinner. i find out later that four other places were missing cars. mike what makes you sure that it was nate's crew? bob their signature was all over it. no other crews operate that aggressively in l.a. it doesn't look good. i'm thinking about a political run and this can't continue on my watch. mike so that's what this is all about? bob how close are we to getting these indictments? mike we're going through wiretap transcripts now. there's still nothing incriminating enough to take to the grand jury. bob well let's get on it. if you can't handle this, let me know, i'll... mike look, bob. i'm not rushing this investigation to suit the timing of your political aspirations! bob i've been feeling a lot of resistance from you on this. usually you're like a pit bull on a case. that's why i assigned you. what is it? is it some kind of black thing? mike (furious) hold it right there goddammit! don't ever presume that you know me well enough to throw that kind of shit in my face! i'll not tolerate having my motives questioned! bob i just want... mike you put me on this because my conviction

rate is the highest in this office! if anybody can get a grand jury to give indictments on this, i can! i'm setting this up so that it won't fall apart under scrutiny and if you don't like the way i'm handling it, then take over the investigation! mike storms toward the door. bob catches him. bob look mike, i'm sorry. that was out of line. i'm just nervous about this case, you understand... mike nods and leaves. ext. inglewood park- night nate, dave and several others play ball. dave dribbles downcourt, only to have nate knock it into the hands of another player. dave shit! the others run the fast break in the other direction, nate hangs back with dave. nate hey p.d., where's your partner? dave mike? he's probably working late. he's one of the few guys i know who likes his job. the ball is passed to nate. he walks the ball upcourt. dave covers, lunging at the ball. nate he's a lawyer? street baller #5 silk! silk! nate fakes dave out of his shoes' laughs, then passes to another player. he and dave watch as the player does "iverson" moves, then scores. dave yes, he works for the government! one of the good guys. he'll be here any minute. good.

nate

ext. inglewood park parking lot -night mike's car pulls up. nate turns and stares at mike as he walks toward the court. nate slowly rejoins the game. dave notices mike. dave yo mike! what's up?

mike

dave (points to himself) three buckets! mike reacts sarcastically. he watches the game for awhile. nate does his usual spectacular play. he turns and locks eyes with mike. dave's "turbo cab" pulls up, horn blowing. behind the wheel is a spectacular-looking woman. mike glances back and shakes his head. dave runs toward the bench and grabs his things. dave (cont'd) mike, get my spot! mike what's this one's name? dave that's sabrina! she's a child psychiatrist! mike appropriate. dave winks as he runs toward the parking lot. mike pulls off his sweats and walks onto the court. there is a pause in the game for the usual argument. street baller 4 you've been all over me all game you butcher! street baller 1 then call a foul bitch! street baller 4 shit. if you was on me any closer we'd be fuckin! street baller 1 you got a new man. tell him what's up! street baller #5 dave was guarding silk, so you get him.

mike steps in front of nate, nods at him. nate stares at him without emotion or acknowledgement. nate how you doin' counsellor? mike looks at him but doesn't respond. the ball is passed to nate. nate (cont'd) (dribbling) how are things at the federal building? mike does not respond. he concentrates on defense. nate (cont'd) i've been hearing things. mike hesitates, nate drives past him for a dunk. street baller #5 mike, don't just give it to him. play d! street baller 4 silk's gonna wear his ass out! nate you got that right! the ball comes to mike. nate plays "d" on him. nate (cont'd) what's up counsellor? is you the man, or what? another player breaks free. mike fakes a drive and does a no look pass to the player, who pulls up and hits a 20 footer. mike i'll let you decide that...silk they head downcourt side by side. ext. inglewood park - night mike drives for the basket, nate blocks the shot physically. mike loses his balance and nate catches him with an elbow. mike goes sown, taking another player with him. another player helps them both up. street baller 4 what did you say to him? i've never seen him that physical, he tried to take your head off. i've never seen him do that. ext. inglewood park - moments later - night

the game continues with nate trying to physically intimidate mike. mike struggles to suppress his rising anger. when they both go for a loose ball, nate bumps mike out of bounds. when mike has the ball, nate deliberately fouls him and knocks him off stride. mike scores a basket and receives a shove in the back. the other players sense something. street baller #5 hey man. let me cover silk for awhile mike no! i got this. the player shrugs and the game continues. ext. inglewood park- night the game is over. mike, bruised and sore, picks up his bag. another player approaches him. nate and another player trade shots in the background. everyone else is leaving. street baller #5 hey. i don't know what was going on between you and silk, but way to hang tough. mike nods, gingerly feeling his ribs. mike heads for the car. a ball bounces past him. he stops to pick it up. as he turns to throw it back, it's nate with his hands out. nate you leaving counsellor? i though we might play one...13 straight. mike (tosses the ball back hard) not tonight. nate hey, you didn't take that personal did you? it's just a game. man to man. mike it's never been just a game to you. mike turns to walk away. nate got to hurry off! read them transcripts, get them subpoenas ready. buy the new suit for the grand jury presentation! mike walks up on him angrily.

