英语剧本《再战边缘》
时间:2007-10-27 22:01:02来源: 作者:
The Corruptor (1999)
by Robert Pucci
by Robert Pucci
2. CHINATOWN WAR ---------------- EXT: NEW YORK CITY, DAY Credits roll over establishing shots of the city. First, primary MANHATTAN, the one tourists see on post cards. Then slowly, we drift into Chinatown. Side streets and back alleys so different you wouldn't even know your in the U.S...Eventually we stop on... EXT: WINGS BAKERY SHOP, WEST BROADWAY, CHINATOWN -DAY CUSTOMERS move in and out when BOOOOM! The screen EXPLODES in a ball of FIRE. The bleeding PATRONS stumble into the street as flames pour from a gaping hole that was once a bustling Herb shop. Across the street, a young ASIAN, poorly dressed, lights a smoke. His body is undernourished and covered with the tattoo insignia of the FUKIENESE DRAGONS. But it's his eyes that get your attention. Dark and hungry, they watch his day's work with the detachment of one who's been taught the value of life is zero. Meet BOBBY VU. Oblivious to the chaos, he strides into the street flanked by three similarly tattooed youths who we will come to know as JACK, BLACK EYES and "THE TALL KID". Together they encircle a middle-aged TRIAD SYMPATHIZER dressed totally in his bakery whites, crawling from the rubble. The young gangsters brazenly pull pistols from their jackets. BOBBY VU Fukienese Dragons not funny now. The injured man futilely pulls a gun from his coat as the Dragons execute their prey in a barrage of gunfire. Smoke drifts from their weapons when Bobby notices a frightened TOURIST lying in a puddle of her own blood. He looks into her tear filled eyes and raises his gun to finish her. But she dies before he needs to shoot. He then climbs into a rented Ford and takes off. 3. A BAD DEAL FOR THE FUKIENESE ------------------------------- INT: PHAN HO'S LAMPS, CANAL STREET, NYC-NIGHT For a lamp store the joint is dark. The only light comes from the merchandise burning 20 watt bulbs and a small black and white Zenith spouting tape delayed news from the bombing site. REPORTER (TELEVISION) The tragic death of BETH KADELL from Fairlawn New Jersey in this morning's Chinatown bombing has mobilized the city and drawn attention to a six month war being waged in the back alleys and underground corridors of the city's most mysterious neighborhood. According to police, the Fukienese Dragons, a new entity in the Chinatown crime scene, are headed by twenty year old Bobby Vu from the Fukien province of China. The television shows a surveillance photo of Bobby Vu as the sound of sporadic GRUNTS and a heavy WHACK...WHACK, emanates from the back of the shop. Sitting at a table, drowning in a shower of sweat, is a fifty year old blob named PHAN HO. Nerves mask his face, when suddenly his arm lurches forward as if something or someone pulled him. WHACK! REPORTER (TELEVISION) Sources say the bombing and execution of a known Triad Soldier are another chapter in the power struggle between the Fukienese Dragons Youth Gang and the Triad run Tung Fung Benevolent Association, Chinatown's ruling organized crime entity for over a century, believed to be headed by local businessman Benjamin Wong. Known in the community as Uncle Benny. A photo of sixty three year old Benny Wong fills the TV screen as Phan Ho takes a five from a dwindling stack of bills and pushes it across the table to NICK CHEN. Chen's thirty six, and whatever money he earns is spent on clothes and fifty dollar haircuts. He's handsome and cool, with looks hailing more from his Hong Kong father than his mainland mom. Phan watches as Chen takes a card from his hand and flips it onto the table. Ace of Spades. Phan drops a three of Clubs. Back and forth until Phan's empty and Chen's left with one card. He smiles, taking his time as the fat man wipes sweat from his brow. PHAN Throw it! Phan's poised to strike. Chen drops the card. Jack of Clubs. Both men move, but Chen's quicker. He pulls the card from the table letting Phan slam his hand on nothing but wood. WHACK! Phan holds his palm as Chen picks up the cards and another five. He shuffles the deck skillfully with his right hand as his left fishes a smoke from his pocket. PHAN It's late. No Fukienese Dragons come here. I close now...OK? On cue, the bell over the front door sounds trouble. INT PHAN HO'S LAMPS - NIGHT The youths entering the shop are FUKIENESE. Two, Jack and "The Tall Kid", we recognize as the shooters from Wing's. One of them, Fuke #1, stays outside to stand guard as the others approach Chen. TALL KID (Fukienese) Time to pay. They move purposefully toward the two men as Chen drops a seven of clubs on the table and turns to Phan. CHEN You speak Fukienese? Phan nods as the young thugs reach the table. Chen turns over a four of spades from the frightened shop owner's hand. CHEN Tell 'em they're in the wrong store. TALL KID Fuck you. CHEN Learned some English, good for you. Chen pulls his .45 and lays the cannon on the table. PHAN Are you crazy? Chen drops a Jack of hearts on the pile, covers it uncontested and takes a five from Phan's ever shrinking pile. CHEN Lucky...are you? Chen stares at the Tall Kid, goading him with his lack of concern...Three seconds pass like kidney stones... Finally, Chen laughs to himself, stands and puts his finger to the Tall Kid's head as if it were a play gun. The lack of respect incites the Tall Kid to go for his gun. But before he can fire a shot, Chen produces a .38 from his sleeve and puts a bullet through the gangster's head. Phan drops to the ground as Chen dives over the card table, grabbing his .45. He hits the floor pulling the table down with him as a shield for Phan, then himself as Fuke #2 shoots wildly before being taken out by Chen. Jack retreats to behind a wall, then slowly crosses through an archway to confront Chen from behind. As he steps out, he finds only Phan cowering on the floor. Chen has disappeared. Suddenly the place explodes in a hail of automatic gunfire as Fuke #1 enters the store and sprays everything in sight, producing a blizzard of glass. Jack turns to see Chen has re-appeared and taken up postion behind a counter full of lamps and mirrors while he takes on both Jack and Fuke #1. Chen skillfully uses one of the counters as cover as he makes his way towards the front ofthe store, gets a bead on the Fuke with the automatic and sends him flying back out the front door in a hail of glass- pedestrians scattering for their life. Jack, alone now, cowers behind an opposite counter, desperately crawling along the floor trying to make his way out of there. He peeks through an opening to his cover and find Chen nowhere in sight. Slowly, painfully hunched over, he backs up towards the blown-out front door, checks for Chen one more time, then decides to make a run for it. Suddenly he's got a foot slamming into the side of his head sending him crashing back to the floor. Chen has appeared out of nowhere. Chen drives another kick into his stomach, then yanks him to his feet. INT PHAN HO'S LAMPS - NIGHT CHEN English? (The boy nods) What do they call you? YOUNG GANGSTER Jack. CHEN Tell Bobby Vu, his time is running out in Chinatown. He kicks the kid out the door and turns toward the shell-shocked shopkeeper looking at the shambles of his livelihood. A teetering lamp topples from a shot up table but Chen catches it before it hits the floor. He looks over at the owner, crying. Chen places a fist full of fives from his winnings on the counter. CHEN I'll take this one. EXT: ONE POLICE PLAZA -DAY Establishing. INT: ONE POLICE PLAZA-DAY A LACKEY for the Mayor stands at a podium addressing a room filled with UNIFORMS and PRESS. Beside him, sporting a chest full of commendations on his dress blues, is Nick Chen. LACKEY In the history of the Fifteenth precinct, few officers have done more to serve and protect the public of this great city than Lieutenant Nicholas Chen... In the rear of the room is DANNY WALLACE. He's 24 and has only four spaces on his face that need shaving. But his eyes are smart and always moving, except now. They're fixed on Nick Chen like he was delivering the sermon on the mount. LACKEY ...Lieutenant, for bravery in the line of fire and bringing to justice those responsible for the Chinatown Bombing and the tragic death of Beth Kadell, the mayor and people of New York thank you and present you with this commendation. The Lackey pins another hunk of brass on Chen as the room erupts in cheers. And no one louder than Danny Wallace, who whistles as the Lackey and Chen shake for the cameras. INT: NICK CHEN'S APARTMENT, KITCHEN, MOTT STREET-NIGHT The whistle comes from a screaming teapot. Chen, dressed in a robe, pours the water into a bowl of rice which begins sizzling like a steak. Unlike his wardrobe, his place is modest. The lamp from Phan's fits in nicely. Tired, he stares vacantly at the wallpaper until a gorgeous Chinese girl, 19, walks in from the bedroom. By the way she's tying her dress we know she was recently very naked. He knows her as MAY. Chen slides open a drawer and pulls out some cash. MAY (Cantonese) Mr. Lee said no charge. She bows and walks out the door. Chen watches the young immigrant leave and can't help feeling like half a dirt-bag. He throws the cash back into the drawer and shuts it. Eventually, he gets up and crosses to the window. He eats his soup in the lifeless apartment, glancing down at the simple, elegant shrine to his dead father. He turns his attention out the window looking out on the palpable energy and vigor of a bustling Chinatown. EXT: CHEN'S APARTMENT, MOTT STREET-LATER (NIGHT) A rush of sound as Chen steps from the building. Activity swirls around him as he moves south on the narrow street. His demeanor starts quiet. But as he moves through the boisterous people, who genuflect like he's an Arab Sheik, a smile curls his lips and the 200 watt bulbs behind his eyes flick on. Every man gets a nod and every girl gets a little bit more. It's his town...and it gives him life. omitted INT BLUE EMPRESS CAFE - NIGHT He moves through the upscale family eatery, picking up the Bacardi and Coke a BARTENDER fixed the second he saw Chen step through the door. He strides into the kitCHEN... INT BLUE EMPRESS KITCHEN - NIGHT ...cuts to the back and approaches a door guarded by a wannabee SUMO wrestler. The big man lets him through. INT BLUE EMPRESS OFFICE - NIGHT Inside, behind a desk sporting two surveillence monitors, working a phone is HENRY LEE. He's mid- forties and slicker than an oil spill. The consummate chameleon. Whatever he needs to be, he is. If Satan walks earth, it's in the body of Henry Lee. LEE (Cantonese) Forty thousand a piece. Fifty percent up front or else the shipment will never leave the boat...Fine. Lee hangs up as Chen fires the smoke he lifted from an ivory box on Lee's desk. LEE My congratulations on your commendation. I trust you enjoyed the little gift I sent over. Lee lights a cigarette of his own, enjoying making Chen feel like a mutt. Chen doesn't like it much, but knew it would happen the minute he started undressing Lee's present. LEE Uncle Benny is very proud of you. Lee reaches into his desk drawer, produces a bulging envelope and hands it to Chen who quickly counts the pile of hundreds. CHEN Thought he'd be more proud this time. LEE He is. Lee lifts his wastepaper basket revealing strips of paper. LEE Your markers. Two thousand eighty three of them. You really should consider other forms of recreation. Chen slides the envelope of cash into his jacket pocket. CHEN Your soldier who got killed the other day was working