Amongthieves

Among Thieves
by
Danny Katz
917.499.0051
[email protected]
INT. WHITE VAN, STREETS OF NEW YORK CITY - NIGHT
BILL, 50s, posture projects charisma, his pinned eyes hide

something more sinister. He sits in the front passenger seat,
germ mask on his face, beanie on his head.
BILL
P & D. Go time.
EXT. STREET, OUTSIDE JEWELRY STORE - NIGHT
PETER, 30s, lanky and awkward, hops out of the van.
DARYL, 30s, Napoleonic in stature and attitude, follows him.
They wear black masks and coveralls, with thick gloves. Real
thick. Thick enough to handle the two home-made SPIKE STRIPS.
Peter drags his strip across the street, North to South,

hides behind a postal service mailbox. Daryl drags his strip
across the street, East to West, ducks beside trash bags.
INT. WHITE VAN, STREETS OF NEW YORK CITY - NIGHT
Bill waits for Peter and Daryl to get in place, then--
BILL
Perimeter's set. C, AD - you're on.
EXT. STREET, OUTSIDE JEWELRY STORE - NIGHT
ANDRE, 40s, all business, exits the van, holds a duffle bag.
CELESTE, 20s, adrenaline and Monster Energy, follows him out.
Bandanas over faces, purple latex gloves on hands, baseball

caps on. Celeste removes a lock pick kit from her pocket,
picks the lock on the storefront security gate...POP.
She pulls the gate up. Andre removes a heavy-duty circular

glass cutter from the duffle bag, CARVES A LARGE HOLE INTO
THE WINDOW of the jewelry store. He holds his breath, removes
the piece of glass with a suction cup...no alarm...not yet,
anyway. Celeste and Andre step in through the hole.
INT. JEWELRY STORE - MOMENTS LATER
Andre uses the glass cutter to create small windows in the

partitions, behind which expensive jewelry is kept.
They snatch up all the product, bag it in the duffle.

2.
EXT. STREET, OUTSIDE JEWELRY STORE - SAME TIME
They lug the duffle to the van. Peter and Daryl gather their
spike strips, jump in.
Van pulls away - immediately hits a red light, stops.
INT. VAN - SAME TIME
CHARLIE, 40s, nerdy, panicky, sunglasses on, head down.
CHARLIE
You'd think one time, these damn
traffic lights would cooperate.
BILL
Just be cool, no big deal.
CHARLIE
Easy for you to say, you gotta mask
on.
BILL
Keep your head down. All you have to
do.
The van lights up in a green glow. Charlie accelerates.
EXT. STREET, OUTSIDE 2ND FLOOR JEWELRY STORE - SAME TIME
The van moves downtown three blocks. Half a block west, it

comes to a halt outside a two story building. The backdoors
swing open. Peter and Daryl hustle back out, drag their spike
strips into place.
Bill turns, addresses the crew.
BILL
Perimeter's set. Gym Rat, you ready to
make something of yourself?
EXT. STREET, OUTSIDE 2ND FLOOR JEWELRY STORE - MOMENTS LATER
JACK, 20s, blond, heroic shoulders, hops out of the van,

pantyhose over his face, chalk on his hands. A LONG ROPE is
wrapped around his waste, two suction cups hang from the
rope, TIED AT THE END is Andre's GLASS CUTTER.
Jack SCALES THE BUILDING'S FACADE, like a mountain climber.

3.
INT. WHITE VAN, STREETS OF NEW YORK CITY - SAME TIME
The gang watch through the windshield as Jack climbs to the

second floor of the building.
CELESTE
I don't know if he's ready. AD or I
should'a done this.
BILL
Like either of you could climb that--
EXT. STREET, OUTSIDE 2ND FLOOR JEWELRY STORE - MOMENTS LATER
Jack reaches the second floor, attaches one of the SUCTION

CUPS to the top of the window, feeds the rope through it, so
he can HANG IN THE AIR, HANDS-FREE. He pulls the glass cutter
up to himself, attaches it to the other suction cup.
Dangling from a rope, two stories above the concrete, Jack

carves a large hole into the window of the jewelry store. He
operates the tool like a novice, but eventually removes the
glass circle, without setting off the security alarm.
He turns back toward the van to give a thumbs up - the UPPER

SUCTION CUP POPS OFF THE WINDOW...Jack falls.
INT. MID AIR - DAY
ETHAN, adrenaline junky, late-20s, falls through the air.
Why the fuck is he falling so slowly? Has time and space been
altered? He can see things so...clearly. A SINGLE BEAD OF
SWEAT that flies off his nose. The way each strand of hair
moves on his arm. The space between his fingers, the lines on
his palm--
ETHAN
Fuck.
INT. THE CLIMBING GYM - SAME TIME
A gravity-fueled collision with a padded mat, snaps Ethan

back to reality. Large facility, several climbing walls.
STAFF MEMBER, 40s, looks on in horror.
STAFF MEMBER
Jesus Ethan. You gotta use a harness.
You crazy? That's 60 feet. That's like
falling four stories - onto a mat.
4.
Ethan gasps for air.
ETHAN
Relax, relax. Just had the wind
knocked outta me, is all.
He picks himself up.
STAFF MEMBER
You dropped a...that a poker chip?
Staff Member points at A LARGE COIN, left behind on the mat.

Ethan scoops it up.
ETHAN
My 30 days chip. Thanks.
He tosses the chip up in the air.
INT. BACK ROOM OF CHURCH - DAY
The 30 Days Sobriety Chip lands in Ethan's palm, as he pushes

through the massive church doors. The hinges screech.
GROUP OF PEOPLE turn, look. Circle of fold-out chairs.
Some familiar faces, a few nods as Ethan finds his seat.

Charlie, the overweight, nerdy driver from the opening heist.
Peter's there, too. So is Celeste.
ARCHIE, 18, skittish, desperate in the eyes.
JAY, early 40s, cigarette rests behind his ear.
JAY
I guess I just feel like, I already
lost everything, anyway. What's even
the point of staying sober?
Bill, the 50 y.o. heist ringleader--
BILL
And what do you do, usually, when you
feel this way?
JAY
Well, I try like hell not to break
down, start sniffing sharpies.
Earns a chuckle from the group.

5.
BILL
Humor helps. We all need a way of
dealing with that anxiety. That
feeling you get, the one where you
abandon any pretense of will-power, of
self control, right before you do
something you know you shouldn't.
Like, suck your neighbor's dick for a
gram of blow.
Bill stares at Celeste as he says this. She nods.
BILL (CONTINUED)
Or swallow all the opiates you were
fronted, instead of selling 'em like
you were supposed to. Then taking out
a second mortgage on your home, just
so some asshole with a neck tattoo
doesn't bust down your door, break
your knee cap in front of your kid.
Bill glares at Charlie. Charlie nods.
ETHAN
Wrap it up, Billy Shakespeare. You're
making everybody glum.
BILL
Fuck you very much. Ethan here, his
thing is climbing. Climbs every day.
ETHAN
I go to this gym. Neighborhood place,
I highly recommend it.
BILL
Alright, no one wants to touch your
dick at the climbing gym. Look, the
bottom line is this, if all you see
when you look in the mirror, is an
addict. And everyone else - society -
sees addicts as a burden, then that's
exactly what you are. A burden. It's
the transitive property.
Jay listens to Bill with a skeptical look on his face.
EXT. CHURCH - NIGHT
The N.A. group files out, down the church steps. Blinders on,
Ethan darts for the street - he's stopped.
6.
The youngster, Archie, taps him on the shoulder.
ARCHIE
Hey, Ethan?
Ethan considers ignoring him, soldiering on, but--
ETHAN
Fuck-uh, yeah?
ARCHIE
You think maybe I can come with you?
To the climbing gym?
ETHAN
Oh. Uhh, its really only for members.
ARCHIE
Didn't you say--
ETHAN
It's the place on 85th and 1st, next
to Starbucks. You should check it out
sometime. See you around.
He's half way gone before he finishes the sentence.
INT. ETHAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT
Apartment's tiny. On Ethan's desk, a PIGGY BANK. He picks it

up, holds it. Puts it back down, pulls on his running shoes,
headphones in, he's out the door.
EXT. SIDEWALK/STREET - NIGHT
Ethan jogs through the streets of Yorkville, a quaint

neighborhood on the Upper East Side of New York City, where
small-town quirk clashes with its urban environment.
Shiny skyscrapers stand tall next to shabbier red brick

buildings, act as canopy to the townhouses and brownstones
down below. Extreme wealth, hidden comfortably in the shadows
of industrial excess.
EXT. EAST RIVER - NIGHT
Drenched in sweat, Ethan's jog comes to an end. He receives a

text from his DAD.
The message reads: LUNCH TOMORROW?

7.
EXT. BURGER SPOT - DAY
Text from Ethan, it reads: ALMOST THERE.
DAD, 60s, reading glasses, uses iPhone like an old man. Ethan
approaches from up the block. They embrace.
INT. BURGER SPOT - DAY
Each about halfway done with their burger.
ETHAN
Why's it so sucky?
DAD
They lure you in with the potential of
these high commission deals. It's a
mirage. I'm essentially working for
minimum wage, when you count out all
the hours. It just sucks.
ETHAN
That's lame.
DAD
It's obnoxious is was it is.
ETHAN
You don't sell nanny-cams, do you?
That'd be like, working for the enemy.
DAD
So, you're blaming the nanny-cams now?
ETHAN
Just a joke, just a joke.
DAD
I didn't realize we were ready to joke
about it.
Ethan sips his water, avoids eye contact.
ETHAN
So, you think you're gonna quit?
DAD
Certainly not. Bank just denied my
request to refinance the mortgage.
What's our favorite cliche?
8.
ETHAN
About the beggars and the choosers?
Dad takes a big bite of his burger.
ETHAN
Well, what does that mean? You guys
gonna lose the apartment?
Dad checks his watch, hands his credit card to a WAITRESS.
DAD
No, no. We're fine.
ETHAN
There's this one guy, I see at my N.A.
meetings. He's a financial advisor--
DAD
Don't worry about it, Ethan.
ETHAN
How am I not gonna worry about it?
DAD
One of these days, I'll learn to stop
oversharing with you.
ETHAN
You can probably apply for like a,
some kind of loan-forgiveness program.
DAD
I'm handling it, really.
ETHAN
Alright, alright.
DAD
You settle on a therapist, yet?
ETHAN
Not yet.
DAD
Your mother and I think it could
really help. I sent you the number of
one, would you call her?
ETHAN
I'll call her pop. I will.
9.
Waitress reappears.
WAITRESS
Sorry sir, your credit card was
actually declined.
Dad fishes another card out from his wallet.
DAD
Do me a favor and run it again, but
split it with this one, please.
ETHAN
Want me to get this one?
DAD
No, no. Don't worry, it'll go through.
INT. SUBWAY PLATFORM - DAY
Ethan paces. Why the fuck is his heart beating so loud? And
he's sweating, what the fuck is he sweating so much for? He
twirls the cowlick at the back of his head, loops the hair
around his finger, over and over. He steps to the edge of the
platform, looks left. Looks right. Backs up, all the way
back, against the wall.
ETHAN
Fuck.
He fucking goes for it. Full sprint. Leaps from the platform.
Lands on the subway tracks.
INT. TRACKS, SUBWAY - MOMENTS LATER
He jumps the third rail.
Jumps the divider to the other side, toward the platform for
the train running the opposite way. Said train rumbles on.
Ethan makes it to the last track, illuminated in the

headlights of the on-coming train, he leaps, grabs onto the
edge of the platform, hoists himself up, just before the
subway blasts through the station and comes to a halt.
INT. OPPOSITE SUBWAY PLATFORM - MOMENTS LATER
Ethan huffs, puffs, struts victoriously over to the stairs,

climbs up out of the subway, shoulders up, back straight.
10.
INT. ETHAN'S APARTMENT - DAY
Slumped shoulders, hunched back. Adrenaline high has worn

off. Ethan drops his phone, wallet, keys to the floor. He
melts down into the carpet.
Why's his heart beating so fucking loud? He looks over at the

desk - the PIGGY BANK. He crawls for it. Picks it up, grips
it, raises it, about to smash it--
N.A. meeting. Bill, Ethan, Jay, Archie, plus some new faces.
BILL
And? Did you smash it?
ETHAN
No.
BILL
What'd you do?
ETHAN
I put it back, called you.
BILL
Why?
ETHAN
I saw my 30 Days chip, on the desk.
BILL
And?
ETHAN
And I wanna be sober.
BILL
You did well. You had a tough moment,
so you called me. You did well.
ETHAN
Just feels like it's all tough
moments, lately.
Jay perks up at that - it sounds familiar to him. He can

relate. He opens his mouth to speak, to agree, to tell Ethan
he's not alone, but--
11.
ETHAN (CONTINUED)
My parents...they're just so
disappointed. I told them I got this
internship. Just so they think I'm
doing something.
BILL
That's sort of pathetic.
ETHAN
I know.
Jay shoots Bill a skeptical glance. Bill ignores.
BILL
Reminds me of a guy I know, used to go
out everyday, tell his wife he had job
interviews.
ETHAN
What was he really doing?
BILL
Sucking dick for Oxy, maybe, I can't
remember.
JAY
Point is, lying can lead to
backsliding. Right?
Bill turns, acts surprised by Jay's presence.
BILL
No, that wasn't my point.
He swings his head back around, eyes on Ethan.
BILL (CONTINUED)
My point is, that festering in your
own failures and personal demons, will
only turn you pathetic, weak. Yeah,
you let your parents down. But guess
what? You're genetically programmed to
make the same mistakes they did.
You're only human. You have to quit
festering, Ethan. You have to make
something of yourself.
Ethan's finally out of witty comebacks. He just sits there,