mike i'm not discussing this with you! nate i hear you the u.s. attorney's number one boy. they send a brother to try to destroy another brother! a brother who's just trying to make it! mike oh man, don't give me that! nate hey brother, i'm no different than you. i want success, my 40 acres and my mule. mike no, you're not like me and no, you're not my brother! i can't believe you're talking to me about 40 acres and a mule! you had that and everything else...talent, fame, fortune, women! everybody looks up to you and what have you done with it? nate sounds like you've convicted me already, mr. prosecutor! mike i told you i'm not talking about this! he turns to leave. nate puts up a shot and retrieves the ball. nate you don't even want to talk about jade? mike comes back. nate puts up another shot and retrieves the ball. mike (angrily) leave jade out of this. this isn't about jade! nate it isn't about jade? what about when i tell her you've been using her to get to me? mike this is not about jade. it's about the law. right and wrong! nate jade and i go way back. i'm the only man

she's been able to depend on. now you're about to bust her bubble again. mike you use jade like you use everybody else. you're about to let everybody down, silk! all those kids... nate hey! i can't help it if nobody wants a hero that comes in a regular package like you. mike you took all the rewards that come with playing the hero. nate (tossing the ball to mike) cause they were mine! i was the one out there leaving it on the court since i was a kid! training, playing with all kinds of injuries. golden state was nothing without me. they hadn't even seen the playoffs before i got there. i took them all the way and they ain't been back since i left! when it was over, not even a front office job for "silk" davis. mike (tossing the ball back) and this was your only alternative? nate no, this was the best one though. you know, sometimes you have to decide whether to take it to the hole! are you ready to take it to the hole mr. prosecutor? nate laughs as mike turns and walks away. int. mike's condo hallway - night mike achingly walks up to his front door. he fumbles for his keys. jade appears behind him. mike?

jade

mike (whirling and dropping his keys) jade! what are you doing here? jade i just came by to talk. what have you been doing?

mike just some ball. he leans over painfully to pick up the keys. jade scoops up the keys and opens his door. jade you look like you got hit by a truck! she helps him in and shuts the door. int. mike's condo - night she helps him onto the sofa where he sprawls in a heap, breathing heavily. jade do you want to go to the hospital? mike (laughs) no. it's just some bruises and...i'm real sore! jade (heading into the kitchen) i can see that. i'm going to run you a hot bath. mike i only take showers. she pulls out an open box and disappears down the hallway in the bathroom. the sound of water running is heard. mike gets up and staggers down the hall. int. mike's bathroom -night the bathroom steams up as jade dumps the baking soda into the tub. mike sticks his finger in the water. mike too hot! jade looks at him condescendingly, sticks her hand in the water. jade it's not too hot. get in. he stares at her. jade (cont'd) (giggles, covering her eyes) i won't peek! mike

get out of here! she slides past him. jade call me when you need your back scrubbed! mike pushes the door closed. he undresses and slides into the tub with a deep sigh. music is heard from the living room as he settles in. int. mike's bathroom - moments later mike sleeps in the tub. there is a quiet knock on the door. jade pushes the door open slightly. jade mike...mike... mike (covering up with a washcloth) what? jade just wanted to make sure you didn't drown... she sits on the edge of the tub. mike (uneasy) what did you want to talk about? jade i wanted to see you and try a more direct approach. mike jade...uh...i can't... jade ...and i don't want tot hear about ms. lady! mike it's not that...i....i... jade look, i may not be exactly your type you think i'm a round the way girl. i'm just trying to be real straight with you and i want to get to know you better, that's all. mike painfully turns away jade (cont'd) wow! i didn't mean to embarrass you! i

