Stakeout

A story about two detectives who uncover layers of truth.

Stakeout By

Story by Robert McTyre Jr and Co-written by Diona Smiley

  Short story

MCTYRE ENTERTAINMENT [email protected]

INT. ROOM - DAY

Two men with binoculars are monitoring the events outside.
One man is drinking coffee and twirling an ink pen in his
fingers.

                    BRYCE
          Come on you b*****d do something

          interesting!

                    PIERCE
          There’s a black SUV pulling

          up.  Isn’t that your informant?

                    BRYCE
          Yes it is and right on time too.

                    PIERCE
          Looks like the packages are moving.

                    BRYCE
          Three suitcases this time,

          interesting, last time there were
          two.

                    PIERCE
          Sounds like they got more weight.

                    BRYCE
          He’s getting confident.

                    PIERCE
          And it means he doesn’t think he’s

          being watched.

                    BRYCE
          Who do you think his supplier is?

                    PIERCE
          Your guess is as good as mine.  Are

          you sure your informant can be
          trusted?

                    BRYCE
          He hasn’t let me down yet.

                    PIERCE
          The operative word is yet, you

          don’t know when he’ll turn around
          and bite you in the a*s.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

2.

          PIERCE
This cop I knew years ago was set

up by his informant.  So be careful
because these snakes will strike
without warning.

          BRYCE
I appreciate the advice you could

have a little more confidence in my
detective skills old man.

          PIERCE
I’m just looking out for you. I

know you didn’t get to where you
are without hard work.  And I may
have pulled a string or two just
kidding! You’ve worked hard

and  made your mom and I proud.

          BRYCE
Thanks.  I’ve learned from the

best!

          PIERCE
So have you thought about it?

BRYCE

What???

          BRYCE
Are you still on that?  You really

want me to take a desk job?

          PIERCE
More like a safe job not a desk

job, just saying these streets are
dangerous.

          BRYCE
I’m well aware of the dangers.  Dad

I’ve been doing this for years.

          PIERCE
Look you have a lot going for you,

your smart.  Find someone a nice
Catholic girl, settle down make me
some grand kids, and retire.

          BRYCE
That sounds boring as hell!  I’m

enjoying my life.  I got plenty of
time for that.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

3.

                    PIERCE
          I’ve seen lots of potential get cut

          down prematurely in these streets,
          trust me being a hero cop is
          overrated.  Big time!

Detective Bryce’s cell phone rings.

                    BRYCE
          Did you drop the packages off?

                    BRYCE
          Good, you did real good, when are

          you coming back this way?

Pierce is using hand gestures to indicate that’s a terrible
idea.

                    BRYCE
          So we can do that thing we talked

about.

                    BRYCE
          Hey that’s part of the deal, I

          don’t care what you want a  deal is
          a deal!

                    BRYCE
          We’ll talk about it later.

                    BRYCE
          In order to convict Catfish we need

          solid evidence.

                    BRYCE
          Good, see you later.

                    PIERCE
          What the hell is wrong with you!

                    PIERCE
          Do you want to get your informant

killed?

                    BRYCE
          We need evidence.  Besides he’s

          street smart.  He could get it for
          us.

                    PIERCE
          If one of Catfish’s lookouts spot

          him it’s over.  That’s too much of
          a risk.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

4.

          PIERCE
You got a lot to learn son.  You

need to be behind a desk instead of
here.

          BRYCE
Dad are you gonna be a worry wart

all night?

          PIERCE
I’m not going to say

anything.  I’ve been a  cop for
twenty-five years and don’t know a
thing.

          PIERCE
The longer you stay on this job

you’ll find there are shades of
gray.

          BRYCE
You ever take a bribe?

PIERCE

No. Why?

          BRYCE
Ever been tempted?

Who hasn’t been tempted?  At the
end of the day you gotta be true to
yourself.

          BRYCE
They really don’t pay us enough for

this, most of these dealers are
living better than we are or ever
could.

          PIERCE
I agree, most of the guys on the

force bust these guys outta spite.

          BRYCE
Jealousy is real.  I have to admit

when I was in the evidence room and
seen that pile of cash on the table
my palms got itchy but I remembered
how much I’d be letting a whole lot
of people down if I did...
including you.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

5.

          PIERCE
It’s best not to travel down that

road, I’ve seen guys on the force
stealing from the evidence
locker.  There’s always that one
time when they get too confident
and forget to cover their tracks
and end up locked up.

          BRYCE
I’ve heard.

          PIERCE
I knew a guy who had a wife and

kids he wasn’t far from retirement
when he went down for that.

          PIERCE
His Achilles heel was money!  He

got greedy.

          PIERCE
Perkins was his name, he became a

blip on the internal affairs radar
when he started stealing larger
sums of money from the evidence
room.

          BRYCE
I remember that.

          BRYCE
At one time I felt like it was

easier to steal money from the
evidence room than to borrow it
from you.

