by Peter Ackers
nick
Not him, then. A brother it is, then. I knew, really, because of his age. I’m guessing a slimy, drug-dealing, freeloading piece of shit. The sort of fucker this world would be better off burying than nurturing. You got one of those immoral bastards in your parasitic family?
She’s saved by the door opening. In walks DAN, a fat guy who looks like he can handle himself. The Receptionist jumps up.
receptionist
Dan, Dan, that’s him, that’s the guy Alan wants.
Dan stands in front of Nick, looking down, arms folded, all menacing.
dan
You stumbled in the wrong place, mate. You and me are taking a ride.
nick
That’s what taxi drivers and their customers do. Shall I tell you where I wanna go, or you want to surprise me?
dan
You won’t be making smart remarks in twenty minutes, mate. On your feet.
He takes Nick’s elbow, hard, yanking him up, moving towards the door. Nick goes without struggle.
receptionist
I’ll let Al know you’re coming.
INT. taxi #2 - morning
Nick’s in the passenger seat. Dan drives, constantly throwing looks Nick’s way. But Nick looks serene, as if this is a normal taxi ride.
Dan’s mobile phone is in a holder on the dash. He dials a number, puts it on SPEAKER.
Shortly the RINGING is replaced by a voice answering. It’s Doki.
doki (phone - sleepy)
Who’s this?
dan
One of your sister’s drivers. She tell you I’ve got that guy?
doki (phone)
Yeah, and now you’re in my good books. You in the taxi now? He listening?
dan
Yeah.
doki (phone)
Hey, dickhead. Remember me? Things just turned shit for you.
nick
My friend. Nearly skidded after I left you. Turns out my front wheel was covered in your piss.
Dan doesn’t know what happened, but he’s shocked by this affront from Nick against a guy like Doki.
doki
You’re fucking dead, man. You wait till you get here. We’re gonna tear you up. Remember my three guys? Well I got them and some more. It’s party time when you get here.
(beat)
Driver, you get him here, pronto, and there’s a pint in it for you. See you in a minute, dickhead.
A CLICK as Doki hangs up.
nick
Dickhead? Think he meant you or me?
dan
Wow. What did you do, mate? Seriously? My boss’s brother, he’s some connected lunatic. What you do to him?
nick
Nothing. He, er, did to me, as you say.
dan
Well you royally pissed him off in some way.
nick
You could let me go. Say I hit you and escaped. Forget the pint he promised you. I’ll get you one with a dash of blackcurrant.
dan
He phoned Carol and freaked her out. Made you out to be some guy who wanted to kill his entire family. Gotta say, you don’t seem that sort, mate. But I can’t let you go. He’d have my head.
nick
I know. So don’t worry about this. You don’t seem so bad, either. You got kids?
dan
Two. Two girls.
nick
Most precious things in the world, eh? If someone hurt them and I took you to the guy who did it, would you be glad?
dan
Hell I would. And I’d rip that guy’s throat out.
nick
So don’t worry about this.
dan
This guy hurt your kid?
Nick nods at him.
dan
He’s gonna want to do you damage, mate. Maybe you’re right and I should lob you out right now, like you said.
nick
He’d have your head, like you said.
dan
Sounds like you want to go see this guy? Not planning some suicide macho thing are ya?
nick
I never do the forethought thing. Just drive, please.
dan
You’re a weird guy. Hell, I’ll do my job. Good luck and all. Sorry about your kid.
nick
You want to help, let me sleep ten minutes. Long day.
Nick rests his head back. Dan stares at him and shakes his head, amazed. Then he gets on with the job of driving.
FADE TO:
Dan is shaking Nick awake. Nick stirs.
dan
We’re here.
Nick notices that Dan has grabbed a fistful of his biker jacket – taking no chances right at the end.
THROUGH WINDSCREEN
We see a wide street. Slightly run-down. The houses are terraced, no front gardens. There are shops. We’re outside a car repair garage that has a big sliding door with two windows in it.
From a door high in the side wall, maybe a flat above the garage, we see figures emerge and come down a metal staircase: Doki, Eli, Zack, Ice, and four other mean-looking HENCHMEN. The Henchmen and Eli and Zack move slowly.
Doki and Ice pound towards the car, jumping and whooping like eager kids at the park. Everyone we already know wears different outfits to the ones we saw before. They’ve slept and changed.
BACK TO SCENE
dan
Her brother’s the white guy coming at us. Sorry about this, mate.
nick
No worries. Thanks for the sleep.
No time for anything else. The passenger door is yanked open and a foot comes in, the push-kick catching Nick in the side of the head, stunning him. Then he’s being pulled out.
EXT. doki’s street - morning
Doki and Ice haul Nick out violently. Dan doesn’t seem to want to hang around to become collateral damage: a shriek of rubber on tarmac and his taxi’s leaping away like greased lightning.
doki
Any thoughts on moving to Mars yet, asshole?
Doki rams his knee into Nick’s stomach, doubling him over. Nick drops to the ground. Ice, also CURSING HIM, kicks him while down. Ice shows a gun in his waistband.
ice
A present for you, dickhead.
Doki waves over his guys.