eye's wider then a fucking owl. Jesus Christ would somebody
break this silence--
12.
JAY
That sounds like some tough-love bull
crap, to me. Ethan, you don't have to
make something of yourself. Just stick
to the steps. You have a sponsor?
ETHAN
Who are you, again?
EXT. FRONT STEPS, CHURCH - NIGHT
As he exits the church, Archie stops him. Taps his shoulder.
ARCHIE
Hey uh, E-Ethan?
ETHAN
Yeah?
ARCHIE
I'm Archie--
ETHAN
I know.
ARCHIE
I was-I was, I guess I need a...like a
sponsor? And I--
ETHAN
Let me save you some stutters, kid. I
can barely keep my own head on
straight, I'd be a miserable fuck of a
sponsor. Try that guy Jay, maybe.
Ethan continues on, gets flagged down again. Bill this time.
BILL
You have to put this internship
charade behind you. Come work for me.
ETHAN
At the moving company?
BILL
What? Like that's beneath you?
ETHAN
Not at all. Please, I will literally
do anything, short of sucking a male
cock, to start earning.
13.
BILL
Female cock still on the table,
though?
ETHAN
Hey, I'll try anything once.
BILL
That's the spirit. You know where my
store front is?
ETHAN
Like there's a small business in the
'Ville, that I can't locate.
BILL
Oh that's right, I forgot, you're a
real man of the people. Meet me at
midnight.
ETHAN
Why so late?
BILL
You have to know one rule, if you're
gonna come work for me.
Ethan raises an eyebrow.
BILL (CONTINUED)
No fucking questions, ever.
ETHAN
Fair enough.
BILL
And that kid, Archie? Sponsor him.
Might do you both some good.
ETHAN
Always with the helping other people
crap. We get it Bill, you're the last
Saint of Yorkville.
BILL
Who the hell is we?
ETHAN
The People.
Ethan pops his headphones in, flips Bill the bird, walks off.
14.
INT. LIVING ROOM, ETHAN'S PARENTS' APARTMENT - NIGHT
Ethan enters. Dad's on the couch, documents scattered about.
ETHAN
How goes it, Pops?
DAD
It goes round, son. It goes round.
Didn't know you'd be stopping by.
ETHAN
Left some laundry here, yesterday.
What you got there?
DAD
List of target addresses around
Yorkville. Potential sales.
Ethan studies the documents.
ETHAN
Townhouses and brownstones?
DAD
Yep.
ETHAN
Any update on that mortgage stuff?
DAD
Meeting a guy tomorrow.
ETHAN
Well, that's vague.
Dad shrugs, looks defeated.
ETHAN (CONTINUED)
Dog been out?
DAD
No, gonna walk him now.
Dad gets up, leaves the room.
ETHAN
I'll do it.
DAD (O.S.)
Okay. I'll fold your laundry, then.
15.
ETHAN
You're a mensch.
With his phone, Ethan TAKES PICTURES OF HIS DAD'S SALES LIST.
EXT. SIDEWALK, OUTSIDE ROW OF TOWNHOUSES - NIGHT
Ethan walks the DOG. Slow walk, old dog. Leash in his left
hand, phone in his right. He studies the snapshot of his
father's sales targets, the list of addresses.
It reads: 301, 303, 305, 307, 309...
Ethan looks up, studies the corresponding numbers on the

front of each townhouse. Studies the neighboring walk-up
building, the brownstones across the street. Eyes glued -
until the dog yanks him out of it, deems their pace too
leisurely, even for him. Ethan looks at the dog.
ETHAN
Fuck am I even thinking, Rover?
The dog stops, squats, shits.
EXT. DISCOUNT BILL'S MOVING COMPANY - NIGHT
Ethan avoids a pile of dog shit, approaches BILL'S

STOREFRONT. The store's safety gate is pulled down three
quarters of the way to the ground - room to crawl under.
Ethan pulls his phone out, checks the time. 12:03AM.
He looks around, no one on the street. He drops to the

ground, rolls under the safety gate--
INT. BLACK SUV - SAME TIME
Bill sits in the driver's seat. Daryl in shotgun. They watch

Ethan roll under the safety gate.
BILL
You see that? Instincts.
DARYL
But, can we trust him? Feels too
quick. Like we're rushing it.
Bill honks twice, flashes his brights. Ethan climbs into the
car a moment later, sits in the middle of the back, waits for
the silence to break.
16.
DARYL
Here's the deal, kid--
ETHAN
I'm 27 years old, pal.
DARYL
What's your point?
ETHAN
I'm not a fucking kid.
Daryl turns to address him, face-to-face. Bill stops him.
BILL
Okay, Mr. 27-Year-Old. You want to be
talked to as an adult, here's the rub.
Bill adjusts the rearview mirror, looks Ethan in the eyes.
BILL (CONTINUED)
Fourth floor of that building, there.
Red brick, with the fire escape?
ETHAN
I see it.
BILL
Apartment's owned by the step-father
of a young woman in our crew.
Beautiful girl, intelligent girl,
intuitive - you're gonna love her.
DARYL
If he ever meets her, that is.
BILL
Name's Macy, she's like a niece to me.
Her prick of a step-dad won't let her
come to meetings anymore.
ETHAN
Damn, I'm sorry to hear that--
DARYL
You think we need your sympathy?
BILL
Relax, D. We're about to ask him a
favor, you're jumping down his throat.
17.
ETHAN
A favor?
BILL
Macy's been trying to emancipate
herself for years. Long before she
joined our crew.
ETHAN
How old is she?
DARYL
Don't be asking Bill questions, man--
BILL
Relax, D. She's in her early twenties.
ETHAN
So, she doesn't need to be
emancipated. What's the issue?
BILL
When Macy's father died, he left all
he had to her, in a safe deposit box.
Step-dad manages the bank her father
used.
DARYL
We think he targeted her mother
romantically, in order to get close
enough to Macy.
ETHAN
Close enough to do what?
BILL
He claims to have a Master Key, can
open up every single safe deposit box
in the bank. Tells Macy, he gets one
whiff of her trying to claim her
rightful inheritance, he'll take it
all. He dishes it out to her in little
bits, like an allowance.
ETHAN
Sounds made up. Like a scare tactic.
BILL
That's what we thought, smart guy. And
that's where you come in.
18.
ETHAN
I don't follow.
BILL
Our guy, AD. Handyman. Used to install
Safe Rooms for a security company.
DARYL
That was before he joined the crew,
became a small business owner.
BILL
Really made something of himself.
ETHAN
Cute story. How's it relate to us,
parked outside a bank manager's
building, half past midnight?
DARYL
AD helped install the Safe Room up
there. So we know, for a fact, it only
has one weak spot.
BILL
The Safe Room has a window. In the
event they need to lock themselves in,
can't run outta oxygen. Plus, why the
fuck would anyone ever scale a
building, to get into a Safe Room,
that almost nobody knows exists?
ETHAN
You want me to climb up there? That's
like...four fucking stories.
DARYL
Told you he wouldn't do it.
BILL
He didn't say he wouldn't do it.
ETHAN
Not exactly what I thought you meant,
when you said you had work for me.
BILL
Consider it a trial run. This crew
requires a certain level of trust.
Bill turns all the way around, looks right at Ethan.

19.
BILL
Scale the building, break the window.
DARYL
Safe Room's soundproof, by design. No
one in the apartment'll hear.
BILL
Plug this code into the safe, take a
picture of the Master Key to confirm
its existence, get the hell out.
Bill hands Ethan a SLIP OF PAPER with a numbered code on it.
ETHAN
I shouldn't take the key?
BILL
You take it, he might realize before
Macy gets a chance to make her play.
ETHAN
Bill, this is insane.
BILL
Any more insane than stealing pills
and petty cash from your neighbor's
apartments?
ETHAN
Look where that landed me, asshole.
Daryl turns in his seat, about to pounce on Ethan. Bill stops

him cold, with just a glance. Daryl turns back around.
BILL
You have skills, E. There's nothing
worse in life than a wasted skillset.
Make something of yourself.
Ethan gets out of the car.
EXT. BUILDING ON CORNER - SAME TIME
Ethan studies the facade of the red brick building. He twirls

the cowlick at the back of his head, loops the hair around
his finger. He looks left, looks right - coast is clear.
He climbs up onto a railing-divider, beneath which a

staircase leads down to a sub-level. He balances.
20.
A fall to the sub-level could kill him, maim him at least. He

climbs from the divider to the awning of the neighboring
building.
INT. BLACK SUV - SAME TIME
Bill & Daryl watch in awe, as Ethan climbs from one building
to the next, spider-monkeys his way onto the fire escape.
DARYL
No fucking way.
BILL
Told you. He's the one.
EXT. FIRE ESCAPE - MOMENTS LATER
Ethan climbs up to the fourth and final level. He steps up

onto the railing, scales the ledge of the building, over
toward a WINDOW, about six feet from the platform.
His back to the brick, Ethan shimmies across the ledge. He

gets to the window, tries to open it. IT WON'T BUDGE. Fuck.
As if this escapade wasn't bold enough already, Ethan turns
around, whilst balancing himself on the ledge of the fourth
story, one hand clinging to the windowsill.
He faces the window now, tries again to open it, harder this
time, elbow grease. It works, the glass slides up.
He climbs inside.
INT. SAFE ROOM, BANK MANAGER'S APARTMENT - MOMENTS LATER
The Safe Room is bare in amenities - army style rations, a

couple supply boxes, and of course, the safe.
Ethan twists the lock to match the digits on the slip of

paper. The lock clicks. The door swings open. He rifles
through folders and files, pulls out a large, round KEY, on a
long sliver chain - bingo.
He snaps pictures on his phone.
INT. BLACK SUV - MOMENTS LATER
A POLICE CRUISER pulls up next to the car. Just for a moment.

It passes on by, slows to a stop at the red light. Daryl
stares straight ahead, tunnel vision, until the red glow
turns green, the police cruiser strolls on. Sigh of relief.
21.
BILL
There he is, look.
Bill and Daryl watch Ethan emerge from the window.
BILL
Here's the tricky part.
DARYL
No way he makes it back to that
platform.
BILL
Can't you have a little faith?
DARYL
Had a little faith in our last
climber, didn't I?
BILL
I didn't know any better, I'd swear
you were challenging me, D.
Lump in his throat, Daryl swallows hard.
DARYL
Bill, I--
BILL
Look.
They watch as Ethan hangs from the window ledge by just his
arms, flattens his feet against the building, LAUNCHES
HIMSELF TWO YARDS THROUGH THE AIR, four fucking stories above
the ground, just barely grabs onto the fire escape.
DARYL
Holy fucking shit.
EXT. FIRE ESCAPE - SAME TIME
Ethan repels down, gets to the second floor, jumps to the

closed dumpster beneath.
INT. BLACK SUV - MOMENTS LATER
Ethan climbs into the backseat of the car.
ETHAN
I took a pic, it's real. I got it.
22.
They drive off, navigate traffic, obey the rules of the road.
DARYL
Hate to admit it, I'm impressed.
ETHAN
Where we going now?
BILL
Let's get rid of this car. It's time
you met the crew.
ETHAN
Wait, whose car is this?
INT. BIG TIME ARCADE - NIGHT
Retro arcade games, colorful lights, a pre-teen's paradise.
MACY, 20s, free-spirit, too intelligent to hang with a crew

like this, but alas, here she is. She races Celeste in a
NASCAR arcade game. Celeste cheats, cover's Macy's eyes.
MACY
Cheater! Cheater! You bitch.
Peter and Andre play Pop-a-Shot, Charlie idles nearby.
CHARLIE
Where's Bill at, anyway?
ANDRE
Don't be so concerned, Chuck.
PETER
Bill's right where he needs to be.
CELESTE
Always is.
CHARLIE
Kinda funny, he likes to know where we
are, all hours of the day. Doesn't
keep us in the loop, though.
CELESTE
You gotta strange sense of humor,
Chuck, you think that's kinda funny.
Celeste loses the racing game to Macy.

23.
MACY
I believe the saying is, cheaters
never prosper.
ANDRE
Nah, she's just not cheating right.
Bill enters, flanked by Daryl and Ethan. Daps and cheers from
all. Peter hands Daryl a beer, who passes it to Ethan.
ETHAN
Uh, I'm in recovery.
He tries to hand the beer back. They laugh.
PETER
So's everyone else.
DARYL
It's non-alcoholic, relax. This is the
crew. Gawky motherfucker is P. C's the
one with the metal shit in her face.
CELESTE
Fuck you, D.
BILL
This is my main man, E. I know you'll
all make him feel at home.
PETER
Hey new guy.
CELESTE
Sup E? AD is the one kicking ass in
Pop-a-Shot over there. We call Fat
Charlie here, Chuck.
CHARLIE
We met a few times.
ETHAN
Yeah?
CHARLIE
You go to meetings at the church,
right?
ETHAN
Oh right, right, right.
24.
PETER
E, this is M. She was our last newbie.
ETHAN
M?
MACY
Macy.
She sticks her hand out for a shake. He takes it, leans in.
ETHAN
(whispers)
Ethan. Although, I think we're
supposed to use our code names.
She laughs.
MACY
Wanna play some Mortal Kombat?
ETHAN
Oh, hell yeah.
Everyone splinters off into arcade games, odd-man-out Chuck

