PAGE ONE (4 panels)
Panel 1. Full page width, about 1/5 deep. Super close-up image of fingers, interlaced together. They are a man’s fingers, big and thick, and unkempt. Index fingers are towards the top, finger tips are close together, i.e. the fingers are not together all the way to the palm. These are finger wrapped around something, not fully laced together in prayer.
MARIA (off panel):
Oooohh….
Panel 2. A similar image to Panel 1, full-page width, but with focus pulled back. We can now see the hands are wrapped around the throat of a woman, who is facing the audience. We can see her chin above the fingers, maybe part of her mouth, which is open. Below the fingers we see she is nude.
MARIA:
Ahhhh yeah, papi, that’s it…
Panel 3. Full page width panel, showing CHARLES ADAM OTHER, naked and behind MARIA OLIVEREZ. She is nude and on all fours, Charles is behind her with his hands wrapped around her throat. They are (obviously) having rather vigorous sex. Both are sweating. MARIA is Hispanic (Cuban America) with long curly hair, earrings and a thick necklace, long fingernails and heavy but still flattering makeup. Charles is hairy across the chest and forearms, has a thick shock of black hair, thinning to a widow’s peak but still full on his head, with traces of gray. His forearms and shoulders bear a scar hear and there, nothing major. Charles has a Celtic cross tattoo, large, on the right shoulder extending down to his bicep, professionally done (not jailhouse). He’s sweating a great deal more than MARIA is, and his eyes are not focused on her.
CHARLES:
…nnnnggghhhh……
MARIA:
Fuck yeah, baby… take me just like you ….
Panel 4. Fade out a touch, just showing Maria now, smaller than Panel 3 but still full-page width. MARIA’s eyes suddenly fly open wide, bugging out a bit as CHARLES begins to choke her in earnest. Motion should indicate her back arched more suddenly, his hands have suddenly clenched, her mouth opens a bit wider.
MARIA:
(choking noise) …GGGGKKKK……
Page 2 (6 panels)
Panel 1. MARIA collapses forward on the bed, and her leg kicks out behind her at CHARLES.
MARIA: (pained grunt)
CHARLES: (surprised exclamation)
Panel 2. MARIA rolls away from CHARLES, who has collapsed backwards onto the bed. Her face shows relief as she gasps for breath, her own hands going to her chest/neck. CHARLES’ face is in a state of mild shock, as if he’s suddenly realizing where he is.
MARIA: (huge gasping breath of air, pants breathlessly)
CHARLES: (muted grunt of awareness)
Panel 3. Largest panel on this page. MARIA has risen off the bed, pulling the sheet with her in one hand, the other still at her throat. She’s hugely angry now, while CHARLES has settled back, is now reverting to a largely indifferent attitude. He mentally has his armor back on. The shot shows MARIA toward the left of the panel, CHARLES reclining against the headboard toward the right. (The shot perhaps from CHARLES right shoulder?)
MARIA (angry):
What the fuck is wrong with you, Charlie?!??! God damn it, I ain’t one of your fucking whores you can just smack around! Jesus is gonna fuckin’ kill you, pendejo!
CHARLES (CAPTION):
That’s the problem with screwing your bosses girl…
Panel 4: Direct shot of Charlie, basically the opposite angle from here, reaching for a glass of something to drink on the bedside table. It’s a rocks glass, likely bourbon in it. He’s still naked, a sheet covers his stuff.
CHARLES: (CAP):
… you get a little too rowdy, the bitch starts name dropping.
MARIA (OP): (just a string of curses hurled at Charlie, all in Spanish)
Panel 5. Close up shot of CHARLES’ eyes as he sips from the glass. You can see the glass, the bourbon, but mostly CHARLES’ eyes.
CHARLES:
Jesus Suarez, head of one of the nastier drug rings here in Miami, wired in with the Mexican and Colombian cartels. His woman Maria likes to sneak around with the hired help, and the best help Suarez has got. Stil…
Panel 6. Charlie is putting on his pants in the foreground, MARIA is still shouting curses at him in the background.
CHARLES (CAP):
… might be a good idea to clear out of town for a little while.
PAGE 3 (5 panels)
Panel 1. CHARLES walks into a seedy bar, entering in a gray suit and white shirt, a cigarette in his mouth. He light from the door he just entered indicates it’s daylight outside, but dark in the bar. There are a few scattered drunks at the bar, all men. The large Cuban man tending bar wears a leather vest over a black t-shirt, with big arms covered in tattoos. We see him form the back, CHARLES form the front, the open door behind him. Maybe head on, maybe at an angle.
CHARLES (CAP):
Can’t go home quite yet, and Pito’s place is a good spot to kill a few hours and pick up a new phone. Besides, in a dump like this, smellin’ like pussy puts me ahead of the curve.
Panel 2. CHARLES approaches the bar, and speaks to PITO, the man behind the bar, it’s owner. A wizened old drunk sits nearby, taking no notice of them. We see CHARLES from behind, and PITO’s face. He has a thick mustache and eyebrows, and has a rather indifferent look in the back. His head cocks towards a door to the back as she speaks his line, which follows CHARLES’.
CHARLES (CAP):
If I’m hitting the road a while, I need to talk to Georgie.
CHARLES:
Howdy, Pito. Got anything burnin’ on the stove?
PITO:
Yeah, Charlie. Step on back.
