Bottle Rocket Scene 2

[INT. CAR. NIGHT]

[Anthony, Dignan, and Bob are sitting in Bob's car, parked in the dark. Bob's at the wheel. Anthony and Dignan are in the back. Anthony has on a dark blue ski cap. Dignan's wearing a baseball cap with the brim pulled down low. He puts a piece of adhesive tape across his nose and hands the roll to Anthony.]

BOB: What are you doing?

DIGNAN: I'm putting a piece of tape on my nose.

[Anthony tapes his nose. They stare out the windshield. The alarm on Dignan's digital watch goes off.]

DIGNAN *immediately, dead serious*: Let's get lucky.

[EXT/INT. BOOKSTORE. NIGHT]

[Anthony and Dignan walk through the shadows in front of a huge bookstore. The lights are on inside. They watch for a minute and then go to the front door. Dignan hides behind a post. Anthony knocks on the glass. An EMPLOYEE appears.]

ANTHONY: I left my sweater inside.

[The employee shakes his head. He can't hear through the glass.]

ANTHONY: Do you have a lost and found?

[The employee unlocks the door and opens it an inch.]

EMPLOYEE: We're closed.

ANTHONY: I left my sweater in there.

EMPLOYEE: Oh. I see. Come on in.

Anthony goes inside. Dignan comes out from behind the post.

EMPLOYEE: We're closed, sir.

DIGNAN: Where's that guy going?

EMPLOYEE: He left his sweater.

DIGNAN: Well, I left some money in there.

EMPLOYEE: Where?

DIGNAN *pulls out the gun*: In the cash relister. Step away from the door.

[Dignan goes in. They walk through the store.]

ANTHONY: Where's the manager?

DIGNAN: Where's the other stocker?

ANTHONY: There's another stocker, right?

DIGNAN: We know there's another stocker.

EMPLOYEE: Rob?

[Dignan points the gun at the employee.]

DIGNAN: Where is he? Where is Rob?

EMPLOYEE: I don't know. Maybe in literature. That's his section.

DIGNAN: You got that?

ANTHONY: Sure. Literature. The classics.

[The MANAGER is locking the door of his office.]

ANTHONY: Is that the manager?

DIGNAN *to manager*: Unlock that door. *to Anthony* Check the aisles.

[Anthony starts walking through the store, checking down each aisle. He picks up a copy of The Air War on Hitler's Germany and takes it with him. He goes through literature and sees ROB in travel, kneeling in front of a low shelf with a carton of books beside him.]

ANTHONY: Rob?

ROB *looks up, a little puzzled*: Uh-huh?

ANTHONY: Why aren't you in literature?

ROB *hesitates*: It's all full up.

[Dignan is in the office with the manager and the first employee. He's pointing at a drawer.]

DIGNAN: Open it up.

[The manager opens it. It's full of office supplies.]

DIGNAN: OK. Open the other. Let's go.

[The manager opens the other drawer. It's full of cash. Dignan looks at the manager. He looks back at the cash.]

DIGNAN: Put it in one of those.

[Dignan points at some bookstore bags. The manager picks up a little one and starts to put the money in it.]

DIGNAN: A bigger one, you idiot.

MANAGER *glares at Dignan*: Don't call me an idiot, you punk.

DIGNAN: I'm sorry. But that bag's too small.

CUT TO: Anthony waiting outside the office door. Rob, the first employee, and the manager are sitting against the wall in the office. The manager's got an intense, angry look on his face, staring at Dignan. Dignan hands Anthony five little bags full of money and starts to close the office door.

DIGNAN: OK, guys. Just...Sit tight.

[Dignan closes the door.]

[INT. CAR. NIGHT]

[Anthony and Dignan jump into the car.]

DIGNAN: Go. Go. Drive slow.

[Bob drives. Pretty slow. Anthony and Dignan keep looking back out the rear window. They're nervous. Nobody says anything for a block or two.]

BOB: What happened?

DIGNAN: Shhh. Slow down, Bob. Drive natural.

BOB
This is natural.

DIGNAN
*looks at speedometer*
That's good. Keep it at forty.

BOB: Did we get it?

DIGNAN: Be cool, Bob. Be cool. *quickly* Make that light.

[They keep driving. Breathing hard.]

ANTHONY: Holy shit.

DIGNAN: We got it. We got it.

BOB: How much is there?

DIGNAN: Don't count it.

[EXT. HAMBURGER PLACE. NIGHT]

[A picnic table in front of a hamburger place. Dignan is standing up with his drink in his hand.]