mean. all you had to do is say that you're not interested... she turns to leave mike jade, wait a minute! jade i just thought there was something there between us, but hell! i must've just misread the signals... mike (holding out his hand) you don't understand. there's something we have to talk about. come here! jade look, i don't need pity, you can save that for someone who does. mike come on... come on... she approaches the tub, takes his hand and sits down on the edge. under her anger is a vulnerability that strikes him. jade you don't owe me an explanation! he puts his finger over her lips. she stares at him, her look eventually softens. he smiles at her. she smiles back. he slides his hand around her neck and pulls her toward him. they kiss lightly, then more intensely. as the kiss deepens, they both struggle to free themselves from their wet clothes. wet clothes fly all over the small bathroom. there is a deep mutual sigh as they settle into the tub. int. mike's condo hallway- night there is a single set of wet footprints leading from the bathroom to the bedroom. int. mike's bedroom - moments later jade and mike make passionate love in the bedroom. int. mike's bedroom jade lies on mike's chest. they are both half asleep. jade you said there was something we had to talk about. mike

(pulling her closer) later. int. u.s. attorney's office briefing room - morning the agents and lawyers sit around the conference table. mike we have a leak! nate's been tipped off. bob what? agent #1 how do you know? mike i played basketball against him last night and he sent a strong message. bob what did he say? mike nothing specific! just enough to let me know that he knows. agent #1 well that's just fucking great! every time we bring something through this office, somebody leaks it! bob it wasn't one of my people! agent #2 well it certainly wasn't one of us! mike it doesn't matter. it could have come from anyplace. somebody got careless and he found out, now we've got to move quickly! agent #1 he's right! we need arrest warrants. agent #2 mike, how much do you think he knows? mike enough to start closing shops and destroying evidence. bob i'll call judge wright. he's pro-law enforcement. these are exigent circumstances. he'll sign those warrants

for us. agent #1 i'll get headquarters to authorize more manpower. both agents rush from the room. bob damnit! where's that leak? mike when this stuff hits the fan, how much flexibility can we offer for plea bargaining? bob plea bargain? you? maximum mike? plea bargain? mike for some of the minor players. bob if they're minor, they may not have much to offer us. you know that. mike ...the woman i was telling you about. we've been out a couple of times. bob did she tell you anything about the operation? mike (shaking his head) and it's gotten to be more than a casual acquaintance... bob mike! and you were worried about a conflict before? you think that's smart? mike no, it's pretty stupid. bob you think she can be turned? mike i don't know how involved she is. bob if nothing else, she must have knowledge. mike i just want to see what the parameters

are. bob if she knows something of value to us and she's willing to talk, i'll see what we can do. he and mike head toward the door. bob stops him. mike mike. you haven't told her anything about... bob no! of course not! bob nods and they exit the conference room. int. ray's office - night ray, nate and a group of men, including omar, are present. they wear trucking company uniforms. the shop has been completely cleared of all cars and parts. ray you ditch the uniforms pass the border check. marked on your maps to there, we transfer the trucks provided by our

as soon as you take the road the checkpoint. shipment to the people.

jade is seen entering the shop. she glances up at ray's office. nate you will meet me at the safe house in baja for payment 48 hours later. does everybody understand? they nod. jade appears at the door. ray come in jade. are you joining us? jade i don't think so... sounds of disappointment are heard. omar come on jade! terry's old lady won't let him come. if you don't come, i'll be stuck with old ray for the whole trip. ray you're gonna be stuck with me anyway! the others laugh. omar sulks.

jade i've got other plans. nate okay, get back to work. any changes, we'll let you know. they file out. nate looks at ray and nods toward omar. ray follows omar and pulls him aside outside of the office. nate (cont'd) (pulls jade aside) so you gonna hang out here in l.a.? jade i just don't want to take off right now. from the office, ray is seen tearing omar a new one. nate any particular reason? jade you know the guy i was telling you about? nate mike taylor. jade our relationship is getting serious. i just want to stick around and see where it might go. in the background, omar stomps off, ray surveys the shop with satisfaction. he descends the steps. nate jade, how well do you know this guy? jade a lot better after last night. nate did you know that he's an assistant u.s. attorney? jade (shrugs) i told you we'd never discussed his work. nate what have you discussed? jade what's this all about, nate? nate

i got word that your new boyfriend heads the government team trying to bring us down. jade you must've heard wrong. nate what did you tell him, jade? jade nothing. i wouldn't tell him anything. you know that! nate do i? jade look! i told you i just started seeing this guy. he never asked about exoticars! he's never been interested in... (she pauses with a blank look) what?