with the F.B.I. Lee's smile dampens but his calm remains intact. LEE Really? CHEN Medical Examiner found a wire on him and the Feds came down to pick it up. Lucky for you it had about six bullets in it so it wasn't much good. LEE Lucky for you too maybe. Chen lets it pass. CHEN That, plus the tourist who got killed, have the Feds worked up. Word is they're going after the triad. Probably Uncle Benny himself. LEE Why us? It's the Fukienese Dragons who killed her. We're just trying to do business as we've always done. CHEN Because you're suppose to keep order in Chinatown. LEE It's not like it once was. The youth gangs are not easily controlled. They have no respect, no honor. CHEN That's your problem. You can't control them, the Feds are gonna revoke your free parking. LEE Taking care of the Fukes is your problem. That's why we pay you. CHEN Yeah, well, it doesn't really matter cause to the Feds you're all the same. LEE You mean "we're" all the same. Remember, as I go, you go. Chen doesn't say anything because he knows Lee's right. After a moment he gets up from the chair. CHEN The Ginza massage is getting a visit from us tomorrow night, so move it or lose it. LEE Go ahead and take Ginza. More arrests will help keep things calm. A smiling Lee, stamps out his butt and circles the table. LEE If the Feds get near Uncle Benny, our heads go first. So you do whatever it takes to make some kind of case against Bobby Vu and the rest of the Fukes. I'm sure the FBI will be just as happy with them. As you said, we're all the same. Lee slides two tickets into Chen's front jacket pocket. LEE Knicks, court-side. Chen puts down his glass and walks into the hallway. INT BLUE EMPRESS HALLWAY - NIGHT He cuts across a narrow corridor and passes through a door tucked behind dried, hanging ducks. Then it's down a flight of stairs... INT UNDERGROUND STAIRS & HALLS - NIGHT ...through a maze of underground alley-ways, populated by well dressed TEENAGE THUGS, and into the world beneath Chinatown. Chen walks up toward a massive BOUNCER standing in front of a steel door. He slides the tickets into his shirt pocket. CHEN Knicks, court-side. The Bouncer opens the door, exposing a room filled with Chinese MEN playing all things you can wager a buck on. INT GAMBLING PARLOR - NIGHT Chen surveys the action which is loud, fast and furious. He fires a smoke, pulls a fist full of hundreds from his envelope and lays down his first bet of the night. EXT: EAST BROADWAY ARCADE-NIGHT Jack and his attractive girlfriend AMY SAN hang with their friends in front of the arcade when Bobby Vu and three other Dragons pull up in a red Lincoln. They quickly grab hold of Jack. BOBBY VU (Fukienese) You let your brothers die? Everything stops as Bobby punches, kicks and throws Jack around the street. The other Dragons keep everybody away, though they already seem to know. JACK (Fukienese) I'm sorry, I'm sorry. BOBBY VU (Fukienese) Are you Fukienese Dragon?...ARE YOU?! JACK Yes. Bobby looks over at Amy. She's sexy as hell and he lets her know he knows it. He then turns to Jack and grabs him by his hair. BOBBY VU Avenge your brothers. Kill that cop. omitted 4. WELCOME TO THE A.G.U. ------------------------ INT: AGU OFFICES - DAY Wallace is tacking a photo layout of the Hip Sing Triad to the wall as Chen re-enters. UNG Junior brought a scorecard. Chen takes out a thick magic marker, starts crossing out photos. CHEN Dead, dead in prison. The rest usually stop by for a visit. It's not healthy to let them know what we know....Why does a white cop request Asian Gangs? WALLACE Detective Shield, an extra eight grand a year in my pocket...and a chance to work with you. UNG Uh oh. Yellow fever. You got a hard on for all things Chinese, right? The food, customs, women. You got a Chinese girlfriend, don't ya? WALLACE Actually, uh....no. CHEN But ya did? WALLACE Are we all gonna exchange sexual histories? UNG I knew it. Yellow fuckin fever. Junior's here to walk the street and get his wick licked by a nice almond-eyed beauty. WALLACE I'm here so Chinese immigrants don't have to live thirty to a room. Or spend twenty hours a day making clothes for slave wages. CHEN Why do you give shit about Chinese immigrants? WALLACE I'm a cop. I give a shit about enforcing the law. DENG So what's your plan to save the yellow people? WALLACE Same techniques used on every other organized crime operation in the city. Bust the street soldiers every time we see 'em, move up the food chain to the Council, cramp 'em with surveillance, sting operations, keep climbing all the way to Uncle Benny. Chen laughs at Wallace's naivete. UNG This ain't every other organized crime operation in the city. We work cases, Junior. Keep the tourists safe. Violence spills into the street, we break heads. `Cept Detective Deng, she's above that. DENG When the department authorizes police brutality perhaps I'll join you. CHEN You don't change Chinatown, it changes you. WALLACE I'm ready to give it a shot. Chen eyeballs the cocky kid. CHEN Alright...Don't make plans tonight. WALLACE Why? UNG Cause we're goin on a panty raid. EXT: FIFTEENTH PRECINCT - DAY Chen, in last night's clothes, climbs the steps of the yellowed brick building and steps inside. INT: FIFTEENTH PRECINCT - DAY Chen coughs hellos to the DESK PERSONNEL, cuts through a door marked ASIAN GANG UNIT and steps into a small colorless room. INT: ASIAN GANG UNIT - DAY He passes plums to his two Chinese-American detectives; WILLY UNG, sharp of tongue and nose...and LOUISE DENG, a by the book cop who puts in her eight and goes home to a family. CHEN Everybody works tonight, we're visiting Ginza Massage. UNG My kind of raid. Ung's accent is hard-core Bronx. On the phone you'd think he was an Italian from Eastchester Road. UNG Found another young pretty in a dumpster. He tacks a crime scene photo onto a board already showing another woman lying in a dumpster when he notices a scratch on Chen's neck. UNG Anybody I know? Chen removes Ung's smile with a look and pours himself a coffee. DENG Did a two hour sweep. No one would speak to me. UNG Try breath mints. Deng's accent is Connecticut, along with her wardrobe. She ignores Ung as she cuts the plum into four perfect slices. DENG And the two who found the body didn't see, hear or smell anything. CHEN What's new? We stay on Chen as a sudden silence descends. A beat and he turns to see why. There at the entrance to the AGU stands young WALLACE holding a box of personals. WALLACE I'm Daniel Wallace. He looks as if that's supposed to mean something. By the looks on the faces of the AGU members, it doesn't. KLEIN (O.S.) He spent six months in China on a college course or some shit. INT: FIFTEENTH PRECINCT, CAPTAIN'S OFFICE-DAY CAPTAIN STAN KLEIN, a Chinese hater going back to his tour in `69, sits back with a cold washcloth over his eyes as Chen, looking like he ate a bad lemon, tosses Wallace's file onto the desk. CHEN The Chinese don't trust whites or cops and you're giving me a white cop. KLEIN They want ethnic diversity in every squad so you get a white face in the AGU. CHEN He's worse than white, he's green. KLEIN Which is why you should school him. CHEN So he can get me killed? KLEIN Look, it's your fault he's here in the first place. CHEN My fault? KLEIN A freakin tourist got blown up in our backyard. Not to mention an FBI snitch. And it happened on your watch. The Mayor's been on TV talking about it, the Police Commisioner has promised safety on the streets of Chinatown, Christ it's been on freakin Nightline. So if putting a white cop in the Asian Gang Unit makes them feel better and gets them off my ass fine and dandy. So why don't you get out of here and do something about these whores turning up in dumpsters. It's embarrassing. Klein sniffs the air, then peeks out from under his wash cloth. KLEIN You still here? INT: AGU OFFICES - day Wallace is tacking a photo layout of the Hip Sing Triad to the wall as Chen re-enters. UNG Junior brought a scorecard. Chen takes out a thick magic marker, starts crossing out photos. CHEN Dead, dead in prison. The rest usually stop by for a visit. It's not healthy to let them know what we know....Why does a white cop request Asian Gangs? WALLACE Detective Shield, an extra eight grand a year in my pocket...and a chance to work with you. UNG Uh oh. Yellow fever. You got a hard on for all things Chinese, right? The food, customs, women. You got a Chinese girlfriend, don't ya? WALLACE Actually, uh....no. CHEN But ya did? WALLACE Are we all gonna exchange sexual histories? UNG I knew it. Yellow fuckin fever. Junior's here to walk the street and get his wick licked by a nice almond-eyed beauty. WALLACE I'm here so Chinese immigrants don't have to live thirty to a room. Or spend twenty hours a day making clothes for slave wages. CHEN Why do you give shit about Chinese immigrants? WALLACE I'm a cop. I give a shit about enforcing the law. DENG So what's your plan to save the yellow people? WALLACE Same techniques used on every other organized crime operation in the city. Bust the street soldiers every time we see 詄m, move up the food chain to the Council, cramp 詄m with surveillance, sting operations, keep climbing all the way to Uncle Benny. Chen laughs at Wallace's naivete. UNG This ain't every other organized crime operation in the city. We work cases, Junior. Keep the tourists safe. Violence spills into the street, we break heads. `Cept Detective Deng, she's above that. DENG When the department authorizes police brutality perhaps I'll join you. CHEN You don't change Chinatown, it changes you. WALLACE I'm ready to give it a shot. Chen eyeballs the cocky kid. CHEN Alright...Don't make plans tonight. WALLACE Why? UNG Cause we're goin on a panty raid. 5. THE GINZA RAID ----------------- EXT: PANTY RAID BUILDING - DUSK Except for the ten COPS moving quickly toward an unmarked door, the alley is empty. Out front is Chen. He orders a thick COP toward the door which is quickly opened with a crowbar. INT: PANTY RAID BUILDING, STAIRCASE - NIGHT Chen calmly lays his dark hankerchief over the tiny survellience camera, then leads the group up the stairs. UNG (whispers to Wallace) You never know how a guy gettin his dick rubbed is gonna react when you charge into the room, so keep your eyes sharp and your Glock cocked. And don't be trying to feel any Chinese titties you little pervert. Snickers from the men. CHEN Wallace stays out here. Wallace doesn't like it, but doesn't argue it. Chen pulls his .45 and nods to the thick Cop, who thrusts his crowbar into the lock jam and snaps it off. They hit the hallway like a tornado. Bright lights strobe the length of the place thrusting us several minutes into the future. INT: GINZA MASSAGE HALLWAY - A SHORT TIME LATER The cops are dragging about ten prostitutes and matching Johns into the hallway. Chen coordinates when he sees Deng leading May and three other dressed prostitues from the front towards the back hallway. May looks at Chen and he knows why Lee smiled when he gave him the Ginza. CHEN Deng. See if you can find any files back there. He turns to a uniform. CHEN (referring to the prostitutes) Joe, take 詄m down, Wallace'll help ya write 詄m up. Deng heads back down the hall while the uniform corrals the girls down the stairs the cops came up. Chen grabs May as she passes and pulls her into one of the bedrooms. INT: 1ST GINZA BEDROOM Chen reaches into May's pocket, finding a packet of white powder. She tries to kiss him. He pulls away and pockets the heroin, pissing her off. He quiets her with three hundreds. CHEN (Cantonese) Get outta here. He gently nudges her out to the hallway and towards the backstairs where Wallace is just coming up with a handfull of paperwork. WALLACE You want me to take her? Chen shakes his head as he lets May head towards the exit. He turns back to Wallace who stands talking to a uniform who is handing him some paperwork. CHEN (sotto to Wallace) Always throw back the smallest of the day's catch. Suddenly a torrent of automatic gunfire explodes at the opposite end of the hallway taking out the glass door and the uniform who stood in front of it revealing a Fukiense shooter behind the shatterered door. One cop down. Chen's instinct are immediate.The Fuke killer is toast. The uniform who was talking to Wallace turns towards the action and is met with a pile of lead exploding his heart, blowing out his back and spraying Wallace with blood. Wallace freezes- a deer in the headlight. Chen sees this, jumps across the hall and pushes Wallace out of the line of fire and into one of the bedrooms. The doorway where Wallace stood explodes into a million pieces of shrapnel. He would have been chopmeat. Just at that moment, Ung crosses the hall in the opposite direction, shielding a prostitute as he takes out the shooter who took out the uniform and almost Wallace. Chen leans out of what remains of the doorway, while yelling back to the still shell-shocked Wallace. CHEN Fire your weapon! UNG They're Fukes! The entire compliment is pinned down in either the rooms or the hallway facing down three furious Fukes. Chen pumps his final ammo clip into his gun, pulls a second gun from an ankle holster and fires away. Suddenly, another Fuke with an automatic weapon comes out of nowhere and advances kamakazi style to one of the bedrooms- the P.D.'s gunfire no match for his Uzi. He's got Chen, Ung, Deng, Wallace and the five remaining uniforms pinned down. Chen thinks fast, retreats into the bedroom- INT: 1ST GINZA BEDROOM Chen quickly feels the solidity of the walls- finds the weak spot of the plasterboard and starts kicking through to the next room while the firefight continues in the hallway. INT: 2ND GINZA BEDROOM The uniforms fighting at the doorway turn to see Chen come crashing into their room and continue on right to the next wall, battling his way up the hallway towards the Fukes position the only way he can. INT: HALLWAY The firefight continues but it's totally one sided as the cops pistols can't compete against the Uzi. Windows to the bedrooms are exploding like firecrackers, whores and johns caught out in the hallway shiver in terror behind whatever cover they can find. A huge glass display in the hallway implodes drenching the place in flying glass. Wallace does the best he can, firing uselessly at the kamikazi, only visible from the neck up as he keeps the entire force at bay. Suddenly we see a glock come up to the back of the shooter's head which blows his brains out into the hallway, finally silencing the automatic. Chen steps out, the arm behind the hit. There's only three fukes left now, including Jack, armed only with semi-automatics. CHEN I'm out on three! One, two, three! Every cop steps out and bombards the end of the hall with all the firepower they've got. They pin back the shooters as Chen storms into the hall and races, guns blazing toward the gunmen. All three of them flee, one down the stairs, Jack and the other up towards the roof. Chen decides to go up, negotiating each corner with whatever he's got left. He gets to the second flight just in time to see Jack desperately kick out a window and make a run across a rooftop. Chen continues the last flight up where he finds the lone Fuke out of amo and desperately trying to tear open the roof acess door which is bolted shut. CHEN (cont'd) Weapon down, hands in the air, up against the wall. The Fuke cooperates, backing up onto the landing as Chen ascends. CHEN (cont'd) Turn around! The kid does, but as he moves he suddenly produces a knife the size of a baby's arm that cuts across Chen, slicing his stomach. Chen reacts with amazing speed, smashing his gun across the gangster's head almost decaptating him. Simultaneously, the last Fuke comes charging up the stairs, Chen picks up the guy next to him and hurls him over the staircase knocking the charging Fuke down to the next landing. His gun goes flying right towards Wallace's feet who together with a backup of unifroms, comes bounding around the corner, grabs the weapon and covers the two punks. Chen looks down from top landing CHEN You're late. INT: KUNG PHO RESTAURANT - NIGHT Ung and Chen storm into the twelve-table restaurant filled mostly with teenage Fukienese. They move toward the rear of the restaurant passing Jack, huddled with two of his friends. Some of the gangsters stand to run interference, but the two cops push through them to a back table where Bobby Vu works a cell phone. Without a word Chen punches him out of his chair. He hits him again and again, knocking the gangster into the kitchen. INT: KUNG PHO RESTAURANT KITCHEN - NIGHT Ung pulls his gun, holding the other gangsters at bay as Chen grabs a sauce pan from the overhead rack and slams it into Bobby Vu's head, knocking him to the floor. He then throws it at the group of Dragons closing in around them. CHEN Want some? No one does. He stares down the gangsters with disgust. CHEN Fukienese Dragons. He spits on the floor then walks out the rear door with Ung. 6. A BUST FOR WALLACE --------------------- EXT: DAVIS STREET-DAY A hazy sun slices through thick clouds as Chen, carrying a take-out bag, exits a small storefront and gets into a brown Chevy. INT: BROWN CHEVY - DAY Wallace drives as Chen pulls a container from the bag. CHEN Fishball Gongee. Wanna be Chinese you've gotta eat the nasty stuff. Wallace takes the food, looks over at Chen. WALLACE Last night...You saved my life. CHEN Part of the job. WALLACE Maybe...I still want to say thanks. Chen nods as he eats. Wallace turns up Delancey. WALLACE That said...I heard you paid a visit to Bobby Vu last night. Wallace looks at Chen. WALLACE (cont'd) I tightened up last night, but I didn't find this badge in the bottom of a Cracker Jack box. I earned it. CHEN You study Chinese so you know what it means that I saved your life? WALLACE It means my life is yours, to do with as you wish CHEN That's right. So here's my advice. Quit. Before you end up dead. They drive past a crumbling building where a TRIAD SOLDIER openly does a healthy drug trade. WALLACE I know the risks. CHEN So did the cops I didn't save last night. And all it got them was dead. This isn't fun and games. Especially for a kid heading to Law School with his head up his ass if he thinks this is the way to raise tuition. Wallace's a bit surprised Chen knows this. WALLACE Just cause I'm not putting in twenty doesn't mean I can't do the job. CHEN Yes it does. WALLACE You don't want to work with me, fine. Let me do my own investigations. But don't try and keep me from my work. Cause like it or not, I'm a cop. CHEN You're playing cop and that's gonna get one of us killed. WALLACE Playin'? Who's playin'? Playin's driving by shit and pretending you didn't see it. Chen turns to Wallace. CHEN You got something to say, say it. WALLACE How 'bout I show you? Wallace slams on the brakes, sending the take-out flying onto the dash. He then drops it in reverse and floors the gas. The Chevy roars backwards up onto the sidewalk in front of a crumbling building. EXT: CRUMBLING BUILDING - DAY Wallace jumps from the car, catches one of the two well dressed triad DRUG DEALERS hanging out front, pushes him through the door and into the building. INT: CRUMBLING BUILDING - DAY A dark, piss stenched room called home by fourteen rats and a dozen ADDICTS sharing needles and mindless nods. The Dopers can't move but three more DEALERS can and take off running. WALLACE FREEZE! Wallace fires over their heads, stopping them in their tracks as Chen races into the room. Wallace frisks the Dealer he pushed inside as Chen looks over the others. WALLACE What do we have here? Wallace pulls a thick packet of heroin from the kid's pocket. Impressed with himself, he holds it up and tosses it at Chen, looking at him through steel grey eyes. INT: FIFTEENTH PRECINCT, BOOKING ROOM-LATER (DAY) The four Dealers stand handcuffed to a steel beam riveted to the wall as Wallace files his first arrest with the DESK SERGEANT. Chen casually sips coffee when a pissed off six footer in a blue suit rushes into the room. SCHABACKER Get each one of these guys in different rooms...NOW! PETE SCHABACKER holds up an FBI badge which gets everybody moving. Two UNIFORMS unclasp the perps and take them away. Schabacker looks at Chen and gestures towards the AGU. INT: AGU OFFICE Schabacker hardly looks at Ung and Deng who pour over paperwork as Chen and Wallace follow him into the room. CHEN Something bothering you, Pete? SCHABACKER Only that you assholes just arrested a federal agent working undercover with the Triad. Wallace pales as Ung smiles to himself. UNG Nice work, Junior. WALLACE I made the arrest. Wallace looks over at Chen who's offering no help SCHABACKER Well goody for you, Einstein. So tell me, what am I supposed to do now? Put a Federal Agent in jail to maintain his cover. What? Let him go? We put him back on the street everybody in Chinatown will think he cut a deal with you and he'll be dead inside an hour. So what should I do? Wallace looks over at Chen, who's offering no help. WALLACE You should do a better job of keeping us informed. UNG Here here. SCHABACKER Confidential undercover assignment. Key word being confidential. Which nothing in the fifteenth precinct is. CHEN Relax, Pete.We lost the bag. No evidence. They can all go. Wallace looks over at Chen, but he doesn't dispute him. SCHABACKER Keep 'em three hours, slap the shit out of 'em and let 'em go. I want everything on the Ginza raid by the end of the day. And keep that dipshit on a leash. CHEN You take care of your people, I'll take care of mine. Wallace appreciates Chen's back up. Schabacker heads out the door. CHEN Which one's the Fed? SCHABACKER The Chinese one. CHEN Up yours too. Ung takes the paperwork from the Desk and holds it out to Wallace. UNG You wanna eat this with soy sauce? Wallace takes it from Ung's hand and tears it in half. 7. HENRY LEE ------------ INT: JIMMY LOO'S COCKTAIL LOUNGE-NIGHT No tourists, this watering hole's for the locals. Getting another round of Tsiang Taos from the WAITRESS is Chen, Wallace and Ung. UNG Cough up the cash, Junior. Knuckleheads buy all rounds. Wallace pays off the waitress as he snaps at Ung. WALLACE Eat me. UNG That's it, show a little piss and vinegar. So your first bust was a Federal Agent and a senior Fed bit off a giant piece of your ass. Chen laughs with Ung as Wallace takes a drink. UNG Hey Junior, I dunno if you noticed, but there're Chinese girls here. WALLACE Sounds like you're the one with yellow fever. UNG Yellow fever, black plague, brown sugar, white bread, I got it all. Wallace can't help but smile. WALLACE Why does the FBI want the info on the Ginza raid? CHEN It was their raid. They use us so the locals don't smell feds. Mostly they use us cause they're lazy shits. UNG Last summer we grabbed a Viet Namese gang bringing in Heroin by the boatload. Who swoops in last minute for the credit? Your friend Shabacker of the FBI. WALLACE We had the same problem in the one six, there's nothing you can do. UNG A guy pisses in the street that's one thing. A guy pisses in your house you deal with him or live