The Saint of San Alejandro / Skull Pt 2

The Town of San Alejandro is a peaceful and simple town with a deadly secret. As the Lorenzo rivalry with the Sanchez cartel grows, the town is no longer allowed to remain neutral.

AN INTENSE STORM - NIGHT

EXT. SAN ALEJANDRO COURTYARD - CONTINUOUS 

A MAN is running, he is drenched with water and sweat. His feet are splashing as he starts to trip. His breath is eratic and his is the face of a man being chased by Death. 

INT. CHURCH - NIGHT 

A massive old church is filled with conflicting warm lights, and a sullen sense of shadows. A place of warmth and protection from a dark world. PRIEST is lighting a candle, alone in his home as he takes out a book and begins to read. 

EXT. CHURCH - NIGHT 

The MAN is running through the garden, ignoring the paved path as the ominous building looms in front of him. He makes it to the large door and instantly starts pounding. 

INT. CHURCH 

The priest hears the sound and looks on curious. 

EXT. CHURCH 

MAN 

(without a sense of sanity) 

In the name of God! Open the door! 

INT. CHURCH 

The priest, perhaps humble and not one to question an invoking of The Lord gets himself presentable and runs with a worried sense of urgency. 

EXT. CHURCH 

The man perhaps thinking of giving up, rests his body to the door, when the priest opens it. 

PRIEST 

(full of compassion) Yes my son? 

The Man cannot speak. The rain is still pattering against his body and there is a strike of thunder in the back. 

PRIEST (CONT’D)

Come in, come in. 

INT. CHURCH 

They come in together and the priest walks him to a pew, where he sits him down. The priest then runs and gets water and lets him drink some. 

PRIEST 

I have some food if you wish? 

The man shakes off the offer. 

MAN 

I need to make a confession. 

PRIEST 

What is it you wish to confess? 

MAN 

I have led a sinful life. I... am a bad man, and I believe I will die soon. May I make a confession and be free of sin? 

PRIEST 

Why do you beleive you will die soon? 

MAN 

The Saint. He wants me dead. 

PRIEST
The Saint? 

MAN 

Will you let me give my confession? 

The priest puts his hand on the man’s shoulder. 

PRIEST

Then let us come. 

INT. CONFESSIONAL 

The priest and the man sit in their respective rooms. 

MAN 

Forgive me father for I have sinned. I am not much of a believer in God. Does this damn me father?  

PRIEST 

All are welcome in God’s church, and you have sought him out. Of course this does not damn you. 

MAN 

I killed a man along time ago. 

PRIEST

Is this all? 

MAN 

Am I still forgiven? Do you hate me? 

          PRIEST

Jesus died on the cross exactly so we can be saved. The thief, the rapist, the murderer, with an open heart, they are forgiven. 

MAN 

I was there when Pablo Ventura was killed. 

The mood changes. 

PRIEST 

You were? He was not alone? 

MAN

Worse. 

PRIEST

Yes? 

MAN 

He was holding a man at gunpoint.  

We were holding a man at gunpoint. We were trying to rob him. 

PRIEST 

And what is it you hoped to gain? 

MAN 

Money for drugs. But, the Saint killed him for his evil.  

The man breaks down. 

PRIEST

The Saint? 

MAN 

The damn Saint of San Alejandro, he would not allow us to risk his life. And he has seen my face. I am next father! 

PRIEST 

You are forgiven my son, just say one Hail Mary, and sin no more. 

MAN 

(crying) 

But... I do not know it. 

PRIEST 

Repeat after me.  

INT. CHURCH 

We hear the words echo as they say the Hail Mary.  

INT. CONFESSIONAL 

PRIEST 

There is a room in the back. You are welcome to stay the night. The Lord welcomes all. The Saint will not kill you. 

INT. CHURCH 

The man comes out, without fear.  

MAN 

I cannot read sir, but could you teach me the Bible? 

PRIEST

Sit and I shall read. 

The camera zooms out and fades out. 

INT. PRIESTS BED ROOM - MORNING 

A loud knocking wakes the priest up. 

He hurriedly gets proper and opens the door for a teen PAGE (A volunteer who lives in residence). 

PAGE

Father, it is bad. 

INT. CHURCH - MORNING 

The priest is finishing getting ready as he runs. We can hear the sounds of gunfire. 

The Priest has a moment of fear. But he does the sign of the cross, gathers his courage and heads out.  

EXT. CHURCH 

The courtyard is a mess, beyond we see the streets of San  

Alejandro and the people running in fear. There is a jeep with people armed with machine guns firing in the air. 

       PRIEST

   What is this? 

EXT. SANCHEZ MANSION - MOMENTS BEFORE

Establishing shot. 

INT. SANCHEZ MANSION, MAIN OFFICE 

Two thugs are reporting to the boss. 

THUG 1 

The Lorenzo family has engaged the bandits and come out victorious. They won’t have time to redirect their forces. We can take the city now. 

THUG 2 

San Alejandro can finally belong to us in an official capacity. 

SANCHEZ 

Let the Lorenzo family know fear. Make the people break in submission. Let them know that we are their masters.  

THUG 2

Any advice? 

SANCHEZ 

Make an example of some of those. That will whip them into shape. 

EXT. SAN ALEJANDRO MAIN STREET - DAY 

Two people are shackled, beaten, and thrown to the floor. 

A man with shades, a dusty hat, and a massive gun walks through the street after getting off his jeep. He is a SANCHEZ ENFORCER and leader of this particular band.  

SANCHEZ ENFORCER

People of San Alejandro! The people of the Lorenzo family have forgotten you. They will not be here to be your protection. As of now, you are people of the Sanchez clan. And we will have our payment, plus back pay.  