has no one to play with. Bill nods at Daryl, who follows him
up a staircase.
ETHAN
What goes on up there?
Macy shrugs.
MACY
Just Bill's office, I think.
ETHAN
Does Bill own this arcade?
CELESTE
We all do.
ETHAN
Like a co-op?
INT. SECOND FLOOR OFFICE, BIG TIME ARCADE - NIGHT
Bill sits behind his desk, Daryl stands.
BILL
I need you to fall in line on this.
25.
DARYL
Don't I always?
BILL
You do. This'll be different, though.
DARYL
Cause you're rushing.
BILL
He's a thief, and a climber. We've got
a timeline to keep, do we not?
Daryl nods.
BILL (CONTINUED)
It's gonna seem like I'm playing
favorites. Just let it go.
Daryl looks down at his feet.
DARYL
Alright.
BILL
You have to stay on point here, D. We
move these jewels, we hit the train,
we're good as gold for the final job.
DARYL
Hey, when am I not on point?
Charlie sits alone at the racing game. Andre and Peter sit
atop the air hockey table, their crotches block each goal.
Their version of air hockey involves knocking the puck into
their opponent's nuts. Daryl and Celeste play Pop-a-Shot.
Ethan and Macy sit on the Skee-Ball machine, she looks over
his shoulder, laughs as he swipes left or right on Tinder.
MACY
What the hell was wrong with her?
ETHAN
I'dno, her cheeks looked puffy.
MACY
Puffy cheeks? Is that something guys
look at?
26.
Mortified, Macy feels her cheeks.
ETHAN
Not like that, not like that. Just
sometimes things pop out--
CELESTE
Hold the phone, nothing better be
popping out over here. Bill's got
strict rules about commingling within
the crew.
MACY
Yeah, keep it in your pants, E. Jeez.
ETHAN
Psht, it's so in my pants, I may as
well have a chastity belt on.
MACY
Oh, please. I bet you send dick pics
to all these girls.
ETHAN
See for yourself, not a dick pic in
sight.
He offers up his phone. Macy takes it, goes through his pics.
MACY
This your handsome pup?
ETHAN
Family dog, yeah.
MACY
Damn, you take a lot of pics of him.
ETHAN
I go back home every other day, pretty
much. Don't want him to forget about
me, ya know?
MACY
And what's this?
She stops on the picture of Ethan's Dad's sales targets.
ETHAN
Oh, nothing interesting.
27.
MACY
Interesting enough to take a picture
of. Looks like a list of addresses?
Celeste sneaks over, snatches the phone.
CELESTE
What do we have here?
ETHAN
It's just my dad's sales targets. He's
trying to sell home security systems.
MACY
And you took a picture of the
addresses?
ETHAN
I guess I did, yeah.
CELESTE
When he wasn't looking?
ETHAN
I don't know why I did it. Wanted to
check 'em out, I guess.
MACY
Did you?
ETHAN
I walked by with my dog. Just to have
a look.
Bill and Daryl reappear at the bottoms of the stairs.
BILL
What's E saying?
ETHAN
Nothing, really.
DARYL
No secrets in this crew, man.
ETHAN
Uhhh--
CELESTE
E's dad sells home security.
28.
ETHAN
It's not exactly going well.
CELESTE
He stole a list of his sales targets.
ETHAN
I wouldn't say stole--
BILL
No kidding, E?
MACY
He even checked the addresses out.
CELESTE
Like he's plotting something.
ETHAN
Well, I wouldn't say plotting.
BILL
Very entrepreneurial of you.
CELESTE
Your dad's gonna be so happy with you.
ETHAN
What? No, he couldn't...What are we
even talking about here?
ANDRE
Breaking and entering. At least,
that's usually the next step. After
you case a joint.
ETHAN
No, it's-it wasn't like that. I was
just thinking about my dad.
CELESTE
That's how I started. Except for my
mom. My dad's hospital bills, the
funeral...left my mom in a hole.
ETHAN
Started what?
BILL
You took care of her. Didn't you, C?
29.
CELESTE
Thanks to you. And everyone else here.
BILL
All we did was remind you about your
own agency. C's a builder. She made
something of herself. What are you, E?
ETHAN
Right now I feel like a letter in a
can of alphabet soup.
BILL
There's that signature wit. You have
to quit deflecting. Tell us about your
father.
ETHAN
What about him?
BILL
What about him, E?
ETHAN
He's a good dad. The best.
He looks down at his feet. When he looks back up, all members
of this bizarre co-op have him circled.
BILL
What's so great about him?
ETHAN
I...I have one kidney. Born this way.
It's not a big deal, really. When my
grandpa died, his kidneys failed. I
asked my dad, why didn't you give one
of yours to Grandpa? He told me, I'm
saving it for you.
MACY
Oh my god.
ANDRE
Heavy.
ETHAN
It just hurts to see him struggle.
He's a proud guy. Gave me everything.
30.
MACY
That's why you're thinking about
breaking into those houses.
ETHAN
Yeah. But, let's be real. What am I
gonna do? Drive over there, scare up
the homeowners into buying security
systems?
EXT. OUTSIDE ROW OF TOWNHOUSES - NIGHT
Ethan emerges from a mini-van, bandana over his face. He

approaches a SIX-STORY RED BRICK WALK-UP, which borders the
FIRST TOWNHOUSE of the row. He twirls the cowlick at the back
of his head, loops the hair around his finger.
Ethan hoists himself up onto the building's trash bins,

climbs up onto the ladder of the fire escape. He spider-
monkeys his way up onto the ledge of the fourth floor, scales
across the red brick, over toward the townhouses.
A WOMAN smokes a cigarette out her window, studies Ethan. Her

indifference is a thing of beauty.
Ethan makes his way toward the end of the red brick, climbs
from the ledge, to the roof of the first townhouse.
EXT. ROOFTOP, TOWNHOUSE 1 - MOMENTS LATER
Ethan lands safely on the roof. Badass parkour shit. The

adrenaline rush cools. BUT ONLY FOR A MOMENT. He hears
something. Chatter? He walks across the roof, toward a wall.
Smoke clouds and laughter should have clued him in.
He rounds the corner. Finds a GROUP OF TEENS, four or five of

them, couple girls, couple guys - he takes cover.
TEEN 1 (O.S.)
Wait...I think I just saw something.
TEEN 2 (O.S.)
What kinda something?
TEEN 1 (O.S.)
Like, a person.
TEEN 3 (O.S.)
Should we call 9-1-1?
31.
TEEN 2 (O.S.)
My parents'll find out we're up here.
TEEN 3 (O.S.)
Let's just go over there, all of us,
and beat their ass.
TEEN 2 (O.S.)
What if they have a gun?
Ethan bolts. Takes off. Runs for the roof of the next house.
TEEN 3 (O.S.)
Holy shit!
Ethan leaps the short barrier between rooftops, lands on the

second townhouse, tumbles onto his ass.
EXT. ROOFTOP, TOWNHOUSE 2 - SAME TIME
Ethan stops to catch his breath--oh fuck, now he's directly

in the sightline of the stoner teens! He's back up on his
feet, takes off, full sprint, goes for the third townhouse.
He lands. Fucking amateur - still in their direct line of

sight. Mad dash to the next rooftop, then the fifth, then the
sixth townhouse, then the last one.
He looks back at the teens, at least one of them has gone

down stairs, maybe some are filming on smart phones.
ETHAN
Fuck, fuck, fuck.
He looks around, no where left to go. He looks down - a tiny

excuse for a balcony, more like a spot for flowerpots.
Beneath that, maybe ten feet before the concrete. Maybe more.
He looks back--fuck all, more people on the roofs now. Fuck.
ETHAN
Fuck.
He jumps. More like, steps down. Falls, really. Tries to land

on the flowerpot balcony, overshoots it of course. Reaches
out, grabs for it, wraps his fingers around the metal railing
- it rips right off the side of the building.
32.
Shit - this again, falling in SLOW MOTION. What's with this?

And why's that window curtain look so lovely, stirring slowly
in the breeze--
EXT. SIDEWALK IN FRONT OF TOWNHOUSE 7 - MOMENTS LATER
Nothing's more trustworthy than gravity. Ethan collides with

the concrete. Time goes back to normal. MASKED FIGURES lift
him off the ground, as he fades in an out of consciousness.
INT. POTENTIAL CUSTOMER'S BROWNSTONE, 2ND FLOOR - DAY
NASIR, 50s, leads Ethan's Dad through a beautiful three-

story, unfurnished brownstone.
DAD
Basically, you're going to want alarms
anywhere a burglar might consider a
point of entry.
NASIR
I see.
DAD
Like these windows, here? They're
huge, almost inviting.
Dad jots notes down on his clipboard, they continue the tour.
DAD
We'll wire up the intercom so that you
can communicate floor-to-floor. You
know, with guests, family, workers.
NASIR
I see.
Dad shows Nasir the clip board.
DAD
The price range you're looking at.
NASIR
Okay, well that's cheaper than the
last guy I had here. So that's good.
DAD
Good.
Dad takes a smart-tablet from his bag, presses some buttons.

33.
DAD
You know, it looks like you're not
getting an internet connection here.
Let's try downstairs.
NASIR
We have actually not had the WiFi
people come and set up yet.
DAD
So you don't have an internet
connection in this house?
NASIR
No.
DAD
But you need one to get the security
systems running.
NASIR
Yes, well this is just preliminary
conversation.
DAD
Mr. Nasir, that's not what you said
over the phone--
NASIR
Anyway, thank you for coming. When we
have the internet up and running I
will be sure to call you again.
Dad runs his hand over his bald head in frustration.
INT. POTENTIAL CUSTOMER'S BROWNSTONE, 1ST FLOOR - DAY
Nasir sees Dad out, closes the door, walks to a cabinet,

opens it - reveals a Wifi Modem that is unplugged. Nasir
plugs it in.
EXT. OUTSIDE NASIR'S BROWNSTONE - DAY
Dad takes a deep breath, rips the page of notes from his note
pad, crumples it up, tosses it in the gutter.
He checks his watch, rubs his hand over his bald head again,
pinches the bridge of his nose.
DAD
Damnit.
34.
EXT. SIDEWALK, STREETS OF YORKVILLE - DAY
Jay wears his work Uniform - it looks vaguely police-related,

almost like a cop's Halloween costume. He strolls the
sidewalk like a zombie. If there's a meaning to life, Jay
hasn't found it. Not even close.
A PUNK KID comes riding right toward him on a bike. Jay

stops, squares his stance, puts a hand up.
JAY
Hey, stop. No bike riding on the
sidewalk.
PUNK KID
Eat my ass, bitch!
The punk kid loops around Jay, rides off. The sirens of a
nearby police car light up. Jay stares at it. The police car
speeds off, sirens blaring. Jay's eyes follow it until it's
out of sight. He lets out a sigh.
INT. KNICKKNACK STORE - DAY
Celeste browses a store filled with worthless crap your

Grandmother might stack on her shelves.
Little statues, mini candles, figurines - it's like a

hoarders paradise.
As a CUSTOMER approaches the checkout counter, the CLERK

becomes distracted, Celeste knocks a whole shelf's worth of
knickknacks into her satchel, walks out of the store calmly.
INT. GRACIE'S DINER, BOOTH - DAY
LYLE, 40s, tacky suit with a name tag, vanilla as they come.
Across from him, MACY'S MOTHER, 40s, space-case. Macy's next

to her. They eat breakfast, swill coffee and orange juice,
enjoy each other's company. An ALARM GOES OFF. Macy's Mother
pulls her phone out, clicks off the alarm, digs into her
purse, takes out a prescription pill bottle, swallows one
pill. Lyle pays it no mind. Macy's discomfort is all over her
face - though neither of them notice. Lyle checks his watch.
LYLE
Oh man, where did the morning go? I
have to get to the bank.
He rises, takes out some cash, puts it on the table, leaves.

35.
Ethan wakes up. He's belly down, on the couch, ice pack on
his back. He reaches out for his cell.
ETHAN
Ahhhh.
Snags it. Opens his texts. Clicks on the shared-contact from

Dad labeled, "DR. LESLIE POWERS (THERAPIST)."
Phone to ear.
LESLIE (O.S.)
Dr. Powers' office...hello?
Ethan hangs up.
INT. ELECTRONICS REPAIR STORE - DAY
CHESTER (40's), greasy blob of a man, stained white shirt,

sits opposite Dad.
CHESTER
What I need you to understand is, this
isn't a bank.
DAD
I understand--
CHESTER
See, I'm not sure you do. Plenty a
guys, they come in here, I tell 'em
how it is, they say to me - I
understand. People always say they
understand. What I'm telling you, is
you don't, else you wouldn't be here
in the first place.
DAD
I'm in a jam--
CHESTER
Well, that much is obvious. Guys come
in here, they're in a jam. If they
weren't, they wouldn't come in.
DAD
An associate told me, I need a loan in
a pinch, you're the man to see.
36.
CHESTER
You were told right. You were. I'm
just trying to get my point across is
all.
DAD
You're not a bank. Point taken. Now,
can you help me?
CHESTER
Help you? No. I can't help you.
Dad deflates.
CHESTER (CONTINUED)
What I can do, I can grant you your
loan.
EXT. BASEMENT-LEVEL OFFICE - DAY
A gold plaque on a black door reads:
YORKVILLE SECURITY COMPANY. Jay approaches, coffee in hand.
INT. YORKVILLE SECURITY COMPANY, H.Q. - MOMENTS LATER
Jay stumbles through the heavy door, pinches his coffee cup
too tight, burns his hand with the overflow of hot java.
JAY
Ah, ah, snap.
He navigates the shabby, narrow office space, finds a counter

for the coffee, shakes off his hand.
BUCK, huge forehead, sloppy suit, slaps Jay on the back, just
as he picks the coffee back up. Another spill.
BUCK
Careful there. Might burn yourself.
JAY
How's it going, Buck?
BUCK
It's going. Busy morning, actually.
JAY
Catch a case?
37.
BUCK
Not since I retired from the
department. Had to fax a bunch of
papers back and fourth with the local
precinct. Ya know Jerry? The new guy?
He was doing late night patrol last
week, came across a dead body. His
first patrol. Believe that?
JAY
No kidding?
BUCK
Not 'til you hear how the guy got
dead.
JAY
Humor me.
BUCK
Fell from the second story of a
building.
JAY
Land on his neck, or what?
BUCK
Landed on a big, circular piece of
glass.
JERRY, 50s, big guy with a baby face, exits the BOSS'S
office. He's spooked, heads right for the bathroom. Jay
finally goes for his first sip of coffee--
BUCK
Was apparently a part of some
elaborate jewelry store heist.
Jay stops in his tracks, the cup never reaches his mouth.
JAY
Hold this for me.
INT. BOSS'S OFFICE, Y.S.C. H.Q. - DAY
BOSS, 60s, takes a swig of coffee.
BOSS
What'aya mean, who's on the case?
Nobody's on the case. The police are
on the case.
38.
JAY
One of our own comes across a dead
body, and we just do nothing?
BOSS
We didn't do nothing. We called the
police. That's the thing. The only
thing. Literally. Patrol the
neighborhood, call the police.
JAY
Sounds like a whole lot a nothing.
BOSS
Do I need to remind you how you got
here? Don't go meddling in a murder
investigation--
JAY
They're calling it murder?
INT. HEAD QUARTERS, YORKVILLE SECURITY COMPANY - DAY
Back at his desk, Jay's on the phone. On his computer screen,

the home page for the local police precinct. He whispers--
JAY (ON PHONE)