with the stench. WALLACE Very poetic. Unfortunately I don't know what the hell you're talking about. CHEN The Feds lost a snitch. Now they have an agent working undercover in the triad. We find the agent, see what he's got going, and when the eleventh hour hits we swoop in, make the bust and pull the case right out from under them. Appearing quietly as if from some unseen back entrance, Henry Lee appears through the crowd. LEE (to Chen in Cantonese) I don't believe I know your friend. A new soldier in the fight against crime? CHEN (Cantonese) He won't be here long enough to get to know. WALLACE (Cantonese) I hope to be here long enough to make a difference. Chen, Ung and Lee all look astonished at Wallace's heretofor unknown language skills. UNG You speak Chinese!? WALLACE (Cantonese) I'm not a total knucklehead. UNG Whoa, in case you haven't noticed, I'm bronx born and bred. The only Chinese I know is the Miranda rights and what's on the menu. CHEN Danny Wallace, Henry Lee. LEE You gentlemen are partners? WALLACE (to Chen) Are we? CHEN Cagney and Lacey. LEE Chinatown needs more police. I hope you find a home here. I think you'll discover the Chinese people are warm and generous. WALLACE (Cantonese) I've already discovered that. UNG Speak English, already. LEE Never mind them. Reach out to our community, it will reach out to you. Isn't that right, Detective? Chen holds up his glass in a mock toast...The Waitress brings over a bottle of Cristal and three glasses. LEE I hope to see much of you over the coming weeks. Lee then disappears into the back as the Waitress pours. WALLACE (quietly) He's Triad. UNG That's why it's Cristal and not Asti fuckin' Spumanti. Chen and Ung clink glasses and down some bubbly. EXT: BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION- DAY Establishing. Tucked between a pair of banks sits the sand colored building highlighted with artifacts from ancient Chinese culture. INT: BENEVOLENT ASSOCIATION- DAY A small group of Elderly Men sit at game tables playing Mahjong. Sitting in the rear of such a table, playing a round is Benny Wong and Henry Lee. BENNY WONG (Cantonese) It's very dangerous to approach a white cop. We can't risk exposing our other ties in the Department. LEE (Cantonese) That's why we must approach Wallace. He could compromise Chen at a time when he is our best weapon against the Fukes. We need him with us to safeguard Chen's position. Besides, to the NYPD Chen is Chinese first and a cop second. WONG (Cantonese) Chen can take care of himself. And he knows what we need him to know. LEE (Cantonese) He knows what he hears in the Fifteenth. A white officer would have ears outside the precinct. We can let Chen test the waters. Benny nods his acceptance and continues to Play. INT: BLUE EMPRESS CAFE - DAY In between lunch and dinner. Lee is emptying the bar of cash while waiters change the table linen. Chen enters, moves directly to Lee CHEN What do you want? LEE I like your partner. Chen looks at Lee who turns from the bar and begins walking the length of the restaurant towards the kitchen straightening napkins and silverware as he goes. LEE I think he could help us. CHEN He could hurt us more. LEE Afraid of competition? CHEN Afraid of piquing the kid's interest... LEE ...in who else is a dirty cop? Chen pretends to ignore him. LEE Uncle Benny feels he might poke his nose in places a Chinese cop wouldn't. CHEN I can handle him. LEE He also feels he could be an asset against the Fukes since you don't seem to be doing much. CHEN I'll take care of the Fukes. The kid's a short timer. Leave him alone. LEE I didn't realize you had such maternal instincts...Uncle Benny wants you to speak with him. CHEN No. Lee and Chen reach the kitchen, where amongst the chickens, ducks and steaming dumplings, Triad underlings are moving boxes of tourist trinkets that fell off of some truck somewhere. Lee reaches into one and pulls out a fake Rolex. LEE This cost one dollar to make. And some fool will pay hundreds for it. It's amazing how easy it is for some people to over estimate worth. Don't overestimate yours. Talk to him. INT: FIFTEENTH PRECINCT - DAY Chen, lost in thought, enters the station house when Wallace comes out of the A.G.U. office. WALLACE There's a homicide on Worth. 8. ANOTHER VICTIM ----------------- EXT: REAR ENTRANCE OF A RESTAURANT-DAY UNIFORMS from the Fifteenth have the area around the dumpster taped off as Wallace and Chen pull up and cross toward Deng and Ung. CHEN Who's in the bin? DENG The invisible woman. No I.D., no print record, no nothing. Wallace looks into the dumpster where a young female, is tangled with yesterday's shellfish. He instantly begins dry heaving. UNG I thought you liked Chinese food, Junior? CHEN Leave him alone...Let's go, I need about fifty coffees. WALLACE We're not gonna investigate this? CHEN We just did. WALLACE What're you talking about? CHEN Tell our partner what we learned. Ung puts on his Academy Instructor persona. UNG Deceased is an illegal straight off the boat, probably less than a week cause there's two bills Chinese under the oysters, by her spleen. DENG She finds her passage over was twice what she thought. She can't pay and doesn't like working as a prostitute. So she ends up here. No family, no friends, no witnesses. UNG No sense wastin taxpayers' money. Wallace looks painfully at the young woman being pulled from the bin and stuffed unceremoniously into a body bag. WALLACE So what? Case closed? UNG He's so young. Chen looks at Wallace. Remembers when he was that young. CHEN Take a walk around with Deng. See if anybody knows anything. Chen motions for Ung to come with him and the two cops move off. EXT: EAST BROADWAY ARCADE-DAY Jack and his girlfriend step from the arcade. He kisses her goodbye and watches her as she heads north up East Broadway. He turns and heads south. He moves slowly down the empty street as someone or something moves up behind him. Quickly. He feels the presence and turns as Chen and Ung grab hold of him and pull him into a deserted alley. EXT: ALLEYWAY-DAY Jack tries to get away but Ung slams the small boy into the wall. UNG Easy Jackarroo. Jack looks at the two men as they close in on him. UNG Detective Chen is now able to I.D. the shooter who got away from the lamp store. CHEN Unless he can do something for me...I want Bobby Vu. A bead of cold sweat tumbles down the back of Jack's neck. JACK He'll kill me. UNG The alternative to helping us is ten to twenty at Sing Sing. And that's gotta hurt. Especially for somebody five foot nothin. Jack stands with a million things racing through his mind. JACK No court? No wire? CHEN No promises. Think about it. You've got ten seconds to make up your mind. Jack thinks.... JACK Fuck you. Jack runs but Ung slams his fist into his face knocking him cold. UNG Kid's loyal. Ung kneels and cuffs the unconscious Fukienese soldier. CHEN See how loyal he is after two weeks in lock up. EXT: WORTH STREET - DAY Deng and a very frustrated Wallace, stand outside a junk shop where a frightened CHINESE WOMAN, shakes her head. WALLACE (Cantonese) We're trying to help you. Deng holds out a business card but the woman slams the door. WALLACE What's wrong with these people? DENG They don't like me, don't trust you and know we can't protect them. WALLACE Then what's the point? Why bother? The two cops walk south on Worth Street as they continue to talk. DENG Every cop starts out planning to save the universe. When you realize you can't you've got two choices. Do your best and the second the shift's over go home to a life. Or let the stink of the street get on you so you end up like ninety percent of the cops in this city. An alcoholic with more vices then half the people you arrest. WALLACE You're talkin about Chen? DENG I'm talking about you. WALLACE Well how does he close so many cases? The inquiry makes her uncomfortable. DENG He works the cases he can solve. And he's not American born, he's Hong Kong, immigrant like them. WALLACE How does a guy from Hong Kong get in the NYPD? DENG They wanted a Chinese to speak to the Chinese. And his father was a cop in Hong Kong. Pretty big wheel before they booted him, he knew people in Chinatown who could vouch for his son. WALLACE Why'd they boot him, was he dirty? DENG Because he wasn't. Shift's over, go home. Deng turns up Elizabeth street and Wallace heads off toward Doyers. 9. FAMILY BUSINESS ------------------ EXT: WALLACE'S APT - DAY Wallace cuts across a city baseball diamond in the shadow of the Manhattan Bridge and makes his way to his front door. INT: WALLACE'S APARTMENT-DAY He enters the one bedroom brick box and hits a light switch. It's clear he's just moved in because most of his things are still in boxes. What furnishings he has are accented with Chinese artifacts and books on Chinese culture. He heads into the dingy kitchen. INT: WALLACE'S APARTMENT, KITCHEN-DAY He gets a water and drops in some Alka Seltzer. He sits at the window and holds the cold glass to his forehead while the tablets fizz. EXT: WALLACE'S APT - DAY What he doesn't see, is Bobby Vu's Lieutenant, BLACK EYES, watching him from the empty market across the street. INT: WALLACE'S APARTMENT, KITCHEN -DAY He downs the drink as a SHADOW creeps toward him. He hears a creak in the floor. In a flash he bolts to his feet, pulls his gun and spins to face a large MAN, maybe sixty, wearing beat up threads. WALLACE I coulda killed you. SEAN WALLACE I coulda killed you first. WALLACE What're you doing here? SEAN WALLACE Father can't visit his son? Got something to drink? I'm dry as a ninety year old tit. WALLACE How'd you get in? Sean pulls a flask from his jacket. SEAN WALLACE I brought somethin anyway. Join me? Sean extends the offer but his son doesn't flinch. SEAN WALLACE Twenty years robbery homicide outta the two five, greenhorn, that's how I got in. I been hrough more doors and windows... WALLACE I don't have any money. Sean takes a pull from the flask. SEAN WALLACE I'm in for twelve grand. Those fuckin dagos down on Mulberry. Wallace knows this is serious but doesn't show anything to his father. WALLACE Good luck. SEAN WALLACE I'm not asking for the twelve...God forbid you'd bail me out with your lawyer money. Wouldn't want you to miss becoming a leech asshole. WALLACE And here I thought you'd want me to be a chip off the 'ol block. SEAN WALLACE All I'm askin for is a little stake money to help me get even. WALLACE ouldn't work, you're too much a loser. SEAN WALLACE Then we'll go partners. You're a lucky son of a bitch ain't ya? Wallace doesn't say anything. SEAN WALLACE I wouldn't be here if it wasn't serious. It takes a while but Wallace finally makes a move. He opens the fridge, slides open the crisper and pulls out an envelope. He hands it to his father who smiles at the money. SEAN WALLACE Cold hard cash. You slay me. WALLACE Little over five hundred and we ain't partners. This is buying you off. Next time someone sneaks up on me... SEAN WALLACE Yeah, yeah, yeah. You'll kill me. Sean turns and starts for the door. Then stops. SEAN WALLACE By the way. You got a chink watchin you from across the street, Sherlock. Wallace turns to the window and sees Bobby Vu's boy, Black Eyes standing in the shadows across the street as his father slips out the door with a slight chuckle. SEAN WALLACE (cont'd) Goodnight officer. 