Panel 3. CHARLES steps out the back door of Pito’s into the alley. This shot is framed similarly to the shot in Panel 1, to indicate a straight line of movement – in through the front door, out through the back. CHARLES has the new burner phone in his hand, raised to his ear.
CHARLES (into phone):
Hey Georgie, It’s Charlie.
GEORGIE: (OP, on other end of phone):
Charles Adam Other, a mother fucker from another mother. How’s Little Havana?
Panel 4. CHARLES walks down the alley, still speaking on his phone, towards a car, a nice drop top Mercedes. It’s clearly his, and looks out of place in the trashy alley.
CHARLES: Warmer than I’d like. Thinking about a little vacation. A nice wet vacation, if you know what I mean.
GEORGIE: (OP, on the other end of the phone):
Well Hell, Charlie, I don’t know…
Panel 5: GEORGIE in his office, a nice clean place. Georgie is a heavy set guy, but well dressed in a suit and tie. He’s on a cell phone, there are 3-4 others lying in a neat row on his desk, which is otherwise empty except for a large black leather book. The office would look normal, if not for the strippers getting dressed in one corner.
CAPTION: The Lilac Room, NYC.
GEORGIE:… word among the Professional crowd is you’re on your way out. Semi-retired, or so you say. Heavy wet work isn’t really your line these days.
CHARLES: (OP, other end of the phone) … C’mon Georgie, you know my line never wavers that much.
Page 4 (6 panels)
Panel 1. Georgie from a different angle, a stripper has bent over to pull up her stockings, a glass window can now be seen looking out onto the strip club. The stripper’s rear end is nearly in GEORGIE’s face, but he pays it no mind. He’s all business, and his face is serious.
GEORGIE: (into phone):
You’re line headed out of town, Charlie. Right through a couple of my girls, a couple of other fellas girls, past a few hospital beds, and on down to Miami. Why don’t you just order another mojito…?
Panel 2. Back in Miami. CHARLES in is his car now, the door open as if he just got in, still on the phone. He’s looking at himself in the rear view mirror, playing with his hair. He’s clearly a touch self absorbed.
CHARLES. (into phone):
Come on, now. No need to be like that, Georgie. After what I’ve done for you, what’s a girl or two here and there? At least it wasn’t you in the hospital.
GEORGIE (OP, and more agitated):
Look, mother fucker, you don’t…
Panel 3. CHARLES has pulled the car door closed and now his face is more serious.
CHARLES:
I don’t WHAT, Georgie?!? Need to come back East to settle up in person? I think you’re right… I can take any job you got, doesn’t have to be in NYC.
GEORGIE (OP):
… well … if it’s like that….
Panel 4. Georgie’s office again. He’s got a single bead of sweat on his forehead, and he’s opened the black book on his desk.
CHARLES (OP):
… yeah, it’s like that.
GEORGIE (into phone):
Then I got a little something out west. It’s a triple, and a two-man job. They pick the second man, non-negotiable. And they promise a pro, don’t worry. I can get you all the ones and zeroes in a couple of days.
Panel 5. Charles is driving the car out of the alley now, one hand on the wheel ,the other casually on the door. He still looks calm and collected.
CHARLES (into phone):
If I gotta take on dead weight, there better be at least 5 zeros in there, Georgie. Closer to 6, really. And how far out west?
Panel 6. Charles car form the rear, driving away. Charles is still on the phone.
GEORGIE (OP):
How’s Vegas, Charlie. Far enough?
Page 5 (6 panels)
Panel 1. CHARLE’S face head on as he drives the car. Sunglasses on, his hand on his chin, elbow on door edge with the window rolled down, other hand on the wheel. He’s thinking.
CHARLES (CAP):
Vegas. Means Italian work, but that’s not a big deal. Good money, but gotta keep your distance, no face to face meets. Italians get really picky about who’s seen them doing what.
Panel 2. CHARLIE driving the Mercedes, the neighborhood is getting nicer. He’s obviously headed home. Two cars in particular stand out (maybe most of the cars are colored white, tan or grey, very light, and these are bright green and red, or something like that, with flashy rims and chrome, etc.) CHARLES doesn’t comment on them cars, they are there for the reader to notice, he still seems cool.
CHARLIE (CAP):
Don’t like working with a partner, but won’t be the first time. Might be nice to have a good man watching my back, as long as he doesn’t put a knife in it. Plus, partners can be disposed of, if need be.
Panel 3. CHARLIE is now in a very nice residential neighborhood, passing cars parked in driveways and some on the street. None of these stand out.
CHARLES (CAP):
Plus, a gig that’s high Five to low Six figures is just what I might need to get away from Suarez and his Coppertoned goofballs. This drug cartel bullshit is way dicier than any Italian action. And if Maria blabbed about our little early morning delight, I’m liable to be gator food by the time I get…
Panel 4. Charles pulls into a drive way at last. He’s at his house, a white one story ranch, spread out, a smoothly cut lawn.
CHARLES (CAP):
… Home. For a couple more days anyway.
Panel 5 (small inset) CHARLES gets out of the car, heads to the door, under his jacket we can see his shoulder holster for the first time.
CHARLES (CAP):
And it looks like …
Panel 6: (small inset): the door of CHARLES’ house. There’s damage near the handle, clearly its been jimmied.
CHARLES (CAP, OP):
… I’ve got guests.