Patch me through to the Chief of
Detectives...this is his brother.
INT. HALLWAY/FRONT DOOR OF ETHAN'S PARENTS' APT. - DAY
Ethan exits the elevator, dog on leash.
He opens the front door to his parent's place, hears his MOM
and Dad yapping.
MOM (O.S.)
Maybe you should just quit, right now.
DAD (O.S.)
Not before I get my next paycheck,
measly as it may be.
Ethan takes the dog's leash off, let's it enter the apartment
while he remains silent in the doorway.
MOM (O.S.)
Can you ask for a new manager. Maybe
at the next meeting?
39.
DAD (O.S.)
They're gonna fire me before then, if
I don't get my numbers up.
Ethan closes the door, leaves.
INT. BIG TIME ARCADE - DAY
Ethan opens the door, bursts in, heads for the stairs.
MACY
Hey Ethan.
He flies right by Macy, twirls the cowlick in his hair.
INT. SECOND FLOOR OFFICE, BIG TIME ARCADE - MOMENTS LATER
Bill and Daryl study a set of blueprints. Ethan enters.
DARYL
Ever heard a knocking?
BILL
Where the fuck have you been, E?
ETHAN
I-I had some stuff to take care of,
had to walk the dog--
BILL
Haven't seen you at a meeting in a few
days. You seen him, D?
DARYL
I ain't seen 'em.
ETHAN
I said I had stuff to take care of--
BILL
You weren't answering your phone.
Communication is the most important
aspect of trust. No communication, no
trust. It's the transitive property.
DARYL
When Bill calls, you answer.
ETHAN
I didn't realize you had such
separation anxiety.
40.
DARYL
You gotta smart fucking mouth, kid.
It's gonna get your nose broke, one of
these days.
ETHAN
I told you once, I'm not a kid Daryl.
DARYL
It's D. And you look pretty childish
to me--
BILL
D, can you give us room please?
Daryl's jaw drops, then his head. He shuffles out.
BILL
How's your back, by the way?
ETHAN
Bruised a bit, really not so bad. I
got lucky.
BILL
What you got, is skill.
ETHAN
Well, it wasn't enough.
BILL
This shit takes time. You have to be
patient.
ETHAN
My dad's gonna get canned, Bill.
BILL
We'll get back to your dad after
you've been initiated.
ETHAN
Initiated?
BILL
Every single person in this crew,
earned their way. Why should you be
any different?
ETHAN
What do I have to do?
41.
INT. YORKVILLE'S NUMBER ONE BANK - DAY
Ethan enters the enormous bank, with the sky high ceilings
and the giant glass walls.
BILL (V.O.)
You have to go to Yorkville's Number
One Bank, tell the bank manager--
ETHAN (V.O.)
I know that place, it's like an
architect's wet dream. I'll suit up,
so I seem more legit.
In the blink of an eye, Ethan's attire transforms into a

well-tailored suit, nice loafers and a briefcase.
BILL (V.O.)
Now you're thinking. You have to tell
the bank manager you're looking for a
place to open a safe deposit box.
Ethan approaches the back manager - it's Lyle, Macy's

stepdad.
ETHAN
I'm thinking about opening a safe
deposit box.
LYLE
Fantastic, just follow me please.
Ethan follows Lyle up a spiral glass staircase.
BILL (V.O.)
The safe deposit vault room is
suspended in glass, above the first
floor. You have to pay attention to
security - guards, sensors, cameras.
INT. SAFE DEPOSIT VAULT ROOM - MOMENTS LATER
A small box of a room, SUSPENDED UP OVER THE FIRST FLOOR OF

THE BANK, incased in opaque glass.
BILL (V.O.)
You have to get him to use that Master
Key, confirm he really wears it around
his neck throughout the day.
Ethan studies the room, notices Lyle's top button is undone.

42.
ETHAN
Seems top notch. Is there a system in
place, in case I lose my key?
LYLE
Of course. We keep a back up. We've
got a locksmith on call, as well.
Ethan drops his briefcase, papers spill all over the floor.
Lyle bends over to help Ethan, when the MASTER KEY SLIDES OUT
OF HIS SHIRT, dangles from a silver chain around his neck.
ETHAN
Say, how long would it take, if I
wanted to set up a box, right now?
INT. BILL'S CAR - DAY
Bill studies the cuticles on his right hand. He lets out a

bored sigh. Ethan emerges from the bank, cuts across the
street, climbs into the front passenger seat.
BILL
What took so long?
ETHAN
Bank Manager was talking my ear off.
BILL
You have to stay focused, E. You wanna
make something of yourself?
ETHAN
Hey coach, I handled it - didn't I?
BILL
You tell me. Guards inside the bank?
ETHAN
One. Don't think he had a gun, though.
BILL
Don't think? Or didn't have?
ETHAN
Didn't have. No sensors either, from
what I saw. Manager definitely wears
that key around his neck, though. Now,
can we hit a few more of my dad's
sales targets tonight--
43.
BILL
You have to stop with these questions,
E. That's just not how this works.
Ethan looks away.
BILL
Alright. Tell you what. The way I see
it, you want in the crew, you have to
do three good deeds.
ETHAN
Like I'm Eddie fucking McDowd?
BILL
I don't know who that is. But you've
given us two solid deeds. One more,
you're in. Then we help your dad.
Alright?
INT. BARBER SHOP - DAY
ALAN, 50s, prideful, condescending, sits in the barber's

chair, draped in a smock. He sees an incoming familiar face.
SAL THE BARBER cuts his hair.
ALAN
Give me a minute, would ya Sal?
Sal stops the cut. Jay enters, claims the other chair.
JAY
Alan.
ALAN
Jay, you look good.
JAY
Thanks Al, good to see you.
ALAN
So, how well'd you know the dead
thief? Botched jewelry store job...
JAY
I didn't say I knew him, I don't.
ALAN
I just assumed, he was in N.A., maybe
you two were in the same meetings.
44.
JAY
Dead guy was in N.A.?
ALAN
I thought you knew.
JAY
Not everyone who goes to meetings
knows each other, Alan.
ALAN
Sure...but then why the fuck do you
care so much about a random robbery
gone wrong? You called me.
JAY
I don't care, I'm just curious.
ALAN
You missed mom's birthday, you cock.
JAY
Who are you kidding? She didn't want
me there.
ALAN
Yeah well, maybe I did.
JAY
I'm sorry, okay? It's not personal.
ALAN
That's how it feels when you get cut
outta someone's life. Feels personal.
JAY
Guy on my squad found the dead thief.
ALAN
Let's get one thing straight, Jay. You
don't have a squad. You're part of a
private security company, hired by
bored, privileged housewives. You're a
security guard.
JAY
I'm glad you're not being an asshole
about it. It's only my life.
Alan lets out a dramatic sigh.

45.
ALAN
Dead Thief's name was Jack Fields.
Attended Narcotics Anonymous meetings
around the neighborhood.
JAY
Anything notable?
ALAN
Kid was a gymnast. Took home a silver
medal in the Olympics.
Jay opens his mouth, loses the words, says nothing.
ALAN (CONTINUED)
Well? What are you thinking?
JAY
Nothing.
ALAN
Nothing?
JAY
Nope.
Jay pops up from the chair.
ALAN
Well, okay.
JAY
Keep me appraised?
ALAN
Someone's got to.
Jay leaves. The barber returns, continues the haircut.
EXT. STREET - NIGHT
Dad brushes loose hairs off the dog. They continue their
leisurely evening stroll. Menacing shadows morph on the
concrete in front of Dad. He peers over both shoulders,
unsure if he's being followed.
INT. SUSHI BAR - NIGHT
SUSHI CHEF behind the counter, cuts perfect slices of salmon.

Macy sits in front of a plate with several sushi rolls.
Ethan's plate has an assortment of sashimi.
46.
ETHAN
Thanks for coming out with me. I was
gonna just eat here alone. Always feel
a bit awkward about it, though.
MACY
Really? I love eating alone.
ETHAN
Who loves eating alone?
MACY
This bish right here, that's who.
ETHAN
What do you like about it?
MACY
Well, if you're gonna do it, you have
to have a book to read, or a podcast
to listen to.
ETHAN
But then you don't wanna sit there
with two headphones in, so you got one
earbud in, one hanging off--
MACY
And you're wondering, why the fuck you
don't just stick the other ear bud in,
you're dining alone for Christ's sake?
Ethan opens his mouth to speak, loses the words.
MACY
What?
ETHAN
You seem...cool. I guess I mean, I
understand why Bill's so fond of you.
MACY
Oh, fond of me? You kinda talk like a
dork, you know that?
ETHAN
This is not the first time that's been
brought to my attention.
MACY
First time by a pretty girl, though?
47.
ETHAN
What, is one gonna come and say it to
me?
MACY
Shut up!
They laugh, she throws a crumpled napkin at him.
ETHAN
How do you feel about the arcade?
MACY
How do I feel about the arcade? Or how
do I feel about the people inside the
arcade?
ETHAN
Shit, you kinda sounded like Bill
there. The people inside.
MACY
It's nice, ya know? Like, to have.
But, I don't know, I guess it's hard
to see the storm, when you're standing
in the center.
ETHAN
Shit, Macy. Did you just say something
profound?
MACY
Not profound, no. Self aware, perhaps.
ETHAN
Can I ask you, what kinda shit you
were getting into? Before N.A.?
MACY
Pills, powder. Usual bullshit. You?
ETHAN
Little a that. Little weed, little
Roxi...then a lotta Roxis.
MACY
That'll do it to you. At least we're
not dead, right? You ever have a
friend O.D. on you?
48.
ETHAN
Yeah, once. You?
MACY
Twice. One died. The other lived, got
sober, relapsed, then killed herself.
ETHAN
Wow, some cheery dinner time chitchat.
MACY
Good thing we're eating light. What
about you? Your O.D., they die?
He nods.
ETHAN
I picked up a few blues. There was a
great slate of NBA games on. Me and my
buddy used to get high, do live bets.
I'm shit at math, but he loved that
stuff. I got to his house, threw the
pills on the table, went to take a
piss. I come back, he's on the floor.
MACY
Damn. Your best friend?
ETHAN
After I called 9-1-1, I bagged up the
rest of the tainted pills. I still
have them, sitting in this piggy bank,
on my desk.
MACY
Why?
ETHAN
I don't know. As a reminder, maybe.
MACY
That's B.S., you should go home, flush
that shit down the toilet. It's like a
ticking time bomb, holding onto that.
EXT. STREET - NIGHT
The leash is tied around a tree, as the dog sits, watches Dad
take the BEATING OF A LIFE TIME. Chester stands beside the
dog, as his TWO GOONS pummel Dad with their fists and feet.
49.
EXT. STREET, OUTSIDE MACY'S BUILDING - NIGHT
Ethan and Macy walk side-by-side up the block. They aren't

holding hands, but every few moments their fingers touch.
MACY
You didn't have to walk me home.
ETHAN
And you didn't have to come to dinner
with me tonight.
MACY
Just...I'm not gonna sleep with you.
ETHAN
I'm not gonna sleep with you,
actually.
MACY
Oh, is that right?
He nods, smiles.
MACY
That's me on the corner.
ETHAN
Losing my religion...
MACY
What?
ETHAN
I'm just being a dork. Nice building.
MACY
My stepdad's got most the top floor.
ETHAN
Sounds roomy.
MACY
Only in a literal sense. Thanks for
dinner, E.
ETHAN
Hey, thanks for being a friend, M.
Ethan watches her disappear into the building. He crosses the

street, plants his ass on a stoop, takes his cell out.
50.
ETHAN (ON PHONE)

It's me, I did it...I'm across the
street now...no, nothing
suspicious...no, she didn't...this
doesn't feel right...feels dirty.
INT. SECOND FLOOR OFFICE, BIG TIME ARCADE - SAME TIME
Bill sits at his desk, on the phone, evil grin on his face.
BILL (ON PHONE)

Macy was there to support you, when
you claimed your agency the other
night. Now you don't wanna help her?
EXT. STOOP, ACROSS THE STREET FROM MACY'S BUILDING - NIGHT
Ethan gesticulates with one hand.
ETHAN (ON PHONE)

Hey, I'm here, aren't I?
He hangs up - his cell immediately rings again.
ETHAN (ON PHONE)

Hey, I can't really talk...what? What
happened?...I'm coming.
INT. BACK ROOM OF CHURCH - NIGHT
N.A. meeting. Jay sits amongst a circle of blurred faces.

EACH MEMBER of the group speaks, Jay hears nothing. It's like
his ears are stuck in a permanent state of Tinnitus.
RANDOM N.A. MEMBER

Jay, you got anything you'd like to
share?
He heard that. Can't shake the fog though.
EXT. STREET, OUTSIDE LIQUOR STORE - NIGHT
Jay navigates the fog, leaves the liquor store with a bottle
of rum tucked under his arm.
DEALER approaches.
DEALER
Jay, my man. Haven't seen you in like,
a year? How you been?
51.
Jay takes cash out, presses it to Dealer's chest.
DEALER
Oh, I see how it is. Bet.
He hands Jay an 8-ball of coke, walks away shaking his head.
DEALER
Fucking addicts.
INT. JAY'S STUDIO APARTMENT - NIGHT
When the fog clears, Jay's a moment away from railing a line
of blow, diving into a fifth of rum...but his phone rings.
JAY (ON PHONE)

Hello?
ALAN (O.S.)
It's me. I'm at a crime scene. 77th
and York, how quick can you get here?
JAY (ON PHONE)

What? What are you on about?
ALAN (O.S.)
Jay-Jay, are you alright?
JAY (ON PHONE)

I'm perfectly fine, you just caught me
off guard. What's up?
ALAN (O.S.)
I'm at a murder scene. Guy was shot
five times, getting into his car.
JAY (ON PHONE)

What are you telling me for?
EXT. CRIME SCENE, CAR PARKED ON STREET - SAME TIME
Alan studies the dead body in the driver's seat. IT'S PETER,
FROM BILL'S CREW. He's a pale, bloody, lump of flesh. His
death was violent and unceremonious.
ALAN (ON PHONE)

DB's name is Peter Mancheli. Next of
kin informed us that he was--
JAY (O.S.)
In Narcotics Anonymous.
52.
INT. JAY'S STUDIO APARTMENT - SAME TIME
He stands up.
JAY (ON PHONE)

With me. Gimme twenty minutes.
Jay hangs up, dumps the drugs and alcohol down the toilet.
JAY
Not today.
INT. HOSPITAL ROOM - NIGHT
Dad lay on a hospital bed, IV connected to his arm. Ethan

stands over him. Dad's face is a bruised mess, one arm's in a
cast, there's a brace around his neck. His eyes flutter.
ETHAN
I'm here, pop. I'm here.
He takes Dad's hand. Dad squeezes back.
ETHAN (CONTINUED)
What the hell happened? Who did this?
Where's mom?
DAD
Your uncle came and picked her up,
they went up state.
ETHAN
What? Why? Why isn't she here--
DAD
Cause I don't know if she'll be safe
at home.
ETHAN
Dad, what are you talking about? Tell
me what's going on.
DAD
If I missed another payment, bank
would have taken the apartment.
ETHAN
I don't understand, what did you do?
Dad's eyes close. Ethan finds his father's jacket on the back
of a chair, pulls out Dad's cell.
53.
INT. DARYL'S CAR - NIGHT
Ethan studies a text conversation on Dad's cell. Daryl

drives, Bill rides shotgun. The TEXT EXCHANGE READS: "I have
the rest of your money."
"I'm glad we got you feeling motivated. Meet at my shop."
"Where?"
"Same place as before, corner of 82nd and 3rd."
DARYL
You sure this the spot?
ETHAN
Just said to meet at his shop, 82nd
and 3rd. Figure if I ask anymore
questions, he'll know something's up.
BILL
This is the place. Electronics repair
store. I know this guy.
ETHAN
You do?
BILL
I do. Guy's name is Chester. We've got
history.
ETHAN
How do you know him?
DARYL
Enough with the questions, kid. We
doing this?
BILL
Just me and E. Keep the engine
running.
DARYL
I gotta miss out on the fun?
BILL
Just stay focused on tomorrow, D. And
keep the engine running.
54.
EXT. ELECTRONICS REPAIR STORE - NIGHT
Bill emerges from Daryl's car, aluminum baseball bat in hand.