10. AN EXCHANGE OF INFORMATION ------------------------------ INT: UNDERGROUND SPA-NIGHT Through the steam, we see Henry Lee sitting in a tub filled with hot water. Standing near the doorway in street clothes is Chen. CHEN I've got something for you. LEE I love gifts. A female arm runs a wet sponge down Lee's back. CHEN This isn't free ... Forget the kid. LEE That's an expensive request. CHEN This is an expensive item. Lee pulls the female arm into him. It's connected to May. Chen spots her, and it bothers him more than he lets on. LEE Let's hear it. CHEN The F.B.I. have another informant inside the Triad. This time, it's one of their own- it's an agent. Lee strokes the May's hair as she slides her nude body against his. He enjoys the fact that Chen's not enjoying it. LEE Who is it? CHEN Don't know. We picked up four of your guys and one was a Fed. Won't take long to find out which one. Then all you've got to do is blow his cover and they'll pull him. No violence, no mess. LEE My thanks. CHEN The kid's out. LEE As you wish. Lee turns May toward Chen and rubs her breasts. LEE Would you like a turn? Chen, looks at the young girl then turns and exits the room. Lee laughs as a figure moves out of a steam room behind him. LEE We've got a Federal Agent sniffing around. We'll have to postpone delivery. Lee glances toward Fukienese leader, Bobby Vu. BOBBY VU We can't. The boat's coming into port next week. LEE Then it'll wait at the port. BOBBY VU I'm not afraid of the F.B.I. Lee pushes May under the water toward his crotch. LEE Everything we've done has been to keep the Feds focused on Uncle Benny. When he's gone, and I lead the triad, you and your Fukienese brothers will make all the money you want. BOBBY VU Then let's kill him now. LEE When Uncle Benny's indicted, he'll be dangerous to our partners in Hong Kong. And killing him, will come with thanks instead of retribution. BOBBY VU And Chen too. LEE All in time. EXT: GOLDFLOWER RESTAURANT, DOYERS STREET, MORNING Through the glass we see Wallace pay the tab on his morning's breakfast. He picks up a toothpick and a mint and exits the building. He starts to move east when a man steps beside him. LEE Do you remember me? Wallace looks closer...and sees Henry Lee who stays in step with Wallace as he walks up Bowery. WALLACE Yeah. LEE I have information about the girl you found in the garbage dumpster. WALLACE How'd you find me? LEE You're conspicuous in Chinatown...Two brothers on Chrystie Street bring in illegals. The woman, worked in their brothel, then tried to run. They left her as a message to the others. WALLACE How do you know? LEE Everyone knows. But no one's going to speak of it. Especially to the police. WALLACE Why are you? LEE I knew her. Lee looks at Wallace, and for a moment he seems almost sad. WALLACE What are their names? LEE You can't tell anyone how you found out. Not even Chen. WALLACE Forget it. LEE For every person who knows, the chances of me, or one of my children being killed in reprisal increases a hundred fold. WALLACE I can't. LEE That girl was fifteen...And there are more to come if you don't help us. Wallace thinks, remembering the girl as she was stuffed into the body bag....He knows he shouldn't, but he nods his head and Lee hands him a piece of paper. LEE Check the basement of a place called TONY'S. Don't worry. This is how things get done in Chinatown. INT: FIFTEENTH PRECINCT, AGU OFFICE-DAY Chen enters the room where Deng is filling out paperwork. CHEN Wallace come in yet? DENG I don't think so. The concern is easily read on Chen's face. EXT: 142 CHRYSTIE STREET-DAY Wallace anxiously watches the apartment building. He steadies his nerves, then crosses the street and enters through the front door. INT: 142 CHRYSTIE HALLWAY - DAY It's damp and poorly lit. Wallace moves down the narrow hall and stops by the door next to the incinerator. He jimmies the lock. INT: 142 CHRYSTIE BASEMENT, STAIRS - DAY He descends the stairs into the darkness. His mouth dries as he pulls his gun. He moves down a narrow corridor, passing a wooden door, when he hears something from inside. Faint breathing. He reaches for the doorknob. It's locked. He takes the slim jim from his jacket pocket and easily opens the door. INT: 142 CHRYSTIE BASEMENT ROOMS - DAY It's dark. Wallace takes his mag-light and scopes the room. He steps back, startled, when he sees thirty FEMALE FACES, gaunt, eyes glazed, huddled in the room like prisoners of war. None look older than fifteen. Wallace stands looking at the young women when he hears noise further down the hall. Slowly, he steps back INT: 142 CHRYSTIE BASEMENT, CORRIDOR-DAY and creeps toward a second door framed with the bright light from within. It sounds like a small motor mixed with whimpering. He looks through the keyhole. It takes a moment for his eye to adjust. When it does he jumps to his feet and kicks open the door. INT: 142 CHRYSTIE BASEMENT ROOMS - DAY WALLACE POLICE! The room is awash in bright light, almost blinding Wallace coming from the darkness. But there, on a bed, he sees the source of the cries. Three young WOMEN engaged in forced sex. He turns toward the light which is set atop a video camera recording the scene. A MAN, mid forties, throws the camera at Wallace and races for the door. Wallace tackles him into the dark hallway... INT: 142 CHRYSTIE BASEMENT, CORRIDOR-DAY ...and pummels him with his fist. A loud BANG and a flash of light from the end of the hall as someone fires a bullet at Wallace. Instinctively, without thinking, he fires back, hitting the SHOOTER, who slumps to the ground. The impact of his first shooting washes over him. In that moment, the man beneath him pushes to his feet and begins running down the hall. WALLACE STOP! The man grabs for the dead shooter's gun, turns and takes a bullet from Wallace's Glock before he can squeeze off a shot. Wallace stands frozen. The smoke from his gun fills the tiny hallway. He tastes blood and realizes he bit through his lip. INT: 142 CHRYSTIE BASEMENT ROOMS - LATER (DAY) The place is now brightly lit as COPS and FORENSICS scour the area. Chen enters from the far end and pulls Wallace aside. CHEN What were you doing in here? WALLACE I came out of the diner on Pell Street and saw some guy snatch a purse. I chased him into the building, but I lost him inside. Then I heard screaming from down here. I just stumbled into it. Chen stares at him as Ung and Deng approach from upstairs. UNG There's close to forty women here, all illegals. And we found a storeroom with about a hundred tapes. DENG And the landlord remembers the four Jane Does we pulled outta the dumpsters as part of the stable. Ung extends his hand to Wallace. UNG Good job, Detective. Chen eyes Wallace who takes Ung's hand. WALLACE Thanks, Junior. Soon other COPS come over to give congratulations. The good wishes turn into applause as we INT: POLICE HEADQUARTERS-DAY The Mayor's LACKEY pins a commendation on Wallace in front of a room filled with POLICE and PRESS. Somewhere in the back, feeling a little bit proud, in spite of his suspicions, is Chen. INT: JIMMY LOO'S -NIGHT A good-sized crowd, including Ung and Wallace. Ung's gassed. UNG It's dick size. CHEN You think everything is dick size. UNG It is. White people believe all Asians got little dicks. So you think that when an Asian chick sees your pecker, she's going to think it's Mount Saint Helens. Chen and Wallace laugh. UNG It's true. And then you look at the tiny hands on most Asian chicks and figure your weenie's gonna look like a sewer pipe in her fist. WALLACE He's discovered our secret. UNG Well the joke's on you, cause this Chinaman's hung like a... CHEN A gnat. Chen and Wallace laugh at Ung. UNG You wanna see?! Ung struggles to his feet. CHEN & WALLACE No! Wallace pulls Ung back into his seat. WALLACE On that note, it's time to head home. I'll see you tomorrow. CHEN Eight sharp. We're going to pick up surveillance on those guys you busted, find out which one's the fed. He nods and crosses to the door. Chen gets up and follows him to the door. CHEN Wallace. The young cop stops. Chen stands before him. CHEN You did a lot for those women down there...You did good work. WALLACE Thanks. CHEN But it was an accident. You're lucky you're not dead. So don't you ever go off alone again. Chen stares a hole in Wallace's head. The young cop nods and slips out the door. 11. A GIFT FOR WALLACE ---------------------- EXT: JIMMY LOO'S-CONTINUOUS - NIGHT Wallace steps from the bar and begins walking north on Centre. He sees the subway entrance and steps from the curb when a green Mercedes pulls to a stop. Inside is Henry Lee. LEE Congratulations, Detective. Uncomfortable, Wallace glances back at the bar. WALLACE Thanks. I've gotta... LEE You must allow me to buy you a drink. WALLACE I really... LEE You did a great thing for the people of this community...Let me thank you, as a show of respect...please. Lee unlocks the door as Wallace hears some cops exiting the bar. Rather than be seen he quickly ducks into the car. INT: STAIRWELL-NIGHT Chen climbs a rotted stairwell of the Ginza massage and approaches an unmarked door. He hesitates, then decides to knock. He sees an eye in the peephole. An old WOMAN, seventy plus, opens the door and he steps inside. INT: GINZA MASSAGE - NIGHT All is back to normal just days later. The welcome room is filled with young girls smoking. One of the girls is May. The old Woman calls her over and Chen sees her eye is bruised. May leads him toward the back but halfway down the hall he stops. Chen turns to the old woman and says something in Cantonese. She nods and Chen hands her three hundred dollar bills. He then takes May gently by the arm and escorts her out of the apartment. INT: UNDERGROUND SPA/MASSAGE ROOM - NIGHT Lee and Wallace, wrapped in towels, sip champagne as they step from a steam room thick with humidity. WALLACE There's more of Chinatown below sea level than above. LEE There's always more under the surface. The two men are greeted by a pair of beautiful MASSEUSES. One guides Wallace to a massage table, the other takes Lee outside. LEE Enjoy. Lee exits as Wallace's Masseuse motions for him to lie face down on the table. He hesitates, but eventually lies down. WALLACE (Cantonese) What's your name? She "Shhh's" him...then removes Wallace's towel. He glances back, feeling awkward as she begins covering his naked body with oil. Expertly, she glides her hands over his skin, massaging his muscles. He wants to stop her, but he doesn't. The Masseuse moves around, working his arms, legs, back and buttocks. She then climbs on top of him, and using her weight, digs deeper into his muscles. Slight moans begin escaping from his lips. After a moment, she reaches over and dims the lights. She removes her robe, covers her body with oil and glides herself slowly over Wallace's skin. His eyes move about, showing both his discomfort and enjoyment. She rubs her lips gently across his back to the base of his neck. She kisses his ear as her mouth moves across his face. She turns him onto his back. He looks up into her eyes, knowing he should stop. But he can't. Yellow fever. INT: CHEN'S APARTMENT-NIGHT Chen leads May into the apartment. She stands awkwardly in the center of the room. He turns on the lamp he picked up at Phan's. When he turns she tries to kiss him...but he holds her back. CHEN No. She looks at him, not sure why she's there. Neither is he. They stand awkwardly. After a moment, he crosses to the kitchen. He opens the fridge and removes a cellophane bag filled with fruit. He takes a knife from a butcher block and expertly slices a blood orange, separating the rind, removing the seeds. He hands May a sculpted piece of the dark red fruit. CHEN (Cantonese) From home. She takes it from him. Her eyes close as she tastes the fruit. For a short moment she is across the sea, sitting with her family. Chen smiles, and digs more produce from the fridge. He then hands May another slice of blood orange and begins chopping the vegetables in perfect, even slices. He glances at May and sees a tear sliding down her cheek. EXT: WALLACE'S BUILDING-SUNRISE The sun barely peeks over the horizon as Wallace enters the apartment. INT: WALLACE'S APARTMENT - SUNRISE He moves slowly, wearing the all nighter across his face. He cuts across the living room, steps into the bathroom. INT: WALLACE'S APARTMENT - BATHROOM - DAY He stops in his tracks. Lying on the floor is his father, beaten to a pulp. For a moment we see genuine concern on Wallace's face. WALLACE Shit. SEAN WALLACE Tried to...Never made it. His concern fades as he realizes his father's conscious. But he still kneels beside him and checks his injuries. WALLACE You gotta go to the hospital. SEAN WALLACE No time. He starts coughing and a pile of blood seeps from his mouth. WALLACE You're bleeding inside. SEAN WALLACE Wouldn't be surprised...I need the money. WALLACE I don't have it. Not that kind. SEAN WALLACE How much? WALLACE A grand, maybe. Wallace helps the big man up to his feet...but both collapse under the weight. They hit the floor heavy. WALLACE Shit....Come on, again. Wallace starts to lift but Sean shakes him off. SEAN WALLACE Would you give it to me if you had it? Wallace looks at his father. WALLACE I don't think so. SEAN WALLACE Fuckin honest, like your mother...Screw it then. Might as well call the hospital. Sean passes out. Wallace looks at his old man, then dials 911. 