Nate & Jade (excerpt From "death Valley")

EXT. CONDOMINIUM COMPLEX - DAY Nate and Jade Chandler’s new multi-unit condo. Whitsett Avenue near Ventura Boulevard. Nate’s Audi emerges from the shadows and into the light of day. The Audi pauses, turns right heading north. Over the SOUNDS of AMBIENT TRAFFIC, we hear a mobile PHONE RING. INT. NATE’S CAR - DAY Nate’s phone RINGS loud, clear and in FULL STEREO, courtesy of his mobile phone’s car stereo connection. Nate answers after one ring. NATE Bway-noh! JADE (V.O.) (filtered, over phone) Oh, hablar Espanol? NATE Ahhh, not so much. EXT. LAPD NORTH HOLLYWOOD DIVISION - DAY Morning traffic blows past a very modern looking police station. JADE (V.O.) (over phone, filtered) Then don’t bueno me, fool. INT. POLICE DISPATCH - SAME TIME JADE CHANDLER, gorgeous, mixed-descent, late twenties, glares into her dispatcher’s console, a mischievous glint in her eyes. She listens intently to her husband, her badge catching the blue light of her monitor. JADE Where are you? NATE (V.O.) (over phone, filtered) Driving to the airport.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED:

6.

Jade’s jet black hair is pulled back into a tight bun that gleams in the low room light. JADE Oh how nice? And where we going? NATE NATE Ahhgh. Come on, we did this last night. JADE (V.O.) (filtered, over phone) Yeah we’re doin’ it again, c’mon. NATE Faahck, I told ya! It’s literally in the middle of nowhere. JADE JADE I know that’s where I fell asleep. Finish. NATE NATE (sighs) Plat maps all have it southwest of Death Valley. THE AUDI makes a sweeping left turn across a busway and onto Chandler Boulevard. JADE (V.O.) (over phone, filtered) Death Valley?! Sounds like the wrong place for a downtown attorney. Especially an Asian one and ess-pecially on a Friday night! NATE (over her) Won’t even be that long, babe. We’re in and out by five at the

latest. Harper’s flying us, remember? JADE (CONTINUED) CONTINUED:

7.

JADE Oh God, I forgot. NATE NATE (over her) Hey I’ll probably beat you home. Unless the deal falls apart or we fall out of the sky in which case I might be a little late. JADE struggles to keep it curse-free in the dispatch room. JADE Okay, you know what, don’t Nate. Alright? I dunno why can’t just drive or take a friggin’ plane like normal

do that you guys real people?

NATE NATE Because a twelve-hour road trip ain’t the way you spend a guy like Gad Harper’s time. Ahight? We’re lucky he’s even interested. JADE listens, with distress on her brow. NATE NATE Besides, real airplanes need real airports, which you don’t generally find in places you can’t find on a map.

NATE looks out his window at the big, gated properties strewn along Chandler Boulevard. JADE (V.O.) (filtered, over phone) Sounds like anything but a quick trip, dude.

(CONTINUED) CONTINUED:

8. NATE Well, it’s worth it. Believe me. It’s worth it.

We roll with Nate for a beat. JADE takes a breath. JADE Okay, so what is it again? You and my brother feasting on some more foreclosure victims? NATE NATE No, not at all. A whole town’s going under and all the banks up there are either on life support or wiped out altogether. JADE JADE That’s sad. NATE (V.O.) (filtered, over phone) It is sad! That’s why we’re stepping in. NATE NATE The town gets a loan and we get a

few tracts of land. No victims, right? JADE (filtered, over phone) I guess. So what’s the name of this quaint little town? MONTAGE OF SHOTS A kid playing with a three-legged dog. A man loading furniture into a raggedy truck, his wife and children looking on. A businessman pounding nails into a boarded up storefront. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED:

9. NATE (V.O.) (filtered, over phone) Darwin. JADE (V.O.) (filtered, over phone) Darr-win? God it just gets better and better, huh?

NATE Drives, checks his wristwatch. NATE Ehhh. JADE JADE Hey, so are Marshall, Will and Holly going too? NATE (V.O.) (filtered, over intercom) Who? JADE (laughs) To the laaaand of the lost? NATE

Sighs. Doesn’t need this shit. NATE Nice. JADE JADE Friggin’ sleestaks and whatnot. NATE JADE (V.O.) (filtered, over phone) Ssss-ssssshhh!! NATE Okay, wow honey. Like I said, we’re in and out, okay? All we need are some ink pens and people willing to use ’em. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED:

10.

JADE (V.O.) (filtered, over phone) Hmmm. Well speakin’ of in and out. JADE shoots a wink at a female officer next to her. JADE Where you taking me tonight? I’m off at noon, sleeping ’til four. Whassup tonight? NATE (V.O.) (filtered, over phone) Ninety fourth? JADE Shhh-yeah! What time? NATE NATE

Six sharp. Call you by four if anything changes. JADE (V.O.) (filtered, over phone) Ahhh, no! Too late. Dinner and drinks by six or you are cut off, buddy. Cut! Off! Got it? NATE Damn, see that’s just harsh. JADE (V.O.) (filtered, over phone) Nate? EXT. CHANDLER AT VAN NUYS BLVD. - DAY Nate’s Audi approaches the end of Chandler Boulevard. NATE (V.O.) (filtered, over phone) Yeah. JADE (V.O) (filtered, over phone) Be careful. (CONTINUED) CONTINUED:

11.

The Audi hugs the long right turn, accelerates and negotiates a merge onto Van Nuys Boulevard. NATE NATE (V.O.) (filtered, over phone) Okay. JADE (V.O.) (filtered, over phone) Call me? NATE I will. The call ends without the requisite ’I love you’. Strictly business at the precinct.