Ethan follows him out.
ETHAN
What's the plan? Oh, shit--
Bill smashes the glass door of the shop, steps inside.
INT. ELECTRONICS REPAIR STORE - MOMENTS LATER
Ethan follows Bill in. Chester runs out from the back.
CHESTER
What the hell?
Chester makes a mad dash for the checkout counter.
Bill leaps up and over the counter, swings the bat at

Chester's hands, as the grubby loan shark grabs for his
pistol. The gun goes flying.
BILL
Grab it, E!
ETHAN
Wh-what?
BILL
The gun, grab the fucking gun.
Chester tries to run. Bill swings the bat, knocks his feet
out from under him - he hits the floor with a thud.
CHESTER
Please, please, don't!
Bill forces the end of the bat into Chester's mouth.
BILL
Bet you thought you'd never see me
again.
Ethan picks the pistol up, walks over to Bill's side.
BILL
This man took your father's agency. He
preys on the neighborhood, like scum.
What are you gonna do about it?
55.
ETHAN
I-I-I'm not...
BILL
Make something of yourself, E. Do it.
Ethan caresses the pistol.
BILL (CONTINUED)
Do it, E. Pull the hammer back, turn
this sloppy piece of shit into
nothing. Make something of yourself.
Ethan holds the pistol with two hands, aims the barrel at
Chester's forehead.
ETHAN
Ahhhhhh!
He drops his hands.
ETHAN
I can't, I can't do it. I can't do it.
Bill pulls the end of the bat out of Chester's mouth.
BILL
You're lucky I'm here for him and not
myself. I would'a shot you in the
dick, watched you bleed to death.
ETHAN
Let's go, please. Let's get out of
here.
BILL
Run along, E. Get back to Macy's
building. We gotta big day tomorrow.
Don't worry, you'll have another
chance to make something of yourself.
ETHAN
What are you gonna do?
BILL
I'm gonna explain to Chester, here,
that your father's not to be fucked
with. He's off limits. Now, go.
Ethan runs out of the shop.

56.
EXT. STOOP, ACROSS THE STREET FROM MACY'S BUILDING - DAY
Ethan sleeps, face in his palm, elbow perched on his knee.

Coffee fumes? Coffee fumes. His eyes pop open. Celeste stands
in front of him, a cup of Joe in each hand.
CELESTE
You look like shit. You been crying?
ETHAN
Long night.
She hands him a cup.
ETHAN
Celeste, you're my savior.
CELESTE
C. Only my parents call me Celeste.
ETHAN
Sorry, I'm tryna get in the habit.
CELESTE
Try harder. It's rubbing people the
wrong way. Put this on.
She hands him a bag. He looks inside.
ETHAN
This is what we're wearing?
CELESTE
Under your clothes. Leave the mask
off, until you reach the platform.
ETHAN
Hey, C. I don't know if I can do this.
CELESTE
A little late for that.
ETHAN
I don't even know the plan--
CELESTE
You know exactly what you need to
know. Just do as you've been told.
She walks off. A DRUM BEAT KICKS IN.

57.
INT. SUBWAY PLATFORM, UNION SQUARE STATION - DAY
Union Square Subway Station, bustling as usual. Police,

commuters, the homeless.
The DRUM BEAT comes from a CIRCLE OF DRUMMERS, each clad in a

GREEN-MAN UNITARD, with Old West cowboy attire on top. A
bunch of green cowboys, beating drums for money. Odd sure,
but this is New York City.
Lyle exits the lobby.
ETHAN
Fucking A.
Ethan hops off the stoop, follows him. He twirls the cowlick
at the back of his head, loops the hair around his finger.
EXT. STREET - DAY
Lyle cuts across the street, against traffic. Ethan dodges

cars, tries not to lose him. Lyle heads for Union Square.
Ethan sees the entrance to the subway, up ahead. He types a

text message to Bill, that reads: GO TIME.
INT. SUBWAY STATION, UNION SQUARE - DAY
Lyle gets through the turnstile on one, easy swipe. Ethan's

metro-card gives him problems. These faulty fucking card
readers. He swipes again, no. One more time, nothing.
Jesus fucking--fourth times a charm. Ethan dances his way

through foot traffic, down the stairs to the platform.
INT. PLATFORM, SUBWAY STATION - MOMENTS LATER
Ethan PULLS HIS MASK ON, reveals that he too, wears a Green-
Man unitard. He spots Bill and crew, hiding in plain sight,
down the platform, beating drums.
A 6 train arrives, Lyle waits to board. Ethan blows into the

WHISTLE that hangs from his neck, commands the crew's
attention. Bill drops a cowboy hat on Ethan's head. Ethan
follows Lyle onto the 6 train.
Bill and Daryl board the train, one car to the right.
Andre and Celeste board the train, one car to the left.
58.
INT. MIDDLE CAR, 6 TRAIN - MOMENTS LATER
Ethan watches Lyle from the distance. His Goddamn heartbeat.

Does everyone hear it? Like a microphone's in his chest.
PASSENGERS stare, as if he'll start break-dancing any moment.
YOUNG GIRL takes a dollar from her MOTHER, hands it to Ethan.
INT. LEFT CAR, 6 TRAIN - SAME TIME
Andre's back is to the door, so no one sees as he reaches for

the Dirty Harry-style pistol tucked in his back waistband.
Celeste wears a Native American-inspired poncho over her

Green-Man suit. It's offensive, no doubt. But it's quite
effective at concealing her sawed-off shotgun.
INT. M.T.A. CONTROL ROOM - SAME TIME
Charlie, the nerd who keeps popping up at N.A. meetings and

hangouts with the crew, sits in a half-cubicle.
The large office has two dozen other half-cubicles, with a

bunch of people dressed just like Charlie. Short sleeve
button downs, khaki pants. Charlie's sweating.
Let's be real, look at this schlub, he's a sweater. But this

is different - nerves. The text comes in, from Bill. It
reads: GO TIME. Charlie swallows hard, types into his keypad.
INT. RIGHT CAR, 6 TRAIN - MOMENTS LATER
THE 6 TRAIN COMES TO A HALT BETWEEN STATIONS. Just blackness

outside the train windows. Nothing to do but wait.
Unless you happen to be stuck in a train car with two 10

gallon hat-wearing, Green-Man cowboys, with two seriously
huge pistols.
DARYL
GET YOUR MOTHER-FUCKING HANDS UP!
Phones and wallets, let's go!
No one is sure if they should take this seriously.
PASSENGER 1, over-the-ear headphones on, man-spreading so he

takes up multiple subway seats, laughs at Bill and Daryl.
PASSENGER 1
This a motherfuckin' joke, yo?
59.
Daryl pistol-whips the guy. Blood gushes from his face,

splashes the other subway riders.
Passenger 2 forks over her phone and wallet.
PASSENGER 2
Oh my god!
Most passengers follow suit. Bill makes his way down the
train car, moves the barrel of his pistol from face to face.
INT. LEFT CAR, 6 TRAIN - SAME TIME
Andre goes person to person, collects valuables, stuffs them

into a satchel hanging from his neck. He comes up on a
passenger who won't remove his hands from his jacket pockets.
ANDRE
C'mon G, what you got for me?
G is an UNDERCOVER COP.
UNDERCOVER COP
Here's what I got for you, pal.
Undercover Cop's jacket pocket EXPLODES, as he pulls the

trigger on his revolver, puts a bullet in Andre's belly.
SCREAMS FROM THE OTHER PASSENGERS.
Undercover Cop swings his revolver around toward Celeste.

It's too late. The sawed-off shotgun barks, leaves her poncho
in tatters, leaves the brains of the Undercover Cop
splattered across the window of the train car.
INT. MIDDLE CAR, 6 TRAIN - SAME TIME
GUNSHOTS from one car down, make Lyle rise up from his seat.
The middle car erupts with nervous chatter.
PASSENGER 3
Was that...gun shots?
PASSENGER 4
Probably just some punks, popping the
caps off plastic bottles.
Ethan puts a hand to his chest. Shit, anxiety attack? Now???
ETHAN
Fuck, fuck, fuck--
60.
INT. RIGHT CAR, 6 TRAIN - SAME TIME
Gunshots from two cars over steal Bill's attention.
BILL
Shit.
DARYL
What the fuck was that?
INT. MIDDLE CAR, 6 TRAIN - MOMENTS LATER
Celeste enters the middle car, sawed-off shotgun in one hand,

props up Andre with the other. He limps along, holds his
bloody belly.
Lyle cowers behind other passengers.
CELESTE
Phones and wallets, let's go. Put 'em
in.
Bill and Daryl enter the middle car from the other end.
BILL
Get the door.
Daryl pries open the train doors.
Bill approaches Lyle, who sees him coming and tries to run.
Nowhere to go, Celeste pops up behind him.
Bill puts the barrel of his pistol to Lyle's temple.
BILL
You're coming with us.
LYLE
Like hell I am.
Bill pulls the hammer back on his pistol, it makes a loud,

intimidating CLICK. Lyle goes pale in the face.
BILL
Are you familiar with the transitive
property?
Bill moves the barrel of the pistol over to the forehead of

the next passenger, the Mother of the Young Girl.
61.
LYLE
Alright, okay! I'll go.
Lyle relents, lets Celeste lead him through the train doors,
down onto the tracks. Bill hops off next. Ethan lets Andre
throw an arm around him, helps his wounded comrade off the
train. Daryl turns to the passengers.
DARYL
Everybody sit tight.
He jumps off. They disappear into the blackness.
INT. ABANDONED SUBWAY STATION - DAY
Bill's crew emerges out of the blackness. Lyle marches in

front of Daryl, who pokes his gun into the hostage's back.
The walls are covered in graffiti, remnants of squatters
homes scattered about. Andre looks fucking terrible.
ETHAN
We never said anything about hostages.
We could've just taken the key.
BILL
And then what?
ETHAN
I don't know, it's not my plan.
BILL
Exactly. We take the key, let him go,
he has the locks changed before we hit
the bank.
LYLE
Just let me go, I won't change them, I
won't--please, please!
He drops to his knees, clasps his hands together.
ETHAN
So what's the plan, then? Gonna bound
and gag him down here? Cops'll search
the tunnels. And what about Macy?
LYLE
Macy? What did you do to my--
BANG. Lead collides with skull at a hundred miles per hour.

Lyle collapses, hole in his head.
62.
Daryl holds the smoking gun.
ETHAN
Fuck!
Ethan spazzes, drops Andre to the ground. Daryl takes the

MASTER KEY from around the corpse's neck.
DARYL
You just couldn't keep your fucking
mouth shut?
ETHAN
You killed him.
BILL
You killed him, E. Transitive
property. Everyone strip, now.
Everybody strips down to their undies. Celeste helps Andre.

The Green-Man suits and cowboy attire are tossed into a trash
can, set ablaze.
A duffle bag is pulled out from a dark corner, fresh clothes

are handed out. Andre winces as Celeste and Ethan dress him.
ETHAN
Where are we?
BILL
East 18th Street subway station.
Abandoned over 60 years ago.
They follow the tracks uptown. Ethan and Daryl drag Lyle's
corpse along. Faint light from a train, starts to look not so
faint. Vibrations all around. It closes in.
DARYL
Here. Put him down.
They drop Lyle's body. Daryl straightens it out, tucks the

limbs neatly inside the rails of the track.
ETHAN
What are we doing?
DARYL
You better move.
Daryl walks over to the wall, next to Bill, Celeste and

Andre. The train gets closer, closer, closer--
63.
CELESTE
Shit, E. Move.
Ethan relents, darts over to the wall, just as the train

arrives, runs over the corpse, rips through it like roadkill
fed into a wood chipper. They follow the tracks to an active
station, climb up onto the platform, disappear into the city.
INT. THERAPIST'S OFFICE - DAY
LESLIE, 40s, therapist in a power suit. Her large bifocals

carry the power to magnify both her distain, and occasional
sympathy for patients.
ETHAN
I thought things would go differently.
LESLIE
How'd you think they would go?
ETHAN
I don't know. I guess I thought you
might trick me into talking about my
feelings or something.
LESLIE
If that's what you thought, you must
have some feelings you want to talk
about.
ETHAN
It's not like that.
LESLIE
What's it like?
Ethan shrugs, throws his hands up.
LESLIE
Random question for you. Humor me.
What is your greatest accomplishment?
INT. NICE STEAK RESTAURANT - NIGHT (FLASHBACK)
Ethan sits across the table from his Mom and Dad, who's
patched up from the beating he took.
WAITER comes by, refills everyone's champagne glasses.
DAD
Not a bad way to celebrate, is it?
64.
ETHAN
Nah, not too shabby, Pops.
MOM
We're proud of you.
Mom plants a kiss on Dad's cheek.
DAD
I hardly did anything. Got lucky, is
all. Sales is a fickle beast.
Ethan raises his champagne glass, they cheers.
INT. THERAPIST'S OFFICE - DAY
Leslie waits for his response.
ETHAN
My greatest accomplishment?
LESLIE
Yes.
ETHAN
Uhh...I guess, maybe, getting sober?
LESLIE
It's not a trick question, Ethan.
ETHAN
I know. I just feel guilty. The best
thing I ever did, get back to a place
most people never leave--woh, woh,
woh. I see what you did there. You're
worth every penny, doc.
LESLIE
As I noted on the phone, first
session's on the house.
ETHAN
It's just a figure of speech, is all.
LESLIE
You introduced yourself to me as, "E"
in our correspondence. But you said,
"Ethan" when you got here. Tell me,
what's that about?
65.
ETHAN
It's a nickname, I don't know...you
ever feel like, you're not the you,
who makes your worst decisions?
LESLIE
Like, there's a devil who sits on your
shoulder?
ETHAN
And a gorilla on my chest. And an
anaconda wrapped around my throat, and
a fucking tarantula crawling down my--
LESLIE
Have you ever been prescribed anti
anxiety medication?
ETHAN
No. Used to steal it from my
neighbors, though. You can't write me
any scripts, doc. Slippery slope.
LESLIE
Another figure of speech.
ETHAN
They're easier, ya know? Do you
believe there are things that
are...irredeemable?
LESLIE
Some things, sure. Like, genocide.
ETHAN
Are you kidding me? I mean like,
things an actual individual might do.
LESLIE
You think you've done something you
can't square?
ETHAN
Not something...things.
LESLIE
I think, at a certain point, it's
important to try and decide what kind
of person you want to be.
66.
ETHAN
Now you sound like Bill, too.
LESLIE
Who's Bill?
ETHAN
No one.
LESLIE
My time, your money Ethan.
ETHAN
The friend I mentioned earlier, the
one who overdosed...
LESLIE
What about him?
ETHAN
I didn't have to pee.
LESLIE
What?
ETHAN
I threw the sketchy pills down on his
desk, went to take a piss, came back,
he was dead. I didn't have to pee.
Leslie jots some notes down in her journal.
EXT. STOOP OF SMALL BUILDING - DAY
Jay jots some notes down in his notepad.
An OLD LADY complains at him, from her doorway.
OLD LADY
Soon as I go to bed, they let their
animals pee all over my Wildflowers,
my Hydrangeas--
JAY
Ma'am, there's nothing we can do about
dogs going number one on your flowers.
It's technically public property.
OLD LADY
That's what the police said.
67.
JAY
You already called the police?
OLD LADY
Of course. They told me to call you
people.
JAY
They meant that as a joke, ma'am. I'm
sorry, there's nothing I can do.
OLD LADY
But I planted them! Did you write that
down? They're my flowers.
Jay taps his pen to the notepad.
JAY
Yep, got it right here, ma'am.
The only note on his notepad reads: KILL YOURSELF. His cell
phone rings. He steps away, puts it to his ear.
JAY (ON PHONE)