12. HEAVY TRAFFIC ----------------- INT: APARTMENT BUILDING BAXTER, HALLWAY-DAY Deng and Ung are coming out of apartment 5C as Wallace reaches the landing from the stairwell. WALLACE The Fed tip his hand yet? UNG If he has I haven't seen it. DENG Better get in there, he's startin to get pissed at you. WALLACE What's new. Deng and Ung move down the stairs as Wallace enters the room. INT: APARTMENT 5C - BAXTER STREET - DAY The room's filled with surveillance equipment. Chen's at the window photographing the comings and goings across the street where Wallace busted the fed days before. CHEN You're late. WALLACE My father had a fall last night..I had to get him to the hospital. CHEN Took all night to get him there? WALLACE He fell last night, I found him this morning in the bathroom. Chen looks at him suspiciously, then hands him the camera and touches Wallace's neck. CHEN Looks like he scratched you. Wallace pulls away and positions himself at the window. WALLACE When I was carrying him. CHEN He alright? WALLACE Yeah. Chen sits at a table and deals himself a hand of solitaire. CHEN He was a cop, right? WALLACE The two five. CHEN Tough beat. Is that why you're here? Prove something to the old man? WALLACE Is that why you're here? CHEN My old man's dead. I don't have to prove anything to anybody. How 'bout you? WALLACE Just to you I guess. CHEN That's for sure. WALLACE Why do you have to constantly bust my balls? CHEN I'm educating you while there's time. Chen lights the smoke as Wallace feigns embarrassment. WALLACE You mean you care about me?...I don't know what to say. CHEN Try nothing. WALLACE But I'm overwhelmed. This showing of emotion. This outpouring of human kindness. The caring, the warmth. Don't look at me, I think I'm crying. Chen smiles in spite of himself as Wallace turns toward the window and spots two ASIANS stepping from a Lincoln, which drives away. WALLACE These two don't look like junkies. He picks up the camera and starts snapping away. Chen crosses to the window, watches through a pair of binoculars. CHEN No, they don't. They watch the two youths enter the brownstone. EXT: CRUMBLING BUILDING -DAY ...the two YOUTHS enter the brownstone. INT: VACANT APARTMENT- BAXTER STREET - DAY Chen puts down his binoculars. CHEN (cont'd) You get pictures? WALLACE Yeah. Then suddenly, the unmistakable sound of automatic gunfire rings out from the building across the street. Wallace's camera freezes as the gun shots echo across the street. CHEN Shit. Both men have guns drawn by the time they hit the door. EXT: BAXTER STREET APARTMENT BUILDING-CONTINUOUS- DAY Chen and Wallace hit the pavement at the same moment the two Asian gangsters climb into the big Lincoln which immediately starts backing out of the alley. CHEN Police! Asian gangster's #2's answer is a barrage of automatic gunfire. Chen responds with one neat shot through the windshield and into the driver's head. Gangster#1 wastes no time pushing the dead driver out from behind the wheel before Chen and Wallace can reach the car and continues their getaway at warp speed. Chen unloads his weapon at the fleeing car before turning and heading towards the Chevy while Wallace charges up a narrow passageway to cut the gangsters off. EXT: NARROW CHINATOWN STREET (N.Y.) - DAY Wallace comes flying out of the alley and into the street just in time to get off a few shots at the oncoming Lincoln which barrels right at him forcing him to jump onto a parked car at the last minute. Chen races from the opposite direction hoping to block the Lincoln's path. Without hesitating, the gang car plows onto the sidewalk and escapes past the terrified pedestrians. Chen pulls a 180, Wallace hops in the passenger seat and the chase is on. EXT: SECRET STREET (TOR) - DAY Wallace and Chen in hot pursuit. WALLACE (in the radio) This is car seven in green sector, we're in pursuit of a blue Lincoln Continental, Jersey plates five, niner, five, alpha, alpha, zulu travelling south on Park Row, subjects armed and dangerous. Request road block units on all lanes. With Chen and Wallace closing in, Gangster #2 unloads another burst of gunfire. One of the bullets punctures the windshield, grazes Wallace's ear, exploding the headrest behind him. Chen continues to catch up as the Lincoln makes a sharp left slipping through the cross traffic. The Chevy's not as lucky, as it gets clipped in the rear causing it to spin 90 degrees and slowing their pursuit. EXT: PELL STREET (N.Y.) - DAY The Lincoln moves fast down Pell and hangs a sharp right careening onto Bowery heading downtown. Chen and Wallace struggle to keep up with pedestrians scattering in all directions. Just as the gangsters reach the first stoplight it turns green. They pull out into the oncoming lane cutting in front of the waiting traffic which is just starting to move. In order to stop them and pin the Chevy in, gangster#2 lets loose a barrage of gunfire which mows down the drivers of the first row of car, pinning the Chevy behind the bloody roadblock. The Lincoln takes off to the right. Chen backs up, sees an opening to an alley parallel to the street and takes off down it hoping to cut them off. EXT: SPADINA ALLEY (TOR) - DAY Chen and Wallace speed through the narrow pasageway checking through the periodic openings to Temperance Street trying to track the Lincoln. WALLACE There! Chen floors it- comes flying out the end of the alley on to... EXT: NARROW DOWNTOWN STREET (TOR) - DAY Cars parked on both sides of the street. Chen comes right up beside the Lincoln and tries to force it to a stop by pushing it up against the parked cars but the Lincoln just keeps charging, banging an opening through the cars and jumping onto the sidewalk knocking down a half-dozen pedestrians who can't get out of the way fast enough. Chen tracks alongside- gangster#2 spraying automatic fire at them, smashing out the windows of the parked cars. Chen and Wallace do their best to return fire. A delivery truck straddles the sidewalk in front of the Lincoln, instead of slowing, they speed up and at the last moment crash through parked cars, forcing an opening for them to come back onto the street. The parked car they punched through now blocks the Chevy. Rather than stop, Chen blasts onto the opposite sidewalk, pulls up next to the Lincoln while he and Wallace try to blow it out. Suddenly there's an elderly woman pulling her shopping basket in front of them who can't possibly get out of the way. WALLACE Yo, Civilian!! Chen jams on the brakes, slides through an opening of parked cars and follows the Lincoln around the corner to the left. EXT: POST OFFICE ALLEY - DAY Gangster #2 seeing the Chevy gaining on them, leans far out his passenger side window and sprays the Lincoln's tires just before a truck pulls out from a loading dock and sends the gangster's body flying through the air like a puppet. The Lincoln doesn't even slow. The Chevy spins uncontrollably, the front end smashing into the elevated lift of a meat truck, which cuts right through the windshield pinning Chen behind a collapsed steering column. Both men, shaken, watch as the Lincoln heads for the end of the street, then suddenly pulls a smoky 180 and heads right back towards them. WALLACE What the hell is he doing? The Lincoln drives straight at them with the now visible BLUE and WHITES tailing it in close pursuit. CHEN Shit. Chen and Wallace try and climb from the Chevy. Wallace can. Chen can't. He's trapped behind the wheel. Chen looks at Wallace who stands beside the car. CHEN Go! Chen begins firing at the Lincoln. Wallace looking between Chen and the fast approaching car, fires also. Chen's gun empties. Because of the chaos of the delivery trucks, the Lincoln has only one way out, and that is to crash straight through the disabled Chevy. CHEN I said go! Chen empties his gun. Wallace refuses to leave him. The Lincoln is forty yards, thirty yards. It's engine is deafening. CHEN GO!!! Wallace stays, firing everything he's got. Out of ammo, he quickly turns, dives back in the ca and grabs the shotgun from the back seat. Twenty yards, ten yards, he sees the face of the DRIVER when he gets lucky and a shotgun blast hits the gangster in the chest. The Lincoln spins out of control, twirling like crazy before it hits one of the trucks and explodes in flames. Wallace pulls Chen down as the fireball rolls just over their heads. Chen looks at Wallace as they sit up. 13. ENTER THE FEDS ------------------ INT: INTERROGATION ROOM TWO - DAY SCHABACKER Federal agent Ronald Ming is dead. Shot seven times in the back and I'm thinking some scumbag in the Fifteenth is responsible. Chen insides are twisted in knots. Half of him wants to come clean, but the self preservation half knows to play it cool. CHEN Maybe some scumbag in the Bureau is responsible. SCHABACKER And maybe I'm gonna grow a tree out of my dick. CHEN If anybody could. SCHABACKER And you can bet your ass it'd be an Oak. Schabacker stares at Chen looking for the slightest flinch. SCHABACKER We I.D'd the shooters...They're Fukienese. Chen breathes a touch easier. Maybe it wasn't Lee. Maybe it was part of the turf war. CHEN Fuke's have been makin a move on the triads for months. SCHABACKER That's the only thing keepin me from ripping this fuckin precinct to the ground. That...and this. Schabacker puts a small tape on the desk. Chen looks at tape, wondering if he's on it. SCHABACKER The assholes were in such a hurry to get moving they didn't check the bodies for wires. CHEN Who's on it? SCHABACKER Benny Wong. Some others. Three weeks worth of undercover work. CHEN A court'll never admit it without the agent backin it up. SCHABACKER They will once you tell 'em you've been working with us on this investigation. That after the shooting and before the chase, you entered the building, approached our agent who, with his last breath, told you he got this tape and corroborated what's