BOB: Was Dignan screaming like, Get me a bag!

DIGNAN: No. I was calm.

ANTHONY: What about what that guy said?

DIGNAN: Oh, shit. That was scary. In the middle of the robbery. The manager looks at me. Right in the eye. And goes, I'm going to remember you.

BOB: Are you serious?

ANTHONY: Yeah. He said that.

DIGNAN: I swear to God. In a very quiet voice.

ANTHONY: Like he meant it.

DIGNAN: Yeah.

ANTHONY: Like he would find Dignan. One day.

DIGNAN: Like I'm going to hunt you down and kill you.

[Dignan stands there a minute and lets this sink in. Then he finally sits down and they all eat their burgers.]

BOB: You really think he'll remember you?

DIGNAN *smiles*: No. All he'll remember is a guy with a piece of tape on his nose.

[They laugh smugly.]

[EXT. 7-11. NIGHT]

[Anthony, Dignan, and Bob come out of a 7-11. Bob's got a slurpee. He's carrying the WWII book.]

BOB: See you.

ANTHONY: See you, Bob.

DIGNAN: Hang on, Bob.

[Dignan goes up to Bob and hugs him. Bob's not smiling.]

DIGNAN: That was really good driving. Seriously. I mean it.

[Bob nods and starts walking away, down the sidewalk.]

DIGNAN: We'll see you later, Bob. Good driving.

[Anthony and Dignan sit on the curb. Anthony's drinking a milk. Dignan's still watching Bob walk alone down the sidewalk.]

DIGNAN: What's wrong with him?

ANTHONY: What do you think?

DIGNAN: Anthony, he sat in the car and watched a 4-11 in progress. He got what he deserved.

ANTHONY: He was the driver, Dignan. He did what he's supposed to do.

DIGNAN: I didn't realize you were so sensitive to Bob's feelings. Considering I did the plans, you're actually lucky you got --

ANTHONY: Don't even say it, man.

[INT. BOB'S HOUSE. DAY]

[Dignan and Anthony are following Bob through his house. Bob is playing his electric guitar, not plugged in.]

DIGNAN: Bob, will you please listen?

BOB: I don't want to talk about it.

[Bob strums more intensely. They're walking through the kitchen.]

DIGNAN: Look, I admit I was wrong for not telling you before the robbery that your share wouldn't be as equal as ours. But the fact remains me and Anthony were much more exposed to danger.

[Bob has now come to the big glass patio doors where Hector sits outside, looking in. Bob keeps playing as he looks at Hector.]

DIGNAN: I mean, Jesus Christ, Bob. You didn't have some vicious lunatic screaming, "I'm going to remember you!"

BOB *smiles slightly, keeps playing*: That's true. That would give me nightmares.

DIGNAN: Bob, I've got nightmares.

[Bob stops playing. He looks at Dignan.]

BOB: You'll probably have them the rest of your life.

ANTHONY: What was that?

[Anthony opens the door to the patio.]

DIGNAN: What?

[They hear breaking glass somewhere as they follow Anthony onto the patio. A voice yells out.]

VOICE: Motherfucker!

ANTHONY: What's going on?

[Bob sets down his guitar as they go out of the yard to see what's happening.]

[EXT. BOB'S HOUSE. EVENING]

[Anthony, Dignan, and Bob go around to the front. Bob's neighbor PHIL runs down the driveway with a wrench in his hand. Phil is short and heavy, wearing a golf shirt. He's got a bloody nose.]

BOB: Phil. What happened?

PHIL *hysterical*: Motherfucker. I'll kill him.

BOB *looks around, suddenly concerned*: Who?

[PHIL'S GIRLFRIEND comes running out the front door.]

PHIL'S GIRLFRIEND: I've called the police. Oh, my God, Phil. *She reaches to hug him.*

PHIL: Don't touch me! I swear to God I'll get that guy.

PHIL'S GIRLFRIEND: I know you will, Phil. There was nothing you could do. All you had was a golf club.

ANTHONY: You're bleeding, man. Sit down.

[A couple of NEIGHBORS have come over from across the street.]

NEIGHBOR: What happened?

PHIL'S GIRLFRIEND: Some black man beat Phil up.

PHIL: He didn't beat me up. He attacked me.

PHIL'S GIRLFRIEND: He took two hundred dollars.

ANTHONY *to Phil*: Tilt your head back.