nate

jade he...he wanted to see the body shop, but i told him there was nothing to see there and he just dropped it. i didn't tell him anything,nate, i swear! nate appraises her without sentiment. she bears up to his look, angry. nate (almost satisfied) ...i want you to come to mexico with us. when all this goes down, i want to be able to keep an eye on you. jade you don't trust me? you know i wouldn't... nate this has nothing to do with trust. find ray and tell him that you're in for the ride! after hesitating for a moment, jade nods and heads out. jade jade...don't make me have to come looking for you! int. mike's condo - night

mike opens the door to a furious jade. mike jade! what are you doing... jade slaps mike's face. mike grabs her hands. jade you son of a bitch! you used me! played me like some dumb bitch to get to nate! mike jade! it wasn't like that and you know it! jade (struggling in his grasp) you could've told me! you knew what was going down. get your hands off me! mike (shaking her) be quiet and listen to me! she breaks away. she glares at him. mike (cont'd) i didn't use you, jade! jade you wanted to see the body shop! mike and you shut me down! did i persist? jade (shakes her head) why do you have to go after nate? mike nate's breaking the law. jade he's not hurting anybody! the cars are insured, their owners are rich... mike you think it stops there? this ties into money laundering, drugs, murder... jade nate's not into all that! mike how do you know? jade he's just a guy trying to succeed. he

does a lot more for his people than you do. children look up to him and you'll destroy that! mike give me a break! nate does nothing for anybody but himself. if others benefit, it's purely coincidental! he plays hero while breaking the law and he can't have it both ways. now you have to decide what you're going to do to help yourself. jade i'm not turning on nate! mike how deep are you into this? jade it's none of your business! mike how deep, jade? jade you don't want to know! mike it's time for you to break clean. get out of it, now! jade i won't...i can't! mike how long did you think this was going to last before it all came tumbling down? jade mike, you don't understand! mike has he threatened you? we can protect you! jade what about us? i though we had the beginning of something special. i though that maybe just once, i had met a guy who was for real. all you wanted me for was to help you put nate in prison! mike that's not true! i tried to stay out of this, but you wouldn't let me... jade so this is my fault?

mike ...and i couldn't...last night was beautiful, really special. jade oh give me a break! mike it was. you know it was. did you think i wanted to put this investigation and my job at risk? now everything is all entangled. this has to get straightened out before we can see each other. jade what you're saying is that until i decide to roll over on nate... mike what i'm saying is that you have to choose between... jade you and nate! mike no...between you... and nate jade big time prosecutor! i'm not playing your mind games! (as she heads for the door) she opens the door. mike this is for real jade! i'm not playing. jade slams the door and leaves. int. exoticars showroom - day nate sits in his office, staring out at customers and sales staff at work. int. jade's apartment - day jade packs methodically int. body shop - day ray, omar and a small crew help to place trucking company decals on a panel truck. the phone rings. omar watches ray as he answers the phone. omar sneaks out. int. federal courthouse - day

mike and bob burst out of judge wright's chambers carrying papers. they stride to where the agents are seated and slaps the warrants on the table in front of them. mike we have warrants! let's pick them up! agent #1 we're on it! the agents rush from the building. bob good job mike, judge wright was impressed with the preparation. about the other day, you understand that i had to ask about what your conversation with jade. i didn't really believe that you may have... mike forget about it. int. jade's apartment - evening jade sips coffee in her kitchen. there is a knock on her door. she glances at the door but does not respond. there is a second knock. omar (o.s.) jade! i know you're in there! jade crosses and opens the door. jade does not invite omar in. jade is it time? omar uh...no. they still putting stuff in place. jade what do you want? omar i though you might want to come out and party before we go to mexico. jade i thought ray was supposed to be watching you. omar yo, fuck ray! i found a new club. all the stars hang there! jade

i'm tired. i need to rest before we take off. omar what you really need is to relax. jade not in some club! omar (suggestively) there are other ways to relax. jade (moving to shut the door) forget it! omar (stopping the door) jade! why you going all cold on me? jade omar, this is getting real old real fast. you'd better go home or to your club or wherever! omar i'm sorry. i just keep forgetting myself, i mean you're so fine! no! i'm gonna stop! i'll stop! jade (closing the door) good night! omar uh...can i use your phone?..no...really. i got to call ray...let him know where i slipped off to. if he knows i'm came here, it'll be kool. jade reluctantly lets him in and heads toward the kitchen. he enters, crosses toward the phone and dials with the disconnect button pressed, watches jade as he talks. omar (cont'd) yeah! let me talk to ray! ray! hey man, everything's kool. i'm over at jade's... jade crosses toward her bags and folded clothes and packs. omar (cont'd) i'll be back in an hour after i get a bite to eat! i'll be there! omar puts the phone down and reaches for an article of clothing to help her pack.