Yeah?
INT. THE MORG, POLICE PRECINCT - SAME TIME
Alan watches a recording on loop, from the POV of a train

passenger during the Green-Man Heist.
ALAN (ON PHONE)

You see this train robbery?
JAY (O.S.)
Read about it, why?
ALAN (ON PHONE)

Check out the footage, when you can.
I'd like your opinion.
JAY (O.S.)
Mine? How come?
Alan turns around, faces the large metal table, with

CHARLIE'S DEAD BODY SPLAYED OUT ON IT. On a nearby tray,
Charlie's valuables, including his ONE YEAR SOBRIETY CHIP.
ALAN (ON PHONE)

Cause I think you gotta fox in your
henhouse.
68.
INT. DARYL'S CAR - DAY
Bill sits in the back seat.
Daryl's outside, leans up against his car.
They spy Ethan, who exits Leslie's office building.
EXT. SIDEWALK OUTSIDE THERAPIST'S OFFICE - DAY
Ethan almost walks right by Daryl.
DARYL
E. Yo, E.
ETHAN
Shit, what are you doing here?
DARYL
Get in. Up front.
Daryl climbs into the parked car, Ethan walks around to the
shotgun seat.
INT. DARYL'S CAR - MOMENTS LATER
Daryl navigates traffic, refuses to look at Ethan.
ETHAN
You two fucking following me? You
following me, Daryl?
DARYL
It's D.
ETHAN
It's fucking Daryl. And where the fuck
are we going?
Bill removes the leather belt from around his waste.
BILL
Where do you keep sneaking off to, E?
I called you. Wanted to hit some more
of your dad's sales targets.
ETHAN
I'm not sneaking anywhere. And my pops
is in good standing now, he doesn't
need us. I'm done, I'm out.
69.
Daryl leans to the right, pulls the lever on the side of the
shotgun seat. Ethan falls back, right into Bill's lap.
BILL WRAPS HIS BELT AROUND ETHAN'S NECK, STRANGLES HIM.
BILL
You have to know by now, E. There's no
out.
Ethan's face reaches darker shades of purple by the second.
He tries to speak, the words can't escape.
DARYL
He went up to a doctor's office. I
couldn't get passed the doorman.
Bill relinquishes his grasp on the belt.
Ethan sucks life back into his lunges.
ETHAN
Ffffuck, fuck, fuck.
BILL
Doctor? You sick, E?
ETHAN
Therapist. Saw a therapist.
BILL
Therapy's for the weak. You've got
meetings, you've got the crew. Why do
you need some crackpot messing around
with your thoughts?
ETHAN
Little ironic, coming from you.
Daryl stomps on the breaks - Ethan flies forward, bashes his

nose on the glove box.
DARYL
What'd I tell you about that smart
mouth of yours?
Ethan holds his bloody nose.
BILL
You have to start listening, E.
70.
ETHAN
I took Macy's temperature, I followed
her home. I did the train...what the
fuck else do you want from me?
BILL
What have I been saying this whole
time? I want you to make something of
yourself. Shit, he's really bleeding.
You got a tissue, D?
INT. LAW OFFICE - DAY
THE BROKER, Ed Harris-looking guy, hands Ethan a tissue for

his bloody nose.
BROKER
Used to get nosebleeds when I was a
kid.
ETHAN
I'm not a kid.
BROKER
Didn't say you were.
BILL
You'll have to excuse E, here. He's a
bit on edge today.
BROKER
Aren't we all? What do you got for me?
Daryl forks over a duffle bag.
Broker puts it on his desk, opens it. The duffle's filled

with stolen jewels from the opening heist.
BILL
Half a mil of gems in there, easy.
BROKER
Yeah, maybe on the open market. Best I
can do is 250.
BILL
Don't fuck with me, now.
BROKER
Hey, you want to find another broker?
By all means...
71.
Daryl takes a threatening step forward.
Bill puts a hand to Daryl's chest, stops him.
BILL
Two hundred fifty thousand. Fine.
The Broker opens a cabinet, pulls out a briefcase, hands it

to Bill. Daryl intercepts it.
DARYL
Want me to count it?
BILL
This cheap son of a bitch might
lowball us, but he doesn't have the
gaul to rip me off. Let's go.
Ethan checks the bloody tissue.
INT. HALLWAY TO ELEVATOR, LAWYERS OFFICE - MOMENTS LATER
Ethan tosses the tissue into a trash can.
Daryl hits the call button for the elevator.
DARYL
Two hundred fifty K? How you gonna let
him get away with that?
BILL
You know me better than that. Where do
you think he holds the stolen goods,
before he sells them off?
Daryl shrugs, clueless.
ETHAN
Safe deposit boxes. Yorkville's Number
One Bank.
EXT. SIDEWALK - NIGHT
They head for Daryl's car, parked out front of a MEN'S

WEARHOUSE. In the window, mannequins with nice suits on.
Ethan's phone buzzes.
DARYL
How do you know the Broker uses the
boxes at Yorkville's Number One?
72.
Ethan answers his phone.
ETHAN (ON PHONE)

Hello?
BILL
Celeste fills in for his secretary,
part time.
MEREDITH (O.S.)
Mr. Philips?
ETHAN (ON PHONE)

Who's calling?
MEREDITH (O.S.)
This is Meredith Stein, with the
Yorkville Security Company.
ETHAN (ON PHONE)

Uhh, okay?
MEREDITH (O.S.)
Someone passed your resume along to
me. I was hoping you might be able to
come in tomorrow, for an interview?
Daryl and Bill climb into the car, Ethan walks a few steps
away, whispers.
ETHAN (ON PHONE)

Like, for a job?
MEREDITH (O.S.)
Well, we aren't running the local
paper...
Ethan stares at the Men's Wearhouse window, eyes the suits.
INT. HEAD QUARTERS, YORKVILLE SECURITY COMPANY - DAY
Ethan wears a brand new suit, sits in front of a desk.
MEREDITH, older lady, so happy at work, she might be a witch.

She smiles from the other side of the desk.
ETHAN
Sorry, who did you say passed along my
resume?
73.
MEREDITH
Jay did, he said--
ETHAN
Jay?
MEREDITH
Jay Bender, one of the security
officers here. Said it'd be a favor to
him, if we considered hiring you.
ETHAN
Well, I guess I have to thank Jay.
MEREDITH
You majored in copywriting in college?
ETHAN
That was my focus, yeah.
MEREDITH
You know anything about editing
content for websites?
ETHAN
A little, and anything I don't know, I
can google. I'm a quick learner.
MEREDITH
You'll pass a background check?
ETHAN
Of course.
MEREDITH
Alright, great. Let's--
ETHAN
Wait, wait, stop. I'm sorry. That was
a lie. I won't pass a background
check. I've got some legal issues, I'm
technically on probation. I should
just go. Sorry I wasted your time.
He gets up. She waives a hand, gestures him back down.
MEREDITH
Don't worry about it. Jay recommended
you personally, so whatever you did,
couldn't be that bad. You want the
job, you got it.
74.
ETHAN
Wait...simple as that?
MEREDITH
We are a wildly overfunded
organization, son. And I'm in charge
of day-to-day operations. So, yes.
Simple as that.
INT. BARBER SHOP - DAY
Alan, back in the barber's chair, half his face covered in

shaving cream. Jay enters, takes the open chair next to him.
JAY
Give us a minute, Sal?
The barber complies.
ALAN
You can't come find me at the
precinct?
JAY
You know I can't. Weren't you just
here?
ALAN
That was for my head, this is my face.
JAY
You're not pitching for the Yankees,
Al.
ALAN
Is this what you came for? Give me
grief, about how I spend my time and
money?
JAY
Somebody should.
Alan pulls a manila folder out from under the barber smock.
Jay takes it, flips through.
The first picture in the folder is of Jack, the climber from

the opening heist, his corpse nearly sliced in half at the
waste. Jay flips to the next picture - Peter's dead body. The
third photo is Charlie's pale corpse at the morgue.
75.
ALAN
Three DB's - two murders, and a
botched robbery. What's the
connection?
JAY
Narcotics Anonymous.
ALAN
I was thinking, you. But sure.
JAY
Hey, screw you.
ALAN
Relax, I know you only kill people by
accident.
Jay rises, slaps the folder into Alan's chest, storms out.
EXT. OUTSIDE BARBER SHOP - MOMENTS LATER
Alan rushes out, smock still on, shaving cream sliding down
his face.
ALAN
Hey, hey, wait. Hold it, I'm sorry.
He grabs Jay's arm. Jay yanks it away, faces his brother.
JAY
You called me. You're gonna be a jack-
hole about it, I'm going home.
ALAN
Just wait a second, I'm sorry.
Alright? The Chief's son goes to N.A.
meetings.
JAY
Okay?
ALAN
He wants this solved, quietly.
JAY
As opposed to all the other triple
homicides?
ALAN
Who's being a jack-hole, now?
76.
JAY
What's the Chief's kid's name?
ALAN
Don't know his real name, goes by
Archie. Know him?
JAY
Just his face. He's quiet.
ALAN
One of the train bandits took a bullet
to the abdomen. Ran the DNA, no
matches. They killed an undercover
cop, Jay.
JAY
Check the hospitals? Emergency Rooms?
ALAN
Got squat. Contacted the FBI,
requested any knowledge they might
have on underground clinics. You know
how that goes, though. Bureaucrats.
All three vics attended meetings at
the local church. Same as you. Who's
pulling the strings?
JAY
If I knew that, I would've called you,
spared us this lovely get-together.
Jay turns to walk away.
ALAN
Wait, hold onto this. Maybe it'll
knock a few screws loose.
Jay snatches the manila folder, storms off.
ALAN (CONTINUED)
And watch the train robbery footage!
EXT. EAST RIVER - NIGHT
On a bench, Jay watches the recording of the train robbery,

now trending on Twitter. He studies the manila folder. Flips
through all the notes, the violent images.
JAY
Wow.
77.
He reads the notes accompanying Jack's picture. A JOGGER

flies by, startles Jay. He flinches, drops the folder.
JAY
Crap.
Jay kneels down, gathers the folder and documents. His eyes
hone in on the words: FORMER OLYMPIC GYMNAST.
JAY
Crap!
INT. THE CLIMBING GYM - NIGHT
Ethan's halfway up the biggest wall of the facility. Once

again, he's got no harness on.
Jay stands at the base of the wall, looks up.
JAY
Hey, Ethan. Got a minute?
He looks down at Jay.
ETHAN
A whole minute? No. I'll tell ya what,
though. Time moves pretty slow up
here. If you can swing it.
Ethan continues to free-climb, higher and higher up the wall.
Jay rolls his sleeves up, takes a deep breath, grabs onto a
peg, hoists himself up, climbs. He gets barely a quarter of
the way up the wall, before his grip gives out. He falls to
the mat below, lands with a thud.
Ethan looks down at him with pity. Jay rolls off the mat,
just before Ethan crashes down onto it.
ETHAN
Why'd you help me find a job? I didn't
ask you to.
JAY
Felt like you needed a push in the
right direction.
ETHAN
And what direction's that?
78.
JAY
Whichever direction gets you further
from Bill.
Jay offers a hand. Ethan ignores it, stands himself up.
ETHAN
What are you doing here? I'm not about
to fuck an old man. Not even one who
got me a job offer.
Jay's taken aback. His jaw hangs open...where are the words?
ETHAN (CONTINUED)
Relax, relax. I'm kidding. I don't
think I can take the job, though.
JAY
Why not?
ETHAN
Cause I already got one, sort of.
JAY
With Bill?
ETHAN
Maybe...why's it matter to you?
JAY
It doesn't. But it should matter to
you. Here.
Jay thrusts the manila folder into Ethan's chest. He accepts

it like a curious child.
ETHAN
What's this--oh fuck, holy shit.
He slaps it closed at the sight of the corpses, tries to hand

it back. Jay won't take it. Ethan drops it to the floor.
JAY
Recognize any of them? You should.
ETHAN
What the fuck is it with you?
JAY
You hear about that crazy 6 train
robbery? Bunch of green cowboys?
79.
Ethan starts climbing again.
ETHAN
Read about it online.
JAY
There was a passenger, she said the
cowboys took a hostage.
ETHAN
So?
JAY
She said he went willingly. Not at
first, though.
ETHAN
Fuck's that gotta do with me?
JAY
She said one of the cowboys, the one
she thought was in charge, said
something about transitive property.
Where have you heard that before?
ETHAN
I don't know, Jay. Eighth grade math?
JAY
Maybe at your fancy private school--
ETHAN
Fuck you.
JAY
I know it's Bill. I'm guessing he's
got you roped into this.
ETHAN
I don't know what you're on about.
JAY
They had a climber before you. They'll
probably have another, after. In
Bill's eyes, everyone's replaceable.
INT. DARYL'S CAR, OUTSIDE CLIMBING GYM - SAME TIME
Cell to his ear, Daryl watches through the large windows of

the climbing gym, as Jay speaks with Ethan.
80.
DARYL (ON PHONE)

