Choices Continued--- Act II

 

BEGINS ACT II

 

Fade In:

 

INT.  Back Woods Warehouse                                                                       Scene14

A small isolated building set in a forest, away from the busy streets of Alexandria.  Lila is led into a small well-lit room in the warehouse that resembles the interrogation rooms seen on television cop shows.  The walls are dark brown and the only furniture in the small room is a table and grey chair that Lila sits in with another chair across the table.

LILA, sits in a chair within the room with a confused gaze in her eyes.

Tall Blonde middle aged man enters in a police uniform.  He is husky and looks stern, yet concerned.

POLICEMAN

I know Jason did not tell you why you are here.  We instructed him not to.  We didn’t know if he was being followed.  We are the police.

Blonde policeman pulls out his badge from his coat pocket and shows it to Lila, but continues to talk.

POLICEMAN

You are in very real danger unless you cooperate with us.  When is the last time that you spoke with your mother Lila?

Lila

I haven’t spoken to my mother since I have been here.  My sister and I just got into town.

POLICEMAN

Where is your sister?

LILA

I don’t know where she is and if you don’t start giving me some answers, I’m leaving.  I know you can’t hold me here when I have committed no crime.

POLICEMAN

You are here for your own protection, not my benefit.  Somebody wants you dead.

LILA

Somebody what?!

POLICEMAN

I’m very sorry to tell you this, but your mother is dead.  We don’t have many leads at this point, but we think your stepfather had something to do with her death.  We don’t know what he wants, but we do know he’s dangerous and he killed your mother because she had something that he still can’t find.  So we have reason to believe he might be looking for you and your sister and there’s no telling what he might do when he finds you.

LILA, begins to get dizzy and faints. As she reaches out for the walls they are just out of her reach.  The room begins to spin as it fades to darkness.

Dissolves To:

INT.  Inside of Warehouse                                                                             Scene15

LILA, is now in a small lounge with a TV playing in the background perched on a couch.  She wakes up in the room alone, but finds a note and begins reading it aloud mechanically.

LILA (reading note)

Lila, I am leaving you this note to fully explain the situation that we are dealing with here.  You fell asleep shortly after we brought you into the lounge and I convinced the other officers to let you rest.  My name is Officer Shelley, but you can call me Michelle.  As my colleague explained in quite a harsh matter, your mother was killed two days ago.  The man responsible, your stepfather, has a criminal history dating back 16 years.  He’s assumed multiple identities and is suspected of killing his other three previous wives for their money and for his own sadistic satisfaction.  We will find him and he will pay for this I promise you.  In the meantime, we want to make sure that you and your sister are protected.  Sadly, your troubles get deeper here.  We have reason to believe that your sister has taken a valuable jewel from the man.  Your mother managed to get to a phone and dial 911.  During the call, your stepfather was heard shouting about a missing diamond.  We didn’t find anything of that sort at the crime scene.  So we figure either you or your sister must know where it is.  It is very important that you tell us if you do.  It’s the only way that we can protect you.  As long as he thinks one of you has the diamond, he won’t stop until he finds you.

MICHELLE SHELLEY, a police detective enters the room as Lila finishes reading the notes she had left her.  She walks over to Lila.

MICHELLE

I figured you’d be waking up soon.  I think it’s better that we talk face to face now.  Do you know about the diamond I am speaking of?

LILA

No….

MICHELLE

You have to be honest with us if we are to protect you Lila.  It’s vital that you tell the truth.  Your sister’s life could be depending on it.

LILA, pauses and begins to present a look of deep thought.

LILA

She took it.

MICHELLE

What?

LILA

My sister….Leila….she took the diamond.

MICHELLE

Wait, you saw her take it?  What’s the motive?

LILA

I didn’t see her do it, but……(Her voice trails off)

MICHELLE

But what?  Lila you can talk to me.  You’re safe here.  You can trust me.

LILA

But is my sister safe? What will happen to her?  No, I didn’t see her take it.  We came out here with nothing.  No money, nowhere to stay.  It was all her idea all of a sudden.  My stepdad…well to you he’s a career criminal, but to me he’s an abuser.  Every single day of our lives that man made us miserable.  He beat my mom for the dishes not being done or giving him “that look”, any reason he could think of at that moment.  We moved around so much that I can’t remember all the fake names, alias, and new addresses we had to get.  We never knew we were living with a killer, but we knew that we lived with a monster just the same. Leila wanted to get out.  She came to me and said we were leaving.  Like an idiot, I went with her.  I didn’t even know where we were going.  She claimed she didn’t either.  But the jokes on me huh.  She took it.  I know she did. Whether it was to start a better life for us like she said and get away from the abuse, or whether she just wanted to escape after stealing it, I don’t know.