jade that's o.k.!, i don't need any help! he ignores her and places the clothes in a suitcase while watching jade's every move. when jade momentarily turns her back to him, he pounces and grabs her. jade (cont'd) (calmly) let me go, omar. omar i just want to hold you! jade (struggling to break loose) let...me...go! omar tries to kiss her. she pushes him away and heads for the door. he jumps her and they both fall to the floor. she grimaces in pain and grabs her ribs. jade (cont'd) get off me! she rolls, kicking. he tries to open her blouse. she bites him. he falls back in pain. she scrambles away. he cuts her off, grabs her and slaps her hard. she falls back, hitting her head, lies stunned and semi-conscious. he crawls toward her. omar oh shit! jade! jade! as he leans over her, she sucker punches him and rolls away trying to get to her feet. omar (cont'd) c'mere bitch! he grabs her foot but she kicks free and grabs a lamp. she brings the lamp down on his head. as he sinks to his knees unconscious, she makes it to the door and exits. int. body shop - night nate strides into the shop. ray and others await him nervously. nate everything ready? ray the shipment comes in at 2 a.m. nate where's jade?

ray i've been calling her for the last hour...no answer. nate where's omar? ray he gave me the slip! nate i told you... ray i got people look all over for him! nate you've got one hour! if he fucks this up, you've got me and your brother to answer to! he turns to exit. int. mike's condo - night mike works at his desk. there is a weak knock at the door. he lifts his head. there is a louder louder. mike walks over and opens the door. a battered and bloody jade falls into his arms. mike jade! what the fuck? int. jade's apartment - night nate walks around the apartment. he sees the signs of a struggle and blood on the floor. he sees the open suitcases. with an expletive, he runs out. ext. county hospital - night mike's car pulls up in front. int. county hospital - night mike carries jade into the emergency room - filled with people. he strides past a couple arguing with a security guard,past the admittance desk headed toward the examination rooms. nurse sir, wait a minute, you can't... mike call the police! there's been an assault!

int. county hospital exam room - night mike lays jade gently down on the examination table. in the background, the nurse frantically dials the phone. dave, on call, comes down the hallway. the nurse waves him toward the exam room. when he sees mike, he rushes over. dave mike, what are you doing here... (he sees jade and pushes mike aside) oh shit! jade! what the hell happened? nurse, i need help in here! a nurse rushes in. mike (enraged) that motherfucker beat her up! dave quickly and deftly examines her. she moans as she regains consciousness. dave don't move, jade. you're going to be all right. she's got a broken rib, but this really worries me! (pointing to a trickle of blood in her ear)...get her ready! dave pulls mike aside dave (cont'd) what's going on, mike? mike nate beat her up. dave nate davis? why? mike i can't tell you everything right now. jade moans and tries to sit up. the nurse restrains her, as dave rushes over. dave jade, you've got to lie still. jade (weakly) m-mike? mike i'm here, baby. jade

nate...nate... mike i'll get him for this, baby, worry!

don't

jade it...wasn't...nate...omar! she lapses into unconsciousness. dave checks her eyes. the nurse steps out and waves in an orderly. mike what? jade!...jade! the orderly pushes the gurney to the exam table. dave pushes mike aside. dave we've got to get an mri. she's got pressure building in there! dave, mike, the nurse and orderly slide jade onto the gurney. the nurse and orderly push the gurney down the hall. dave (cont'd) (running after them) don't worry! i'll do everything i can! mike nods as dave disappears. two policemen enter. the nurse points them to mike. int. county hospital e.r. lobby - night dave finds mike in the waiting room. things are much quieter. mike sees him approach and stands. mike how...? dave we got the pressure relieved. she's got a concussion... mike will she be o.k.? dave we'll observe her for a few days. she's strong! that helps....you want to tell me what's going on? mike nate's dealership is an organized crime front. they run a car theft ring out of there.

dave hold up! you mean to tell me that i might be driving a stolen car? mike nods his head. mike possibly. and jade?