You'll never guess who showed
up...when?...Consider it done.
INT. THE CLIMBING GYM - SAME TIME
Ethan hangs off the rock wall by one hand, looks down at Jay.
ETHAN
This is my place. You're ruining it.
Jay opens his mouth, desperate to get the last word in,
nothing materializes. He drops his head, walks out.
INT. DARYL'S CAR - MOMENTS LATER
Daryl spots Jay leave the gym, follows him from a distance.
He pulls a REVOLVER out of the glovebox, checks to make sure
it's loaded.
EXT. SIDEWALK/STREETS - NIGHT
Failure, that familiar feeling. Jay meanders down the block,

shoulders slumped. He makes it a block and a half, before he
notices the tail. Dark SVU.
He cuts across the street, head swivels - oh yeah, tail job.
Instincts take over, Jay moves his hand down to his hip -
crap. No gun. Hasn't been there in over a year, old habits
die hard, though. Next he goes for his cell. Who to call?
Is he just paranoid? He makes a break for it, down a one-way

street. The SUV Driver would need a serious set of cajones,
to follow him the wrong way down a one-way. Damn, the SUV
pulls a half U-turn, REVERSES DOWN THE ONE-WAY, at a
controlled speed.
JAY
Crap.
Jay dials 9-1-1 into his cell, climbs atop a dumpster outside
a walk-up building, PULLS THE LADDER of the fire escape down.
EXT. WALK-UP BUILDING - MOMENTS LATER
Daryl reverses to a stop, sees the ladder pulled down, exits

the car. He tucks the revolver into his back waistband,
hoists himself up onto the dumpster, climbs up the ladder to
the second floor's fire escape.
81.
EXT. SECOND FLOOR FIRE ESCAPE - MOMENTS LATER
Daryl takes his gun out, peers in through the window.
DARYL
Where the fuck are you hiding--
His search is INTERRUPTED by a POLICE CAR, lights flashing.
TWO COPS hop out, approach the walk-up, guns drawn.
COP 1
Police, freeze!
DARYL
Motherfucker.
Daryl lifts his revolver, aims it toward the--
INT. DUMPSTER - SAME TIME
Jay, hides in the closed dumpster beneath the fire escape,

listens to the PARADE OF GUNFIRE.
The shooting stops.
One final thud, as something crashes down onto the dumpster.
EXT. BIG TIME ARCADE - NIGHT
For a city that never sleeps, the streets of Yorkville sure

are quiet.
Ethan eyes the second story window, above the arcade. The
gears turn in his mind, he maps a path up the facade of the
building. He twirls the cowlick at the back of his head,
loops the hair around his finger. Go time.
With a running start, Ethan launches himself several feet up,

latches onto the building, grips a crease in the wall, morphs
into a spider-monkey, dances up the brick, to the second
floor window.
INT. SECOND FLOOR OFFICE, BIG TIME ARCADE - MOMENTS LATER
From the outside, Ethan attempts to pull open the first

window. Doesn't budge. He almost falls, steadies himself,
shimmies down to the next window, peers in through the glass,
sees that this one's locked as well. He keeps shimmying.
Third window's unlocked. He pries it open, slithers inside.
82.
Fucking A. Parkour gangster. But, what's he even looking for?
Proof? Proof of what? Could he possibly find something worse

than what went down in that subway tunnel?
The drawers in Bill's desk yield nothing of interest--but

wait, that bottom drawer, why's there so little storage
space? Doesn't look right.
Ethan pulls a ruler from a mug of pencils, slides it down

into the drawer, fiddles and twists, until...Yes! The false
bottom of the drawer pops up, reveals a secret compartment.
ETHAN
What the fuck?
Several prescription pill bottles - opiates, opiates,

opiates. Beneath that, a little black book.
Ethan flips through the book. Certain pages have headers,

some are names, familiar and foreign. He lands on a page with
the name CHARLIE etched at the top. Beneath that, the words
M.T.A. CONTROL ROOM, written in bold, underlined.
He flips a few pages down, to a header titled PASSWORDS.
Ethan opens the laptop on Bill's desk, punches one of the

passwords from the little black book into the computer.
He's in. His eyes are drawn to a folder on the desktop titled
BLACKMAIL. Double clicks. It's filled with audio files. He
plays one.
AUDIO FILE 1: PETER'S VOICE

My name's Peter, I'm a drug addict--
ETHAN
What the fuck?
Ethan skims the dates, clicks a more recent audio file.
AUDIO FILE 2: JAY'S VOICE

I guess I just feel like, I already
lost everything, anyway. What's even
the point of staying sober?
Ethan's jaw drops. He covers his mouth, clicks out of the

blackmail folder, over to a folder labeled: BANK JOB.
Inside the BANK JOB folder is a filed labeled: MACY.

83.
ETHAN
Holy shit, holy shit, holy shit--
KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK - he almost jumps out of his skin.
Ethan slams the laptop shut, stumbles back, bumps into a

framed photo on the wall, barely stops it from falling. He
drops the black book into the drawer with the pills, replaces
the false bottom, puts the ruler back in the mug - KNOCK,
KNOCK, KNOCK.
ETHAN
Fuck.
He hoists himself back up onto the window, looks down. It's

only Macy, knocking on the locked front door of the arcade.
Ethan closes the window, leaves Bill's office.
Ethan unlocks the front door, let's Macy in.
MACY
Where is everyone?
ETHAN
No clue, you okay?
She's disheveled. Red cheeks, watery eyes.
MACY
I'm fine, it's...is Bill here?
ETHAN
He's not. What's the matter? Come, sit
down.
They both take a seat on the air hockey table.
MACY
Ugh, I hate when I get like this.
She wipes her smudged eye makeup.
ETHAN
Everyone needs a good cry sometimes.
MACY
Bill says tears are for the weak.
84.
ETHAN
Bill says a lot of shit, Macy.
MACY
My step-dad's missing. Been almost a
week. My mom won't get out of bed. I
don't know if she on something, or if
she's just like, manic?
Lump in his throat, Ethan hops off the table.
ETHAN
Missing? I-I'm sure he'll turn up.
He looks away. When he turns back, she's crying harder.
ETHAN
Shit. I'm sorry, I wish I knew what to
say.
MACY
It's not your fault. Ugh, it's just,
my mom was a fucking mess before he
came into our lives. I don't want her
backsliding, you know?
ETHAN
I thought you hated your step-dad?
MACY
What? Why would you--
ETHAN
I thought he was keeping your
inheritance from you.
MACY
What the fuck are you talking about,
Ethan?
ETHAN
Oh, shit.
MACY
What?
ETHAN
I...I need to go to a meeting. Do you
wanna go to a meeting?
Macy checks her watch.

85.
MACY
If we walk slow, we'll get to the
church in time for the early morning
session.
ETHAN
Let's do it.
EXT. FRONT STEPS, CHURCH - DAY
Can she hear it? Can she hear his heart beating louder than a
fucking bongo? Why's he so damn light-headed? Shit, when was
the last time he took a breath? Ethan gasps, it doesn't help.
ETHAN
Fuck.
Macy reaches the top of the church steps. She turns around.
MACY
You okay? You don't look so hot--
Keep going Ethan, one foot in front of the other, just take
it one step at a time--BAM!
SOMETHING CRASHES DOWN ONTO THE STEPS OF THE CHURCH.
Moisture hits Ethan's cheek. He wipes his face. Oh fuck, is

that...blood? He looks down. It wasn't a something that
crashed down out of the sky - it was a someone.
And it's not just any someone - it's fucking Archie.
MACY
Oh my god! Oh my god! Oh my--
Macy stops screaming long enough to vomit.
INT. CUBICLE, HOME SECURITY SALES OFFICE - DAY
Dad vomits into a small trash bin, then goes back to packing
all his belongings into the box on his desk.
TWO POLICE DETECTIVES stare at him, wait for the elevator.
Dad's got one arm in a sling, some slow-healing facial

bruises, a brace around his neck.
DAD
Should've fucking known. Too good to
be true. Too good to be real. Fuck.
86.
BART, Dad's cubicle-mate, enters with a box of pizza.
BART
Got an extra slice if you want it--
woh, what's up? Doing some Spring
cleaning?
DAD
Just plummeting to new milestones of
mediocrity, Bart.
BART
Shit, man. You get canned?
DAD
That I did, Bart. That I did. And I'll
be lucky if I'm not arrested in the
coming weeks.
BART
What do you mean?
Dad picks the box up off his desk--it all falls to the floor.
DAD
God damnit.
BART
Here, lemme help you--
DAD
No, no, no. No. I got it.
Dad drops to his knees, gathers his office crap back up.
Bart gets down on the carpet with him, helps re-box

everything.
BART
You shouldn't be too ashamed to ask
for help, man. I wouldn't have gotten
this job, if I hadn't asked my son to
help me with Linkedin. Feel me?
Bart picks the box up, helps Dad stand upright.
DAD
It's been nice sharing a cubicle,
Bart.
87.
BART
Hey, thanks. And don't worry about
this, I'm sure it'll all work out. You
know I have some connects at a sales
firm in Brooklyn. Want me to send them
your resume?
DAD
I'd really like that Bart. Thanks.
Dad walks to the staircase, head down. He pins the box of

crap to the wall, fishes his cell out, holds it to his ear.
DAD (ON PHONE)

Ethan?
EXT. SIDEWALK, OUTSIDE ETHAN'S BUILDING - DAY
Ethan, phone to ear, approaches the lobby.
ETHAN (ON PHONE)

Yeah pops?
DAD (O.S.)
Anything you feel like sharing?
ETHAN (ON PHONE)

What do you mean?
DAD (O.S.)
Police showed up to my office to
question me. Obviously, I was fired
shortly thereafter.
Ethan drops the phone, nearly falls the fuck over.
Heart beating louder than a chorus at the opera, Ethan

stumbles inside, drunk on regret and confusion. He twirls the
cowlick at the back of his head, loops the hair around his
finger--A PIECE OF HAIR RIPS RIGHT OFF HIS HEAD.
He collapses to the floor, his fucking chest...breath Ethan!

He sees it...the Piggy Bank...mocking him from the desk. That
smug pig nose. He crawls across the carpet. His Goddamn chest
- has a vicious alien laid an egg in there?
He reaches up, grabs the piggy bank. He SMASHES IT. Picks the
tainted pills out from the shattered porcelain. Into his desk
drawer, out with an unopened syringe.
88.
EXT. WALK-UP BUILDING - DAY
DARYL'S DEAD BODY is splayed out on the concrete, next to the

dumpster. Alan stands, hands on hips, eyes wider than a
fucking owl.
UNIFORMED POLICE OFFICERS tape off the crime scene, traffic

on the one-way street is halted.
CRIME SCENE PHOTOGRAPHER snaps an obnoxious number of photos.

The suns out, is the flash really necessary?
An EMT takes Jay's blood pressure as he sits at the edge of

the ambulance.
JAY
I hid in a dumpster, and called 9-1-1.
If my blood pressure's high, it's got
nothing to do with this.
EMT ignores him, continues to run tests. Alan tip-toes over.
ALAN
You good, Jay?
JAY
Fine, Alan. Would really like to go
home, was a long night.
ALAN
Can you tell me what happened?
JAY
I gave your boys my statement.
ALAN
That's not what I mean. I mean, what
the fuck happened?
JAY
Before. You said, there was a fox in
our henhouse. You weren't wrong.
ALAN
No?
JAY
No. I'm the fox.
Jay rips his arm away from the EMT, walks off. Alan follows.
89.
ALAN
Jay. Jay! Look, I'm...glad you're
okay. You are okay, right?
JAY
No worse off than before.
ALAN
This guy, Daryl, he the ringleader?
JAY
That'd be convenient, wouldn't it?
ALAN
What's that supposed to mean?
JAY
Means, he's just the triggerman. And
I'm just a security guard, remember?
Jay fishes a cigarette out of his pocket, puts it to his

lips, can't find a lighter. Walks off.
Ethan, back on the stoop, serious bags under his eyes. A town
car pulls up, Macy and her MOTHER climb out. Ethan sticks two
fingers in his mouth, wolf whistles, loud enough that Macy
takes note. She ushers her mother into the lobby, jogs across
the street toward Ethan.
MACY
What the hell happened to you,
yesterday? You disappeared on me. I
needed you.
ETHAN
I know, I'm sorry.
MACY
Just like a man to disappear when shit
gets tough.
ETHAN
Macy, look--
MACY
You look. I don't need another flake
in my life. My mom needs me. You and I
barely know each other. Forget it.
90.
ETHAN
Your step-dad's dead.
MACY
What? Why would you say that? What the
fuck is the matter with you?
ETHAN
I hate myself for knowing, and I hate
myself for not telling you right away.
MACY
What are you talking about? You're a
fucking sicko, you know that?
ETHAN
I do. I know. But I'm telling you the
truth. Bill and Daryl, they killed
him. They're killing everyone.
She covers her ears, can't hear another word.
ETHAN
Listen, listen, listen to me. Macy.
He pulls her hands away from her ears. She screams.
MACY
He wouldn't do that, why would he do
that?
ETHAN
He's cleaning house. You need to stay
away from him.
She turns, walks back across the street. Ethan follows.
ETHAN
Just promise me, Macy. Promise me
you'll stay far away from Bill.
MACY
Leave me alone!
ETHAN
He's dangerous, just stay away from
him. Promise me--
A yellow taxi nearly runs Ethan over, creates enough space

between he and Macy, for her to scurry into the lobby.
91.
Bill holds court over the air hockey table.
The roster's down to him, Andre, and Celeste. Andre's in a

wheelchair.
BILL
What'd the Vet say?
ANDRE
Told me to stay off my feet. Stitched
me up, gave me antibiotics. Says I
need surgery to remove the bullet.
BILL
Soon as this job's done, we'll fix you
up good. He give you any grief?
ANDRE
Loads. But I reminded him how bad it'd
be if the DEA were to find out about
his little ketamine side-hustle.
Bill pats him on the shoulder.
BILL
You'll be running your own crew in no
time. C, you get the van ready?
CELESTE
Parked two blocks down.
BILL
AD, you're the wheelman this time
around. Ethan's in the bank, with me.
CELESTE
And if he doesn't show?
BILL
He'll show.
ANDRE
And if he doesn't?
Ears burning, Ethan enters the arcade, confidant as ever.
ETHAN
Sorry I'm late, we did a thing at the
church for Archie.
92.
CELESTE
You seen Macy?
ETHAN
Yeah. Wouldn't hold your breath,
though. She was there when he jumped.
She's all shook up.
ANDRE
Weren't you?
ETHAN
Weren't I, what?
ANDRE
There when he jumped.
ETHAN
Sure, but I don't shake easy.
BILL
My man. You good, E?
ETHAN
I'll be a lot better after tonight.
BILL
That's the spirit. You ready to make
something of yourself?
ETHAN
You have no idea. What's the plan?
INT. GETAWAY VAN - NIGHT
The red van pulls up outside Yorkville's Number One Bank,