on it. CHEN That's perjury. Why would I do that? SCHABACKER To keep me from bringing charges against you for obstructing a federal investigation. Wallace told us how you engaged in the unauthorized surveillance of a federal agent, which possibly blew his cover, resulting in his assassination. Chen looks at Schabacker. CHEN That speech may have shivered a rookie, but you'll need better for me. SCHABACKER Then I'll tell you what. You better watch your back cause my gut's still tellin me somebody in the Fifteenth gave my guy up and if I can't have Uncle Benny, I'm gonna have him. Chen looks into Schabacker's face. INT: WALLACE'S APARTMENT-LATER Wallace, dressed only in pants, cracks open the front door and sees Chen standing in the doorway. The visit catches Wallace off guard. CHEN You alone? WALLACE Yeah. CHEN Then invite me in. Wallace opens the door wider and Chen steps inside. He looks around the small apartment filled with boxes and Chinese artifacts with cops eyes. The kind that make you nervous even if you've done nothing wrong. CHEN You got something to drink? WALLACE (putting on his shirt) No. CHEN About yesterday. You saved my life out there. WALLACE Part of the job. CHEN Maybe. I still want to say thank you. WALLACE You know what it means I saved your life. Chen smiles as he causually but carefully looks through the papers on Wallace's coffee table. CHEN This is America, it doesn't mean anything. That said...Feds got you nervous? WALLACE No. CHEN Good. Cause whether it's the Feds, Internal Affairs, whoever, the inside of a cop car is sacred. You don't tell them what we do unless you discuss it with me first. WALLACE Why the sudden paranoia? CHEN I'm just sayin'. Anybody asks you a question. You ask me first. Chen crosses to Wallace and stands face to face with him, making his point clear. CHEN (cont'd) No more talking with the Feds until we're working off the same page. Understood? WALLACE Yeah...sure. CHEN Good. Chen turns and walks out the door. Wallace lets out a breath. EXT: THE TOMBS-DAY New York's city prison and holding facility. Like any toilet, it's filled with shit. INT: THE TOMBS - INTERROGATION ROOM Sitting behind a desk is Chen. The Guards put Jack in a chair then step back into the hall. Chen eyes the kid who looks even smaller in his prison rags. He waits a moment, then puts a surveillance photo of Jack's girlfriend Amy San on the table between them. CHEN Nice looking girl. Did you know she's in the country illegally? Jack looks from the picture to Chen. CHEN Gonna have to send her back...after a little jail time of course. Shame you two'll never see each other again. Jack's toughness is gone. JACK You can't send her, she's in trouble there. She'll be... CHEN Too bad. I can't help you. That's what you told me isn't it? Jack feels the noose closing around his neck. He doesn't have much choice. He speaks quietly, already afraid of what he has to do. JACK I help you, when they move me, she come too, with papers? Chen nods, then places a small tape recorder on the table. Jack looks at it like it was poison. Chen then puts a business card beside it. CHEN My pager number. Punch one one after your number so I know it's you. Jack reaches for the card and recorder. When he does, Chen grabs his wrist and pulls him closer. CHEN (cont'd) I get you out, you better not run on me. Jack looks at Chen and knows he's serious. CHEN (cont'd) I want to know who shot that undercover Fed. And I want to know if whoever it was talks to Henry Lee Chen lets go of Jack and motions to the Guards. They reenter the room, pick up Jack and take him back to his cell. Chen watches him go and it's clear he doesn't feel good about what he just did. EXT: CHEN'S APARTMENT, MOTT STREET - DAY A truck filled with dead pigs hanging on hooks, stands on the corner. MEN carry said swine to small vans parked at the curb. Chen, carrying groceries, walks past the workmen and up to his door. He glances toward the vans as he slides in his key. INT: CHEN'S APARTMENT, MOTT STREET - DAY Chen, still struggling with the death of the undercover agent, plops the package on the table, takes out a bottle of Bacardi and cracks the seal. He pours a portion of it into a half empty liter of Coke and hits it as he crosses to the window. EXT: CHEN'S APARTMENT - POV MEAT VANS - DAY He looks at the meat vans. INT: CHEN'S APARTMENT, MOTT STREET - DAY He picks up the phone and punches in a number. VOICE (PHONE) New York Times. CHEN I just called to tell you that Pete Schabacker of the F.B.I. is a hemorrhoid-licking asshole. VOICE (PHONE) Excuse me? Chen hangs up, sips his muscled Big Gulp and finally has something to laugh about. INT: MEAT VAN, MOTT STREET-DAY Tucked inside one of the meat vans, is a reel-to-reel recorder, Pete Schabacker and two hysterical AGENTS. SCHABACKER Shut the fuck up. 14. HENRY'S DEAL ---------------- INT: HOSPITAL, SEAN WALLACE'S ROOM-DAY Wallace moves past the other patients to his father's bed where the big Irishman lies with his eyes closed. Wallace looks down at him, then starts to leave. SEAN WALLACE (O.S.) Hey. Wallace turns back to the bed. His father smiles at him. SEAN WALLACE Thank you. Wallace isn't sure what he's talking about. SEAN WALLACE For the money. They sent a guy, he told me you settled up. I'm not gonna forget it. INT: LEE'S OFFICE-NIGHT Lee sits behind his desk when Wallace storms into the room. WALLACE Did you cover my father? LEE I'm helping you because I want you to help me. WALLACE No way. LEE My business is victimless. I supply services people want and are forbidden to them by politicians. However, you've seen there're those whose business is not victimless. Whose tactic is violence. I can help you rid Chinatown of those elements, and help keep your father alive. All I ask, is that you look out for my interests in return. WALLACE You're asking for more than that. LEE Long after you and I are gone there will be gambling in Chinatown. There will be men willing to pay a woman for her favors. And the police will always be the last to know. That's a fact...Now you can chase your tail in the dark and accomplish nothing, or you can really do some good. For the people of Chinatown, for your career and for your father. Lee circles his table and approaches Wallace. LEE Think of how many more young girls would have ended up in dumpsters if not for your acceptance of my help. Wallace does think about it. Knowing that they did save lives. He looks out the window at a bustling Chinatown. LEE This isn't America, Danny. It's Chinatown. LEE Do we agree?...Or do you want me to call the Italians and rescind my offer? Let them deal with your father. The moment of choice. Its consequences are not lost on Wallace. The decision is not easy...but slowly, he shakes his head. LEE Good. There's something I'd like you to do for me tomorrow. Lee doesn't speak right away. He makes Wallace wait. LEE There's a tin shop on Hogan. EXT: TIN SHOP - HOGAN STREET - MORNING(DAY) Wallace steps from the subway, crosses to a newsstand, buys a paper and checks the timepiece hanging over the porn mags. 5:58AM. LEE (V.O.) A Malaysian runs it. Tomorrow at six AM, he'll be receiving two bricks of heroin from a Colombian. He clocks the tin shop. He can make out the MALAYSIAN guy behind the counter and a MALE CUSTOMER, Chinese, checking the racks. LEE (V.O.) These men are scum, they deal to children. I'd like you to stop them. He takes position at the bus stop on the corner and waits. He sees an HISPANIC MALE, 40's, enter the store. The Malaysian locks the front door and leads the Hispanic to the rear of the shop. He moves quickly across Hogan. He reaches the front door, slides the slim jim from his jacket, and easily opens the lock. INT: TIN SHOP - CONTINUOUS - DAY Wallace pulls the Glock from his holster. He hears voices from behind the rear door. Cold sweat runs down his neck as he takes position. He steadies himself, then kicks open the door. INT: TIN SHOP, OFFICE - DAY WALLACE POLICE! NOBODY MOVE! He aims his gun and nearly fires when he hears YELLING from one of the men and sees the barrel of a .45 pointed at his face. But he doesn't shoot because the gun belongs to Chen, in the middle of busting the two drug dealers. Eyes wild and still YELLING, Chen nearly squeezes the trigger himself, but his brain registers Wallace faster than his finger. The two cops, breathing hard, stare at each other knowing exactly how the other got there. After a moment, Chen cuffs the two prisoners to the radiator and pushes Wallace back into the store. INT: TIN SHOP - DAY CHEN You son of a bitch. When did Lee approach you?! The bust on Chrystie, right? The porn operation? WALLACE Yeah. CHEN I knew it. I knew your story was full of shit. WALLACE Well here you are. When did he approach you? I bet quite a while before that. When was it, two years ago, five years? How long have you been working for him? Or can't you even remember?! Chen grabs Wallace by the neck. CHEN You're dead. Your life is over. I thought you were smart. You're not, you're as dumb as they come. Chen lets go of Wallace. It takes a moment and then it hits him. WALLACE You gave him the Fed didn't you? Chen looks back at Wallace. WALLACE That's why we were watching them. That's why you pressed that kid so hard to wear a wire. Yeah I heard about that. You want to see if it was the Fukes who killed the agent or if it was Lee. They hear something behind them and turn with guns pointed at a seventy year old Woman stepping through the door. 15. PLUMS AND PEACHES --------------------- INT: GAMBLING PARLOR-DAY Chen moves purposefully through the crowded room but he doesn't stop to play. Instead he strides up to Henry Lee, grabs him and forcefully pushes him down the hall and out into the back alley. INT: GAMBLING PARLOR, STAIRWAY - DAY He punches Lee to the floor. Lee's Sumo and two other triad SOLDIERS race into the room, guns drawn, but hold back from firing because Chen's gun is pointed at Lee's head. CHEN We had a deal. LEE You brought him in, not me. I couldn't risk it. CHEN I had him under control. LEE Says you. CHEN Let him go. LEE What's done is done. You know that better than anyone. You want to help him? Smarten him up. Make sure he doesn't trip over his toes and fuck both of you. I hear dirty cops have an extra rough time of it in prison. Chen looks right into Lee's eyes. CHEN I find out you killed that Fed, I'll kill you. Chen strides from the room, keeping his gun pointed on target. EXT: SECOND STREET- DAY Chen and Wallace move across the street. The mood is solemn. CHEN Wires. You never know who's wearin one so assume everyone is. Chen stops at an outdoor fruit stand and samples the goods. CHEN (cont'd) Another thing. If you hear something in the precinct you think we should pass along, always double check. It could be a bogus tip they wanted you to hear to see if it got passed along. Black or red plum? WALLACE I don't like plums. CHEN You don't like plums? WALLACE I like peaches. CHEN Peaches are shit. Didn't you ever hear that song Sinatra sang, "Out of the tree of life I just picked me a plum?" WALLACE I don't care if he picked a raisin out of Sammy Davis' eye socket. I like peaches. CHEN Then I'm not paying for it. Chen pays for his plum and Wallace pays for his peach. Chen stops to watch a bunch of KIDS playing soccer in the park. WALLACE How'd they get to you? CHEN I was the first Chinese cop in the Fifteenth. Thought I was gonna clean up Chinatown. But white cops wouldn't work with me and the people wouldn't talk to a cop, Chinese or not. Only