[Later. It's dark out now. There's a police car parked across the street and another pulling over, lights rolling. One of the OFFICERS walks across the yard, shining a flashlight in the bushes. Dignan is talking with one of the other officers.]

DIGNAN: He was probably on drugs.

OFFICER: They usually are.

[Two other cops are getting a statement from Phil. Anthony and Bob are listening. Some neighbors are milling around talking.]

PHIL: As soon as I opened the door I saw him. A black guy. Looking through my dad's tool box. I wanted to trap this guy. So I closed the garage door.

COP: And that's when he hit you?

PHIL *looking up to sky and concentrating*: He struck me. I fell down. He took my wallet. Then he opened the garage door and ran away.

COP: How'd the window break?

PHIL: I hit it with the golf club.

[Dignan's still talking to the other cop.]

DIGNAN: How long do you have to go?

COP: 26 weeks.

DIGNAN: And what does that cover?

COP: Social issues. Crime prevention.

DIGNAN: Hand to hand combat?

Dignan suddenly looks toward Bob's backyard. The cop nods.

COP: Ground defense.

DIGNAN: Did you hear that?

OFFICER: What?

DIGNAN: Shhh.

[Anthony's looking up into the treetops.]

BOB: What the fuck is Dignan doing with that cop? He loves them.

ANTHONY: There's a million places to hide around here.

BOB: Oh, yeah. They'll never catch the guy.

ANTHONY: I hope not.

BOB: Phil probably provoked him. *looking at Dignan* Where's he going?

[Dignan and the officer are walking over to the backyard.]

DIGNAN: No, it was a rustling sound.

BOB'S VOICE: The dog. Look out for the dog.

OFFICER: Is this dog going to bite?

DIGNAN: No. Shit no.

[Dignan jumps the fence. The cop looks over and shines his flashlight. Dignan's petting Hector. Hector's calm.]

DIGNAN: See? I don't know what he's talking
about.

[Bob starts walking across the street.]

ANTHONY: Where you going?

BOB: Move.

[As Bob walks away he is looking back, past Anthony, toward the backyard.]

ANTHONY: What's wrong?

[Anthony turns to look. In the backyard. Dignan is looking in the bushes.]

DIGNAN: He probably went into the next yard. Shine the light over here.

[Dignan looks across the yard at the officer. The officer is shining the light on the marijuana plants. He looks at Dignan.]

DIGNAN: Those are...

Dignan sprints across the yard and over the gate.

OFFICER: Halt! Sir!

[Anthony and Bob are standing in the shadows across the street. They see Dignan come racing down the driveway. The officer is yelling behind the gate.]

OFFICER: Bill! He's running!

[The other officers are running from their cars.]

DIGNAN: The prowler! That way!

[The officers run past Dignan, toward the back. Anthony and Bob take off as Dignan runs by. The three of them run full speed down the street, cutting across yards, between houses. They throw themselves over fences and scramble through bushes.]

DIGNAN: Way to go, Bob!

BOB: I told you they were there.

DIGNAN *about to explode*: So it's my fault?

ANTHONY: Be quiet.

[INT. BOB'S CAR. DAY]

[Bob's at the wheel, Dignan in front, Anthony in the back. They're driving fast down the interstate, past fields and farmhouses. Dignan's drawing out a route in felt tip pen on a Texaco roadmap.]

DIGNAN: In all probability nothing would of happened. But why take the chance? That's why I ran. I mean how many plants were even back there? Five? Ten?

BOB: There were more than that.

ANTHONY: Why don't you just tell them the truth. Those belong to my neighbor Phil.

BOB: I don't know. I personally don't need that shit in my life right now.

ANTHONY: Nobody does.

DIGNAN: Obviously. That's why we go on the road. The thing about cops is they have short attention spans.

[EXT. GAS STATION. DAY]

[Dignan fills up the tank and checks the oil. Bob tests the tire pressure. Anthony does the windows.]

DIGNAN: Can I get that credit card from you?

ANTHONY *pause*: I don't like to use that credit card, Dignan.

DIGNAN: Why not?

ANTHONY: Because my mom gets the bill.

DIGNAN: She's not going to notice, Anthony.

ANTHONY: I don't want to use it.

DIGNAN *pause*: Well, then cut it in half.

ANTHONY: I keep it for emergencies.

DIGNAN: Anthony, we're on the run. This is an emergency. It's only fair that...

[Anthony gets in the car. Pause. Dignan reaches into his pocket and takes out a wad of cash. He counts some. Stands there a minute. Goes inside to pay.]