EXT. SAN ALEJANDRO STREETS 

As he says this, thugs raid the businesses. 

INT. BAR 

A group of thugs hold the bartender up. And steal a bunch of his supply. 

EXT. SAN ALEJANDRO MAIN STREET 

The people are gathering. 

SANCHEZ ENFORCER

Now. I heard that some of my nice dealers have been disappearing in this town? Is this correct?

He fires a volley of a segment of the peoples head. 

SANCHEZ ENFORCER (CONT’D)

You have killed my brothers and yet we are nice enough to honor you with our protection, and our business. This is going to stop. From now on, when you see our supliers, you are to treat them like f*****g gods! 

EXT. ROOFTOP OF BUILDING 

We do an establishing view of our hero, YOUNG Predator, in a

cloaked blur.  

PREDATOR MASK VIEW 

We are seeing what the feedback is giving him, he is clearly scowling if we can understand anything. The input is giving up the stats of armed guards and such.  

EXT. SAN ALEJANDRO MAIN STREET 

The thugs grab the two tied up prisoners. 

SANCHEZ ENFORCER 

Being that we are forgiving people. We will take our cut in blood for the loss of our brethren.  

Priest runs through the crowd. 

              PRIEST

               Stop!

 

EXT. ROOFTOP OF BUILDING 

The creature looks with curiosity at the priest. 

EXT. SAN ALEJANDRO MAIN STREET 

PRIEST 

This town is neutral. We welcome all. There is no need to bring in guns. If you wish for money, we are a poor people but please, let these men go. 

A thug runs up to the priest and back hands him. As the priest gets up, the thug points his gun. 

The enforcer signals for him to lower his gun.  

PRIEST (CONT’D) 

I ask you leave the good people of San Alejandro alone. We live, we breath, we die. We have no wish to interfere in your life, or the life of the Sanchez Cartel. 

SANCHEZ ENFORCER

You should have thought about that before you decided to baptize the Lorenzo brat. You pay them protection. That is an act of war! 

PRIEST 

They stay out, and they patrol the lands for bandits. It is an agreement that costs us very little and has no consequence.

 

The enforcer signals for one of the thugs. 

The thug randomly executes one of the two hostages. 

The priest’s eyes go wide. 

The priest rests his head on the floor, the dirt getting in his hair as tears fall from his eyes. 

SANCHEZ ENFORCER

Bring the other one. 

They grab the surviving victim. 

The priest makes eye contact. 

PRIEST 

No. Please. Not him. 

The man tied up is trying to say something through his gag. 

PRIEST (CONT’D)

You have made your point. Please leave him be. 

The MAN from the Church scene runs towards the front of the line. The one person who treated him with kidness and respect, was being mocked and ridiculed in front of him. He is clenching his fist, unable to find the words to say. 

The EXECUTIONER thug unwraps the bounded GUY.  

EXECUTIONER 

What do you have to say? 

GUY 

Please. I... don’t want to die. Don’t kill me. 

PRIEST 

In the name of God. I tell you, do not kill him.  

EXECUTIONER

God? 

PRIEST 

His love is immense, please go and he will forgive you? 

SANCHEZ ENFORCER

Do you beleive this guy? 

EXECUTIONER 

Pray father. Pray. And maybe God will save this man? 

TOWNSPERSON 

(from the audience) Please dont.

At once all the people start chiming to let the man go. 

EXECUTIONER

Shall I? 

SANCHEZ ENFORCER

I am sure God will stop this bullet. 

GUY 

(making eye contact, full of fear) 

Please father save me? 

PRIEST 

Our father who art... 

Gunshot. 

INT. CHURCH - YEARS AGO IN FLASH BACK 

The Priest is a young man. In his hands is a baby.  

PRIEST 

I baptize thee in the name of the father, the son, and the holy spirit.  

The baby is smiling. 

EXT. SAN ALEJANDRO MAIN STREET 

The father looks wide eyes, the words not able to come out of his mouth as the child he baptized falls dead in front of him. His light gone.  

SANCHEZ ENFORCER 

(to the people) Next time, we will not be so merciful. If you do not pay us the agreed price, and if you do not allow our suppliers in your street. SAN ALEJANDRO will burn. 

WOMAN 

(in the crowd) 

The Saint will protect us. 

EXECUTIONER

What was that? 

There is a murmer among the crowd, beleivers in The Saint. 

SANCHEZ ENFORCER

The Saint of San Alejandro will protect you? 

EXECUTIONER

Want me to kill her? 

SANCHEZ ENFORCER 

There is no Saint of San Alejandro. 

WOMAN 

(bold in beleif) 

I curse you in the name of the Saint. Next time you come, he will strike you down. 

The Enforcer walks up to the woman. 

SANCHEZ ENFORCER

Next time I come, I will kill you personally. God could not stop a bullet, what makes you think a lesser saint will stop me? 

He signals for everyone to go.  

The thugs get up and start to leave. Leaving the priest with the dead boy. 

EXT. ROOFTOP OF BUILDING 

The Predator watches them leave. He then disappears as if he teleported. 

EXT. SAN ALEJANDRO MAIN STREET 

The Man walks up to the priest. 

PRIEST 

I... I baptized him into this world. 

MAN

Father.  

PRIEST

I... 

MAN 

He watches over us no? 

PRIEST

He does.  

MAN 

Stand up father.  

PRIEST 

God and his chosen saint will protect us. 

The father skulks leaning on the mans shoulder. As we zoom out.

Author's Note

Hope you guys enjoy as we have finished establishing the world of Act 1. Feedback and Criticisms are welcome. On a personal note, I am hoping the Padres story arch through this act is done to its maximum effect. In the next segment, we will go back to Cesar and his run in with the OTHER predator.