jade

mike she worked for him. she knew what was going on. dave this is too deep for me! (looks at mike) you're all wore out! you'd better go get some rest. mike no! i want to be here when she wakes up! dave she's heavily sedated...she'll be out for awhile. i'll call you if there's any change! mike thanks, dave...i... dave go home, man. mike nods and leaves. ext. mike's condo -night mike parks his car in front and gets out. as he walks up the walk, nate appears from his car. nate taylor! where's jade? mike the hell with you, silk! you've done enough. nate where is she? mike why do you want to know? nate we've got business! just tell me where

she is. mike right, business! your kind of business. she's in the hospital where one of your boys put her. what?

nate

mike you heard me right! nate grabs mike. mike grips him. they lock together in anger. nate what the fuck are you talking about? mike omar! he beat the shit out of her! nate glares at him, then pushes him away. he's beside himself in anger! mike (cont'd) i thought you were looking after her, silk! what happened? nate i'll take care of it! mike too late, silk! the police are looking for omar and the feds are closing in on you! you don't have much time, "hero"! nate goddammit, i said, i'll take care of it! nate shoves mike, runs to his car and drives off, laying rubber. ext. nightclub - night omar exits, stands in front, looking around. a police cruiser pulls up to the intersection. the officers look at omar, who casually walks in the opposite direction. the car turns and slowly follows him. the cruiser pulls alongside nate as he walks. policeman #1 what's going on? omar not a thing...

policeman #1 you got any i.d? omar (turning slightly) sure. he suddenly takes off, turning down an alley. he pulls down garbage cans behind him as he runs. the car follows, lights flashing. one of the cans catches the front of the car, slowing it. omar glances back and laughs. as he nears the end of the alley, another police car blocks his path. an officer jumps out, gun drawn! policeman #2 freeze omar! int. holding cell - night a guard escorts a prisoner to the cell and uncuffs him and pushes him in with the others. omar pushes his way to the front of the cell. omar hey! what y'all holding me here for? hey! the hallway door opens. mike and a detective enter. they approach the cell. detective (motions to omar) that's him? omar what the fuck? mike bring him to the interrogation room. the detective gestures to the guard who moves forward to cuff omar. int. interrogation room - night omar slumps in the chair and looks around. mike leans against the wall, partly in the shadow. the detective sits at the table. omar i knew you was a front! i ain't got nothin' to say to you, uptown! detective we want to discuss jade brown. omar what about her? i haven't seen her in a couple of days!

detective (poking at a mark on omar's face) where'd you get that? omar ow!...i got in a scuffle with some dudes at the red onion the other night. detective looks real fresh! omar ow! get off, man! the detective pushes a folder across the table. photos spill out. omar (cont'd) what's that? your family photo album? (he laughs) detective i want you to see what you did to her. omar i didn't do nothing! she ran out! hit me on the head! there wasn't nothing wrong with her! detective that's not what she says! that's not what the medical report says! you're looking at an assault with attempted rape ...that's about 7 years, minimum and they don't like rapists at vacaville! omar is silent. the detective stands up abruptly. omar where you going? i told you... detective (moving toward the door) save it for the judge! omar wait a minute! i got something you want to know about! detective i got work to do! omar no! wait! this is big! bigger than some little whore!...

mike starts toward him. the detective restrains mike. detective like what? omar (cocky) something big's coming down tonight! detective well? omar what do i get? detective depends on what you give us. omar no way! i gotta know, first. detective (motions to the guard) put him back in the cell. omar no! wait! i'm talking about a big car heist...probably going down right now! detective let's hear it! omar get me somebody who can make me a deal! the detective turns and looks at mike, who steps forward. omar (cont'd) i told you i ain't got nothing to say to this sellout negro! let me talk to the man in charge! detective he is the man in charge. meet ass't. u.s. attorney mike taylor. omar aw....shit! ext. body shop - night ray and the other men load the last of the gear into the panel truck. they are dressed in jackets bearing the same trucking company logo on the truck. a passenger van and two mustang cobra chase cars are parked nearby. ray's cell phone rings. ray picks up.

int. nate's car - night nate ray, you gotta leave now! ray you find jade? we couldn't find omar! nate she's in the hospital! the police probably have omar by now. get out now! int. body shop - night ray let's get the hell outta here. come on, move it! move it! there is frantic activity as the men board the vans, start the cars and the panel truck. they begin to pull away. int. hospital room -night jade awakens slowly, focusing with difficulty. mike stands at the window. he hears jade moan and rushes to her. mike jade! don't try to move! jade looks at him. tears stream down her face. mike (cont'd) i know, baby. you're gonna be alright! ...nate?