MICHELLE

It doesn’t matter.  I’m sure whatever your sister did, she did for both of you.  Right now we have to focus on finding her because we can’t protect her from what’s out there.  We have to move now.

LILA, asks to use the bathroom after her phone begins vibrating in her pocket.  She answers the phone.

LEILA (On Phone)

Hello?

LILA(O.S.)

Leila?! Where are you?  Listen there is a lot you don’t know…a lot I didn’t even know.  You have to get off the street.  People are after you!  You are in danger!

LEILA

Lila chill out.  What are you blabbering on about?  I told you I found us a place to stay!  I’ve been worried sick with you not answering my calls.  Quit playing around and come where I told you to!

LILA

For once would you listen to me?!  Mom is dead!

LEILA, get completely quiet on her end of the phone and only rapid breathing can be heard.

LILA

Leila?

LEILA

………..

LILA

Leila!?

LEILA

Mom’s what? (voice is shaking)

LILA

She’d dead.  Our stepdad killed her.  The police, they took me.  I mean I ran into one that was undercover and he brought me here.  They said he’s looking for us, that he’s looking for some diamond and he’ll kill us too.  Please tell me you don’t have that diamond, that you don’t know what I’m talking about.  We might be the cause of mom’s death.  We shouldn’t have left.  You have to come in and tell the police that they’re wrong.  Tell them you don’t have a diamond.

LEILA, begins crying over the phone.  Softly as first so that her sister couldn’t decipher the noise, but gradually increasing in volume.

LEILA

I can’t tell you any of that Li.  I did it…..I took it.  But I did it for us!  How far did you think we were going to get on what we had Li?? This is the real world.  I didn’t understand the codes at first.  I thought it was a real diamond that we could sell.  People have been taking from us our whole lives!  He took our moth….”  (Her voice trailed off for a few seconds, the tears overwhelming her).  We had to start a new life.  You don’t know what I know.  I knew the danger we faced.  I tried to warn mom that night before I came to you.  She didn’t believe me.

LILA

You tried to warn her of what Le?

LEILA

Him!  I snuck in their room earlier that day.  I heard him on the phone.  He said he owed some man a lot of money, but that he couldn’t move anymore and that he must hand over all the codes inside the diamond before long.  He opened up a case and I saw where he hid it.  I ran to tell mom.  She said it wasn’t true and that I was going to have to learn to deal with our new life because that’s all we had.  She wouldn’t listen, so I came to you.  He was going to kill us too. Lord knows I prayed.  I prayed that he was bluffing, that he wouldn’t do it and in my heart I really didn’t think he would.  I didn’t want to tell you, but if it wasn’t for me you and I would both be dead too.

LILA

How could you keep that from me?!  How could you?  Why didn’t you call the police?!

LEILA

He would have denied it, but the same outcome would have occurred.  She didn’t believe me Li.  All she had to do was trust me this once over a man that has never did anything but betray her trust, loyalty, and respect for years, and she couldn’t.  Don’t you know I hate myself for the choices that I made, but they’re made and we can’t change them.

LILA

You have to come to the police station Leila and tell them all that you just told me.  Its dangerous for you out there.

LEILA

Listen to me very carefully, what does the building look like that you are in?

LILA

I’m not sure.  The undercover man didn’t let me see much and mostly I’ve just been in one room.

LEILA

I met someone that we can trust.  His name is Andreo.  There are very few people we can trust in this.

LILA

What are you talking about?  Just come to the police station.  I’ll go ask Officer Michelle exactly how to get here, then you can give the diamond back and everything will be okay.

LEILA

Lila try to understand me.  The police cannot be trusted.  There is far more that you don’t know about this.  This diamond is not a regular diamond.  It unlocks a code….a computer code to a list of names.  All of these names are people in a ring of corruption that goes as high as the White House.  You have to get out of that place….NOW!

LILA, hears a knock on the bathroom door.  She recognizes Michelle’s voice.

MICHELLE

Lila are you okay in there?  We have some more questions we’d like to ask you.

LEILA(on Phone)

Lila, who is that? Did you hear what I said?  You have to get out of that place immediately.  Those are not cops.  They’re in with David our stepdad and I don’t know what they’re looking for with this diamond, but I do know they will kill to get it.  Find a way out.  Andreo will track your cellphone so we can find your location.  Until then, don’t stop running and don’t trust anyone.