Uncle Benny paid me any attention. He became my godfather, took care of my debts. Henry Lee was his lieutenant. He fed me a few busts, made me look good and I liked it. Then one night my father walks into a gambling house and ends up dead. Turns out Lee knew there was a contract on him. Made it clear he could've told me, I could've stopped it...Got me thinking I was better at my job with him, than without him. The soccer ball rolls over and Chen kicks it back into the game. CHEN (cont'd) And he was right. Chen takes a bite from his plum as the sound of a shutter on a 35mm camera clicking stops the action in beautiful black and white. Suddenly, a hand reaches in and pulls the photo off the wall. 16. BENNY WONG CUTS A DEAL -------------------------- INT: FBI HEADQUARTERS HALLWAY -DAY. Schacker walks briskly through the hallway carrying the picture and talking on a cordless mouthpiece. SCHABACKER It's Schabacker. I want everything you have on a Detective in the Fifteenth Precinct. His name is Daniel Wallace...Yeah his old man worked crooked outta the two five, check on him too. He rounds a corner and approaches his office where Benny Wong his lawyer and two Fed minions sit waiting for him. INT: SCHABACKER'S OFFICE He enters, closing the door behind him. SCHABACKER Mr. Wong, we're running a one day sale. Chance of a lifetime. The opportunity to buy your freedom. Schabacker pulls an audio tape from his desk drawer. SCHABACKER This tape was obtained by an agent working undercover inside the Triad. It's Cantonese but the look on Wong's face tells us it isn't good. LAWYER The tape is garbage. If it weren't, you would have arrested my client by now. Schabacker lays an arrest warrant on the table and speaks to Wong. SCHABACKER Lawyers are always gutsy when it's someone else looking at life. But I don't want you. I want whoever killed my agent. I want the cops in the Fifteenth on your payroll. And I'm willing to pay for it. INT: FUKIENESE CRASH PAD, BEDROOM - NIGHT The phone rings as Bobby Vu makes out with a good looking girl. BOBBY VU Hello. INT: GREEN MERCEDES-SAME NIGHT Lee rides in back, speaking into his cell-phone. LEE Our patience has paid off. Uncle Benny paid a visit to the F.B.I. His time is over. INT: FUKIENESE CRASH PAD, LIVING ROOM-SAME NIGHT The room looks like home to seven teenagers who drink, do drugs, fight and play with guns all day. Four of them, including Jack, are on the couch, watching porno. The bedroom door opens and Bobby Vu enters, kicking everybody off the couches. BOBBY VU (Fukienese) Get dressed, we have a job. JACK (Fukienese) What is it? BOBBY VU (Fukienese) We take care of Benny Wong tonight. EXT: CHEN'S APARTMENT, MOTT STREET-NIGHT Wallace drives to the curb as Chen looks at the Phone Company truck parked across the street. CHEN My friends are waiting for me. Wallace glances at the truck. WALLACE How long you think the Feds'll be watching us. CHEN Month, maybe two. Chen can see that fact rattles Wallace. CHEN I didn't want Lee involving you. WALLACE It's not your fault. CHEN I didn't say it was. What I'm saying is you're alone now. You can't trust anybody in the department. Not the guys in the Fifteenth, not the guys in the AGU. And you sure as hell can't trust Henry Lee. So if anything gets sticky, you come to me. WALLACE How do I know I can trust you? CHEN You don't. Chen opens the car door. WALLACE I'm glad it's not just me...Nuts huh? Half of him feels the same way...But the smarter half, the self preservation half, doesn't. CHEN No. WALLACE You wanna eat? I'll buy you a plum. Chen smiles. He wants to, but he closes the door. CHEN I got plans. WALLACE Some other time. Wallace drives off as Chen turns and pushes into his building. INT: CHEN'S BUILDING, HALLWAY OUTSIDE HIS APARTMENT-NIGHT Lying against the door, cold and pasty white, is May. Chen quickly checks her vitals, then lifts her in his arms and carries her back outside. EXT: GAS STATION, QUEENS-NIGHT The Fukienese crew sit packed into a stolen Buick Regal as one of the boys pumps unleaded into the tank. Jack in the middle of the back seat fidgets like an inmate on death row. JACK (Fukienese) I gotta take a leak. Bobby Vu looks at him with the impatience of a killer. BOBBY VU (Fukienese) Hurry up. Jack climbs out the door. He crosses the forty yards of asphalt and moves behind the filling station to the side of the building. EXT: GAS STATION PAYPHONE - NIGHT He stops at a payphone nestled between the men's and lady's rooms. His hands tremble as he slides in the quarter and dials the number off Chen's card. He checks the number of the phone, punches it in along with his code. He hits the pound key, hangs up and waits. INT: HUDSON ST CLINIC: HOSPITAL ROOM -NIGHT The population, STAFF and CLIENTELE, is mostly Asian, Spanish, and poor. The pace is fast and the care minimal by necessity. Behind a curtain, May lies sleeping, I.V. tubing supplying nutrition, an oxygen mask supplying life. Chen watches her when his pager goes off. He checks the number, recognizing the pager code he gave Jack as a young DOCTOR enters the area. DOCTOR She's lucky you found her. CHEN I want you to write her up as deceased. DOCTOR Nick. CHEN She recovers, she goes to work. Two weeks she's back here, maybe not so lucky. DOCTOR You're asking a lot. Chen reaches into his pocket and pulls out ten hundred dollar bills. The Doctor thinks, then takes the money. CHEN Let her stay a few days, till she's stronger. Then I'll come get her. Chen looks at May then slips outside. EXT: GAS STATION, PAYPHONE- NIGHT BOBBY VU (O.S.) (Fukienese) What the fuck are you doing? Jack spins and calls on every ounce of strength he has to keep from turning white. JACK (Fukienese) I'm sick. I wasn't sure if I had to go back inside or not. Bobby Vu starts to smile...until the phone rings. Then he just stares at Jack, who ignores the ringing phone. JACK I'm alright. Let's go. Bobby stops him...and picks up the phone. He puts the receiver to his ear, but doesn't say a word. INT: HUDSON STREET CLINIC-SAME (NIGHT) Chen stands at a payphone and almost speaks, but the silence on the other end of the line stops him. EXT: GAS STATION, PAYPHONE-NIGHT Jack's legs nearly buckle as Bobby Vu keeps the phone to his ear. The wait is agony, but gets interrupted when Black Eyes walks up. GANGSTER What're you doing? INT: HUDSON STREET CLINIC-NIGHT Chen hears the voices through the phone line and realizes something's not right. CHEN Is this Domino's Pizza? EXT: GAS STATION, PAYPHONE-NIGHT Jack continues to watch Bobby Vu, who hangs up without saying a word. Slowly, a smile curls his lips. BOBBY VU (Fukienese) Jack thought he was gonna shit his pants. He puts an arm around his soldier and leads him to the Buick. INT: HUDSON STREET CLINIC-NIGHT Chen hangs up the phone. He stands a moment, then takes a pen from his pocket and writes down the number on the pager. EXT: BENNY WONG'S HOUSE, FLUSHING QUEENS-NIGHT Chinatown Two and definitely the nicest. An upper income, suburban neighborhood populated by American-born Chinese. Out front of the gated corner house is the Bobby Vu's car. The Fukeniese fan out around the walls surrounding the property. INT: BENNY WONG'S BEDROOM-NIGHT Benny Wong sits in a club chair watching an episode of Sinbad when he hears the KRAK KRAK KRAK of gunfire coming from inside his house. He quickly searches his desk drawer finding a .38 caliber pistol. He turns toward the door and freezes as he looks into the eyes of Bobby Vu and the other three Fukienese who point submachine guns at his chest. Bobby Vu smiles....Benny Wong stares at him. BENNY WONG You're not man enough to kill me. In a flash, Benny brings the revolver to his temple and shoots himself. Bobby Vu looks at the old man lying dead. BOBBY VU We kill you anyway. The four youths open up, turning Benny Wong into hamburger. INT: BENNY WONG'S BATHROOM-NIGHT The door opens and Bobby Vu enters. He lifts the lid and begins to pee unaware of MRS. WONG who lies paralyzed with fear in the bathtub. She tries to lie quietly as he unzips his pants. The sound of liquid hitting liquid mixes with the faint cry of police sirens in the distance. He finishes, takes one step toward the exit then turns and begins firing into the glass shower door. He stops. Walks through the smoke filled room and stands over Mrs. Wong, alive, but cut to pieces in the bottom of the tub. He looks down at her and nonchalantly points his gun at her chest. She begins to cry as he pulls the trigger. 17. A LITTLE HELP FROM NICK --------------------------- EXT: WORTH STREET-DAY HENRY LEE stands outside his restaurant greeting people who pay respects to him as though it were a coronation. Ung, Wallace and Chen buy frozen ices from a street cart trying to make a buck in the ninety degree heat. WALLACE You been able to reach Jack yet? Chen shakes his head. CHEN Paged him fifty times and nothing. He's hidin. WALLACE Think he was calling about the hit? CHEN He was on it. Wallace looks at all the people greeting Lee. WALLACE Nobody seems too upset. CHEN Except them. Across the way, they see an FBI surveillance VAN. UNG Fuckin Feds...Dumb shit brings Benny Wong into the federal building, should've just taken an ad out in the papers. They suck on their freeze bars when Chen notices three little CHINESE kids looking at the ice cream. Chen looks at the kids. CHEN You stay in school? The kids nod. Chen hands the vendor a ten. CHEN Set 'em up. The youngsters clamor for the ices. WALLACE Whatdaya think Lee's gonna do about the Fuke's now that he's top dog? CHEN He's made his deal with the Fukes. WALLACE What are we going to do? CHEN I know what I want to do. Chen stares at Lee with complete hate. INT: FIFTEENTH PRECINCT, OUTSIDE THE AGU OFFICES-DAY Through the glass door we see Wallace and Ung catch up on paperwork as Detective Deng comes through it, into the hall where the coffee machine sits. She pours black coffee into a thirty-ounce cup, then hits it with a half dozen sugars. Chen walks up. CHEN Planning on staying up for a month? DENG Wait till you have a baby...Did you hear? CHEN Hear what? DENG I've heard the FEDS have a case against someone in the Fifteenth. This gets Chen's attention, but he tries to dismiss it. CHEN I've heard that every month for ten years. Deng presses, like she's trying to tell Chen something more. DENG So have I, but this time I hear they have tapes, photos, the whole nine yards. They're pissed off about their agent and Benny Wong getting killed and they want to hang somebody for it. Chen nods to his partner as she heads back to her desk. Chen thinks for a moment, then looks through the glass at Wallace working away. INT: GAMBLING PARLOR-DAY Chen enters the underground parlor. But today it's empty, except for Henry Lee, the Sumo, two other triad soldiers and the dealer from last nights gambling. Lee is here to collect his cut. His minions immediately frisk Chen and take his guns from him. CHEN Think I have a reason to use them? LEE I'm not sure. Lately you've forgotten that what happens to me, happens to you. Lee makes sure Chen gets the message. CHEN The Feds are making a case against Wallace. We need to cut him loose. LEE You're nervous. You're getting soft in your old age. CHEN The only thing going soft is your brain. The Sumo smashes Chen into the wall and down to the ground. LEE Personal attacks are going to get us nowhere, Detective. Chen can barely breathe, let alone get to his feet. LEE But I'll tell you what. I'll take your advice to a point. I'll sever any traceable ties between us...and give Wallac