jade

mike the police are looking for him. jade but i...told...you... mike we picked up omar. he sang like a bitch told everything...about the ring, the big heist tonight. the feds are closing in... she turns away from him. caresses her face, wiping it with a tissue. mike (cont'd) you gotta talk to me now, baby. it's the only way i can help. jade looks frightened and vulnerable.

int. interrogation room omar paces back and forth, anxious as he realizes what he's done. omar (banging on the door) hey! hey! guard what do you want? omar i wanna talk to that detective. guard he's gone. omar i'm the star witness! you ain't treating me right! the officer turns away. omar kicks a chair. he paces for awhile, then bangs on the doors. guard you don't want me to come in there! omar i gotta take a leak! you take me, or i'll do it in here! the guard opens the door, cuffs in hand. guard step back. omar you gonna cuff your star witness? i want to talk to mike taylor! guard cuffs, or you don't go! int. trucking van - night ray drives, leading the convoy. he heads for the freeway. ray man, am i glad to see the last of this town! we'll be in long beach in 15 minutes, mexico in 3 hours. he turns down the street leading to the freeway entrance. the streets are deserted. the man next to him looks apprehensive. ray (cont'd) this must be the time to travel around

here! int. bathroom - night omar is escorted by guard into the bathroom. the guard removes the cuffs. omar disappears into a stall as the guard stands by the door. omar begins to choke and he collapses onto the floor of the stall. the guard carefully approaches the stall as omar convulses on the floor. as the guard bends over to examine omar, he head butts him, breaking the guard's nose, knocking him out as he bends over. omar takes the gun and drags the guard into the stall. he lifts the guard onto the toilet and leaves. ext. freeway onramp - night flashing lights are seen at the onramp. ray stops the van. behind the convoy, more flashing lights are seen. int. mike's condo - night mike walks in, exhausted. he checks his messages. bob mike, bob! call me as soon as possible, urgent! he dials mike what's up? bob omar beat up a guard and escaped. mike damn! i'd better get back to the hospital! bob don't bother! we have a 24 hour guard on jade! just watch your back. mike he's not interested in me. he's too busy running from the cops and from nate. bob just be careful! mike have they picked up nate?

bob no. get some rest, mike, you've done one hell of a job! mike disconnects. he turns on the news as he undresses. newscaster repeating a breaking story, a combined federal and local task force has broken up a major car theft and money laundering ring in los angeles. still at large is retired n.b.a. star, nate "silk" davis, proprietor of exoticars... (video switches from nate's picture to show the showroom) mike turns and walks toward his bedroom. int. nate's car -night nate heads for the freeway, sees flashing lights in the distance. nate abruptly detours down a quiet south central residential street and pulls the benz over. nate removes his gun from the glove compartment and contemplates for a few seconds. nate stashes the gun in his jacket pocket and walks down the deserted street, surveying parked cars. after trying two locked doors, he opens an unlocked chevy. he hotwires it and pulls off slowly. int. mike's bedroom - morning mike lies on his bed in his clothes from the night before. he stares out the window into the sunrise. he puts on his sweats and shoes and grabs his basketball. ext. inglewood park - morning mike joins three other men shooting around in the early morning. what's up?

mike

street baller #6 we got four now, let's go 2 on 2. street baller #7 i got time for one before i gotta get ready for work! as they play, they have a conversation. street baller #8

hey, i saw "silk" on the news this morning! street baller #7 yeah, blew me away! i thought silk was kool, had his act together! street baller #6 yeah, now we know what his act was. damned shame! another black hero ruined! mike makes no comment. the game ends, the players gather their bags and wave as they leave. mike waves, stays on the court shooting free throws. as he concentrates, he is hit hard from behind and knocked to the ground. as he focuses and looks up, he sees omar standing over him. omar surprise, motherfucker! mike this is really stupid, omar. the police are looking all over for you and so is nate. you'd better hope for the police. omar that's why i need some insurance. (pulls out a gun) get up! mike gets up slowly. he raises his hands. omar (cont'd) put your fuckin' hands down! mike this will never work! omar no? i figure, who better to help me get outta here than the man who put me here! let's go! mike you're making it worse! omar (laughs) tell me about it, mr. prosecutor!...move or i'll blow you away right here! as mike turns, the ball flies from off camera with great force, hitting omar. omar falls back stunned and drops the gun.