LEILA’s call drops at that moment and the phone goes dead.  Michelle keeps knocking on the door and tries to turn the doorknob.  Lila finds a grate in the floor of the bathroom and pulls until it finally opens up, hopping in the sewer.

 

 

 

 

Dissolves To:

 

INT. Sewer Tunnel                                                                                         Scene16

LILA, runs down this dark tunnel for at least 15 minutes without looking back.  The tunnel is seemingly endless, dark, cold, wet, and disgusting.  There is no cellular reception in the tunnel, so Lila is forced to keep pushing forward until she sees an exit.  She finally spots a grate above her head and pushes on it at first to no avail before it moves. 

EXT. Desolate Street outside of tunnel                                                          Scene17

LILA, steps onto a desolate street with no signs of life except for an old man sitting outside of an old abandoned building playing a banjo.  She begins walking toward him to ask where she was, but her phone began to ring.

LEILA(On Phone)

Hello Lila? Are you okay??

LILA

I’m fine.  Just a little bit lost.  Maybe you can help me with that.

LEILA

Andreo is tracgin our call now to find your location.  We tried earlier, but I think you were out of range.  What happened to you?

LILA

You don’t even want to know where I’ve been sister.  What’s the plan when we meet up?  And how deep does this….whatever it is we’ve gotten ourselves into go?

LEILA

Andreo says this conspiracy has been going on for years. Women are conned by David and others like him.  The police cover it up and no one gets caught.  They call it the CO Experiment.  The diamond that I have has all of the access codes to the transferring bank accounts and everyone who’s involved.  We can stop this thing if we get the codes to the right people.

LILA

I don’t think we should get involved.  We’re no heroes.  Let’s just get out of here.

LEILA

They’ll find us Lila.  There is no running from these people once you’ve gotten something that they want.  You’ve seen their faces.  You’re going to be the first to die.  We have no choice.

LILA

We don’t even know who to trust.

LEILA

The lady that you were calling Michelle….what’s her story?

LILA

I didn’t find out much.  You told me they were all in on it.

LEILA

Some are, others just don’t know about the CO Operation.  Did she seem trustworthy?  We need to get back in contact with her.  She has to believe us if she’s not in on it.  Just wait for us.  We’re on our way to you.

LILA walks back down the street toward the little old man still contently playing his banjo. She begins searching for anything that Michelle might have given her.  She digs through her two front jean pockets and comes up with nothing.  Then she looks in her back jean pocket and finds a small sticky note balled up. It had Officer Michelle Muller and her phone number.  She gets her phone out to dial the number when she hears something behind her like steady footsteps, but the footsteps began to have a heavier and faster impact.  She turns around, expecting to see someone, but there is nothing but empty buildings, the old homeless man, and darkness in sight.  She starts walking the opposite way of the noise.  It starts back and she begins to run, but stumbles and everything goes black.

Dissolve To:

 

INT. Andreo’s Blue Ford Focus with Leila in Passenger Seat                       Scene17

Andreo and Leila pick Lila up thirty minutes later. They are all in his car speeding down the highway.

LEILA

You’re finally awake.

LILA

What happened?  I don’t remember anything, but being on the street and running.

LEILA

You were almost caught by who we assume was one of the crooked policemen that you talked to.  But we drove up just in time.

LILA

Well that’s a life-saver.  Where are we headed?

LEILA

I got that lady’s number out of your back pocket.  She’s meeting us somewhere to talk.

LILA

Wait, how do you know she won’t bring the police? It could be a trap.

LEILA

We don’t, but we have to try David has to pay for killing Mom and this CO Experiment must be stopped.  David and his cohorts have been stealing and murdering women for years and as long as the police get their cut, they cover it all up.  It time somebody got justice.

ANDREO, LEILA, and LILA drive continue driving to meet MICHELLE.

ANDREO, has been driving in silence since LILA entered the car.  Leila realizes this and points to him.

LEILA

This is Andreo.  We met not too long after we split up due to some unfortunate reasons. ( both chuckled at this statement as if it were an inside joke).  Anyway his mother was killed during a CO Operation.  They’ll do anything to anyone who is in their way and sadly sis, we’re all in their way now.

ANDREO

Your sister told me a lot about you.  You’re very lucky to have survived with those men in there.  They usually kill without question.  They must have searched you, realized you didn’t know about the diamond.  Otherwise, you would be dead.

(END ACT II)