Andre in the driver's seat.
Celeste rides shotgun, clutches a pistol.
Bill and Ethan in the back.
BILL (V.O.)
AD behind the wheel, C's locked and
loaded up front. No second chances on
this one. That means, things go south,
boys in blue happen upon us, C comes
out blasting. No hesitation.
93.
EXT. OUTSIDE YORKVILLE'S NUMBER ONE BANK - MOMENTS LATER
Ethan follows Bill out the van.
BILL (V.O.)
We carve ourselves an entrance.
Bill helps Ethan set the glass cutter up, carves a hole in
the bank window.
INT. YORKVILLE'S NUMBER ONE BANK - MOMENTS LATER
Ethan climbs the stairs to the glass box, SUSPENDED OVER THE
BANK'S FIRST FLOOR. He uses the suction cups to SCALE THE
OUTSIDE of the safe deposit room.
BILL (V.O.)
We're gonna set up a pulley-system,
rope and suction cups, cut our way
into the vault with the boxes.
Ethan uses the glass cutter to carve a hole in the side of

the safe deposit room, climbs in, pulls Bill up.
Bill uses the MASTER KEY to unlock the boxes.
BILL (V.O.)
We empty the whole fucking room,
everything. Repel down, head out. Like
we were never even there.
Bill's done reciting the plan.
BILL
Everyone got that?
CELESTE
Got it.
ANDRE
Got it.
BILL
AD, you bring what I asked for?
ANDRE
'Course.
94.
Andre removes a pistol from his jacket pocket, Bill takes it.
BILL
C, take this.
Bill hands it off to Celeste, who caresses the cool steel.
BILL
You guys ready to make something of
yourselves? Teach this neighborhood a
lesson on agency?
ETHAN
Let's do it.
EXT. STREET, OUTSIDE YORKVILLE'S NUMBER ONE BANK - NIGHT
Van rolls to a stop. Celeste jumps out first, black jumpsuit,

black mask. She sets up the first SPIKE STRIP from corner to
corner, just like the opening heist. She jogs back to the
van, grabs the second spike strip, sets it up on the opposite
end of the block. Jogs back to the van.
Ethan and Bill jump out next, clad in U.S. Army jumpsuit
fatigues, faces painted in matching camouflage. They haul the
glass cutter over to the large front window of the bank.
As Bill and Ethan work on the bank window, Celeste pulls a

LONG HOSE from a box in the back of the van.
ANDRE
What's good back there?
CELESTE
Just setting up for a quick getaway.
EXT. VAN - MOMENTS LATER
Celeste hops out, feeds THE HOSE INTO THE EXHAUST PIPE of the
van, funnels the other end back inside through a small hole
in the floor. She takes her new pistol out from her
waistband, kneels on the concrete.
INT. VAN - MOMENTS LATER
Andre's eyes flutter as the VAN FILLS UP WITH CARBON

MONOXIDE. It's like his head's too heavy for his neck. All of
a sudden - RING RING RING, RING RING RING, RING RING RING!
95.
EXT. YORKVILLE'S NUMBER ONE BANK - SAME TIME
Bill and Ethan remove a circle of glass from the window--

SETTING OFF THE SECURITY ALARMS. RING RING RING, RING RING!
ETHAN
Fuck.
BILL
Don't panic, we're prepared for this.
The bank alarm lights a fire under Andre's ass. With every
last ounce of energy he can muster, he fights off the long
sleep, pulls the handle on the door, falls out the van.
EXT. VAN - MOMENTS LATER
Andre hits the concrete, vomits, sees the hose set-up.
ANDRE
What the--
INT. YORKVILLE'S NUMBER ONE BANK - MOMENTS LATER
Bill stands by the window, keeps look out. Ethan SCALES the
large glass box of a vault room, suspended up over the first
floor of the bank. He sets up the pulley-system, with the
ropes and suction cups.
ETHAN
Ready.
Bill hustles over, ties the low end of the rope around the
handle of the glass cutter. Ethan pulls it up.
BILL
Just like before, you got this.
Ethan struggles at first to set up the instrument.
BILL (CONTINUED)
C'mon, E. You fucking got this. Make
something of yourself, do it.
Ethan carves a medium-sized hole into the side of the glass

vault room, crawls inside.
96.
Ethan uses the pulley-system to hoist Bill up and in.
Bill takes the MASTER KEY from around his neck, one by one
opens all of the SAFE DEPOSIT BOXES.
EXT. STREET, OUTSIDE YORKVILLE'S NUMBER ONE BANK - SAME TIME
Andre catches his breath. He crawls around the van, pulls

Celeste's legs out from under her. A struggle ensues.
As they roll around on the concrete, the first set of COP

CARS arrive on scene, drive right over the spike strips, POP
THEIR TIRES and fucking SUMMERSAULT.
The SECOND LINE OF COP CARS jam on the breaks, just in time.
Celeste shakes off Andre long enough to grab her pistol, aim
it at his face, pull the trigger - CLICK.
CELESTE
What the fuck?
ANDRE
Blanks, bitch.
She pulls the trigger again - CLICK, nothing.
TWO POLICE OFFICERS step over the spike strips.
POLICE OFFICER 1
Drop the weapon!
INT. SAFE DEPOSIT VAULT ROOM - SAME TIME
His back to Ethan, Bill continues to open each of the

hundreds of safe deposit boxes.
BILL
How we doing? Duffles filled?
The duffle bags are empty.
Ethan removes a LOADED SYRINGE from his pocket.
In a swift and concise motion, Ethan POKES THE NEEDLE into

the back of Bill's head, just behind his ear, jams the
plunger down.
Bill jerks around like a cornered viper, spins and swings.

97.
It's hopeless. A moment later, he's on the floor of the safe

deposit vault, body jittering in a fit of convulsions.
EXT. STREET, OUTSIDE YORKVILLE'S NUMBER ONE BANK - NIGHT
Andre and Celeste lay on their bellies, hands cuffed behind

their backs. A SWAT TEAM marches into the bank.
INT. YORKVILLE'S NUMBER ONE BANK - NIGHT
The various SWAT members have de-masked, fanned out. Several

POLICE UNITS are on scene.
On the first floor of the bank, Ethan lays on his belly,

hands cuffed behind his back. EMPTY DUFFLE BAGS next to him.
The police have set up a ladder beneath the vault room.
INT. SAFE DEPOSIT VAULT ROOM - SAME TIME
Alan stands in the corner of the small room, hands on hips.

All of the BOXES ARE CLOSED, appear to be untampered with.
DETECTIVE 1 puts two fingers to Bill's throat.
DETECTIVE 1
Pulse is faint, he ain't dead yet.
Alan chirps into his radio.
ALAN (INTO WALKIE)

Send in the EMTs. We're gonna need a
gurney. And some strong fucking rope.
EXT. YORKVILLE'S NUMBER ONE BANK - NIGHT
Two UNIFORMED OFFICERS usher Ethan out the bank toward a

squad car. Jay arrives on scene, hustles over.
JAY
Ethan, what happened. Are you okay?
ETHAN
I'm good, Jay. Don't worry.
Ethan's shoved into the back of the squad car. Jay leans his
head in through the open window.
JAY
Want me to call a lawyer?
98.
INT. BACK OF SQUAD CAR - SAME TIME
Ethan pokes his head out the window.
ETHAN
Already did. Agreed to protect his
assets in exchange for legal counsel.
I could use a favor, though.
SUPER OVER BLACK: EIGH MONTHS LATER
Ethan sits in an N.A. meeting. He has a MONITOR locked around

his right ankle. He speaks to a room of ALL NEW FACES.
ETHAN
Look, there's no cheat code to this
thing called addiction. All you can do
is work the steps, and accept that
every single day you wake up is a
blessing. And please, give me a call
if you ever feel like you'r wavering.
That goes for every single one of you.
EXT. CHURCH STEPS - DAY
Jay smokes a cigarette, watches the door as everyone funnels

out the church. He taps Ethan's shoulder.
ETHAN
Didn't wanna come inside?
JAY
I caught a few minutes of it. You're a
natural. Wanted to give you this.
He forks over a business card. Ethan reads it aloud.
ETHAN
Bent Detective Agency. How poetic.
Give me a few more of these, I'll hand
them out around the church.
JAY
I'd appreciate that.
ETHAN
I'm glad you found your calling.
99.
JAY
Thanks. I'm glad you're not in prison.
What's the radius on this thing?
Jay taps his foot against Ethan's ankle monitor.
ETHAN
Home, church, grocery store.
JAY
Could be worse, right?
ETHAN
Shit, I could be in prison with
Celeste and Andre.
JAY
You didn't hear? Andre died. Stomach
infection. Celeste is trying to deal,
not sure how bad the D.A. needs her
testimony, though.
ETHAN
I never thanked you for putting a good
word in, or for hooking my dad up.
JAY
Don't mention it. Glad I could help.
ETHAN
I never apologized, either. You warned
me. I practically spat in your face.
JAY
All in the past, Ethan. Guys like us
need to stick together. And hey, if I
never need someone with your
particular set of skills--
INT. OFFICE OF YORKVILLE SECURITY COMPANY - DAY
Dad sits behind a desk, yaps into the phone.
DAD (ON PHONE)

That's right, we've expanded our
business, you can now have a security
guard stationed on your block for a
reasonable price--could you hold that
thought, please? That's my other line.
Dad clicks a button, changes lines.

100.
DAD (ON PHONE)

Yorkville Security Company, who's
calling?...Sorry, you said,
Yorkville's Number One Bank?
INT. YORKVILLE'S NUMBER ONE BANK - SAME TIME
ALBERT, expensive suit, thick framed glasses.
ALBERT (ON PHONE)

Yes. We're having everyone who keeps a
safe deposit box with us, come in and
confirm that nothing was stolen or
tampered with.
DAD (O.S.)
Safe deposit?
ALBERT (ON PHONE)

We've got it on good authority that
nothing was taken during the botched
robbery several months back, just
dotting our I's, ticking away at our
client list. I'm terribly sorry it's
taken so long.
INT. OFFICE OF YORKVILLE SECURITY COMPANY - SAME TIME
Dad scratches his head.
DAD (ON PHONE)

This must be some sort of mistake, I
never opened a safe deposit box with--
ALBERT (O.S.)
It's quite possible the box was opened
on your behalf by a family member, or
even written into a will. We have
spare keys down here, if you'll just
make your way.
INT. SAFE DEPOSIT VAULT ROOM - DAY
Albert hands Dad a key, ushers him into the vault room,
stands outside, waits. Dad reads the number on the key, finds
the corresponding box. He opens it.
DAD
Holy shit--
THE END.

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Among Thieves

BILL, 50s, posture projects charisma, his pinned eyes hide

EXT. STREET, OUTSIDE JEWELRY STORE - NIGHT

PETER, 30s, lanky and awkward, hops out of the van.

DARYL, 30s, Napoleonic in stature and attitude, follows him.

Peter drags his strip across the street, North to South,

INT. WHITE VAN, STREETS OF NEW YORK CITY - NIGHT

Bill waits for Peter and Daryl to get in place, then--

EXT. STREET, OUTSIDE JEWELRY STORE - NIGHT

CELESTE, 20s, adrenaline and Monster Energy, follows him out.

Bandanas over faces, purple latex gloves on hands, baseball

She pulls the gate up. Andre removes a heavy-duty circular

INT. JEWELRY STORE - MOMENTS LATER

Andre uses the glass cutter to create small windows in the

They snatch up all the product, bag it in the duffle.

EXT. STREET, OUTSIDE JEWELRY STORE - SAME TIME

Van pulls away - immediately hits a red light, stops.

INT. VAN - SAME TIME

CHARLIE, 40s, nerdy, panicky, sunglasses on, head down.

The van lights up in a green glow. Charlie accelerates.

EXT. STREET, OUTSIDE 2ND FLOOR JEWELRY STORE - SAME TIME

The van moves downtown three blocks. Half a block west, it

INT. VAN - SAME TIME

Bill turns, addresses the crew.

EXT. STREET, OUTSIDE 2ND FLOOR JEWELRY STORE - MOMENTS LATER

JACK, 20s, blond, heroic shoulders, hops out of the van,

Jack SCALES THE BUILDING'S FACADE, like a mountain climber.

INT. WHITE VAN, STREETS OF NEW YORK CITY - SAME TIME

The gang watch through the windshield as Jack climbs to the

EXT. STREET, OUTSIDE 2ND FLOOR JEWELRY STORE - MOMENTS LATER

Jack reaches the second floor, attaches one of the SUCTION

Dangling from a rope, two stories above the concrete, Jack

He turns back toward the van to give a thumbs up - the UPPER

INT. MID AIR - DAY

ETHAN, adrenaline junky, late-20s, falls through the air.

INT. THE CLIMBING GYM - SAME TIME

A gravity-fueled collision with a padded mat, snaps Ethan

STAFF MEMBER, 40s, looks on in horror.

Ethan gasps for air.

He picks himself up.

Staff Member points at A LARGE COIN, left behind on the mat.

He tosses the chip up in the air.

INT. BACK ROOM OF CHURCH - DAY

The 30 Days Sobriety Chip lands in Ethan's palm, as he pushes

GROUP OF PEOPLE turn, look. Circle of fold-out chairs.

Some familiar faces, a few nods as Ethan finds his seat.

ARCHIE, 18, skittish, desperate in the eyes.

JAY, early 40s, cigarette rests behind his ear.

Bill, the 50 y.o. heist ringleader--

Earns a chuckle from the group.

Bill stares at Celeste as he says this. She nods.

Bill glares at Charlie. Charlie nods.

Jay listens to Bill with a skeptical look on his face.

EXT. CHURCH - NIGHT

The youngster, Archie, taps him on the shoulder.

Ethan considers ignoring him, soldiering on, but--

He's half way gone before he finishes the sentence.

INT. ETHAN'S APARTMENT - NIGHT

Apartment's tiny. On Ethan's desk, a PIGGY BANK. He picks it