omar and mike both dive for the gun, struggling to keep the other away. mike kicks it away. it slides to the edge of the court at nate's feet. nate picks up the gun and places it in his belt. nate has his gun trained on them. omar (cont'd) yo, nate! i'm glad you showed up! he works for the feds, man, he talked jade into turning on us! nate shut up! omar nate! you don't understand! nate fires at omar's feet. people at the far side of the park scatter like roaches startled by the light. nate (moving closer) it ain't gonna take nothing for me to blow your fool head right off!...move out of the way, counsellor! omar why are you mad at me? i didn't do nothing! i found out he was after us and i was coming to tell you!... he is cut off by nate's backhand. omar stumbles backward as nate grabs him and holds the gun to his head. omar wipes blood from his mouth, terrified. omar (cont'd) nate, please don't... nate you begging now? you little bitch, i'll bet jade didn't beg while you beat her ass! mike (calmly) nate... nate i told you to get outta here! mike i can't let you do this... nate always mr. righteous! mike

he's not worth it. the rap for murder is a lot heavier than the rap for car theft. nate by the time they finish piling on the counts, it won't make a difference! mike no, that's not true! you cooperate, you can plead down! you'll get reduced time, you'll still get out young enough to start fresh! nate don't snow me counsellor. i'm an exhero! where can an ex-hero start fresh? mike you gotta give it up, nate, the whole operation! omar yeah, give it up, man. i was with you but... nate shut the fuck up! mike it's time to take it to the hole, silk. what's it gonna be? as nate hesitates, omar grabs the gun from his belt. as they struggle for it, the gun goes off. nate crumples to the ground. mike freezes. omar kicks nate in the ribs. nate does not respond. omar stupid motherfucker. treat me like shit! nate is sprawled out on the court. mike looks for an escape. omar turns the gun on him. mike backs up. omar (cont'd) where are you going, sorry motherfucker? (raising the gun) later for your sell out ass. i don't need you no how! he aims the gun. just as he's about to pull the trigger, a shot rings out and omar is hit and turns around and his hit by another shot. in the background, nate half-lying down, holds the gun.

omar unsteadily aims the gun at nate and nate fires again. omar falls. nate's gun is pointed at mike. mike and nate stare each other down. slowly, nate lowers the gun and leans back, staring at the sky. ext. inglewood park - morning the police, ambulance and coroner's wagon are on the scene. omar's body is zipped into a body bag. nate is being loaded onto a gurney. mike talks with police. policeman #3 wasn't there a female suspect at large? mike pauses, then shakes his head. mike no, all suspects have been apprehended. one of the medics looks startled by nate's presence. medic #1 you know who this is? medic #2 shakes his head. medic #1 (cont'd) that's nate "silk" davis. remember the nba finals a couple of years ago? medic #2 oh, sure, i remember now. he was mvp. medic #1 shame how they fall! medic #2 shakes his head as they load him into the ambulance. nate (weakly opening his eyes) mike... nate grabs the edge of the ambulance, blocking the gurney from rolling in. medic #1 take it easy, silk, you're gonna be okay! nate ...talk...to...mike! medic #1 you can talk later, we have to get you

to... nate now! medic #2 (yelling back toward the court) mike taylor! who's mike? silk wants you. mike runs over. jade?

nate

mike don't worry about jade. i'll take care of her. nate you'd better... mike starts to walk away but pauses... mike ...what made you come here looking for omar? nate i wasn't...looking for...omar... medic #1 that's enough. we gotta get you to the hospital, right now! nate falls back. they push him into the ambulance, shut the doors, hop in and drive away, siren blaring. mike watches as the ambulance drives away, barely missing dave as he pulls into the parking lot. dave's eyes widen as he takes in the scene. he's wearing sweats. dave what the hell? mike they just picked up nate. dave are you o.k.? yeah.

mike

dave i stopped by your crib to let you know that jade's doing pretty well and to see how you are. i figured you'd be out here. he stops as they load omar's body into the coroner's wagon.

dave looks at mike. omar

mike

dave what will happen with jade? mike jade's not involved in this. dave ...and nate? mike that's up to nate. dave looks around the park. the police are completing the crime scene investigation. the far side courts are empty. dave walks over and picks up the ball. dave 13 straight? mike smiles and nods. they head for the court. fade to black.