          PIERCE
Do you need to borrow more cash?

          BRYCE
I kinda do but I’ll deal with it.

          PIERCE
You’ll deal with it?  What do you

need money for?

          BRYCE
I got some bills I need to take

care of.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

6.

          PIERCE
Are you gambling again?

          BRYCE
What makes you think that?

          PIERCE
Don’t bullshit me son! You haven’t

answered my question.  What do you
really need it for?

          BRYCE
Like I said I need to pay off some

bills I’m a little late and I don’t
wanna get a cash advance.

          PIERCE
Back to my question what are you

spending your money on?
          PIERCE

Drugs?
No!
Prostitutes?

A lot!
How much?

BRYCE PIERCE

BRYCE
PIERCE
BRYCE

Hell no!  In case your blind I’m
pretty good looking.  I don’t have
a problem getting women.

          PIERCE
What is it then?

          BRYCE
I gotta pay my bookie.

          PIERCE
You’re shitting me!

          PIERCE
How much are you in for?

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

7.

          BRYCE
Over ten.

          PIERCE
How much over Bryce?

PIERCE

Thirty?

          PIERCE
A hundred?

Hell no!
Sixty.
Sixty!!

BRYCE
BRYCE
PIERCE
BRYCE

          More like sixty-five.
Pierce rubs his forehead.

                    PIERCE
          You’re getting too old for this

s**t!

                    BRYCE
          It just got outta hand before I

knew it.

                    PIERCE
          How the f**k do you say it got

          outta hand before you knew
          it.  It’s sixty five thousand
          dollars!  Goddamn!

                    BRYCE
          Yeah that’s why why the Bookie is

          on my head.  He doesn’t care if I’m
          a cop, he knows where I live and
          everything.

Bryce’s cell phone rings.

                    BRYCE
          What’s going on?  Your on your way

          now?  When you get to the door call
          me and I’ll let you in.

Bryce hangs up.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

8.

                    BRYCE
          Adric is on his way up.

INT. ROOM - DAY
Bryce and Pierce are talking to a Jamaican man.

                    BRYCE
          Adric I’m glad you made it have a

          seat.  This is detective Pierce and
          we have a proposition for you.

                    ADRIC
          Me not going back to jail!

                    BRYCE
          I like that.

                    PIERCE
          What can you tell us about Catfish?

                    BRYCE
          Isn’t he the one in charge?

                    ADRIC
          Catfish merely one man inna very

          lang chain di Catfish more of a
          connect feel mi?

                    BRYCE
          Who is the next guy in the chain?

                    ADRIC
          Mi nuh kno an mi hear ita uhman.

                    BRYCE
          A woman is running the

          organization?

                    ADRIC
          That’s what I heard.

                    BRYCE
          This Catfish guy who is he?  What’s

          his real name?

                    ADRIC
          Mi ask once an nobody neva give mi

an answa.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

9.

          PIERCE
He’s smart he doesn’t let anybody

get close to him.

          ADRIC
Catfish owns a submarine an him

uses it to transport fi him
narcotics.

          BRYCE
Do you know the dock?

ADRIC

No.

          BRYCE
 What do you do for him?

          ADRIC
Mi move a package from point a to

point b an mi nuh aks any
questions.

          BRYCE
You got anything else?

BRYCE

Yes.

          ADRIC
Yuh may nuh kno dis but Catfish

once catch one of fi him dealas
stealing from him an yuh know wah
him did di man?

BRYCE

What?

          ADRIC
Him cut both fi him hands off an

watch him bleed to death dat di
kinda man him an mi fi one wud like
fi kip mi hands.

          ADRIC
But mi find out sum information pon

a rat inna yuh own police
department mi nuh kno who but mi
contact a guh and he let mi know
who it is Catfish paying yuh guys
off.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

10.

                    BRYCE
          One of our own is helping Catfish

          sale drugs?
                    ADRIC

Yes.

                    ADRIC
          Dat is how him able to move suh

          much weigh.  Him paying a s**t load
          of funds to continue to operate.

 A microphone taped to Adric’s body.

                    BRYCE
          Lets hear how it sounds.

                    ADRIC
               (Thick Jamaican accent)

          Bumboclot testing?

                    BRYCE
          Sounds good.

                    ADRIC
          Suh wah mi doing?  Dis mudda f****r

          wi kill mi eff mi caught!

                    BRYCE
          Don’s worry about it we have you

          covered if anything happens we’ll
          bust in.

                    PIERCE
          Before you go Catfish ordered the

          murder of some important people do
          you know who pulled the trigger?

                    ADRIC
          Mi nuh kno who di killa

                    PIERCE
          Can you talk to him get him to talk

about it?

                    ADRIC
          Mi wi try but mi mek no promise.

Adric and Bryce shack hands and he leaves the room Bryce and
Pierce continue monitoring Catfish’s house.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

11.

                    BRYCE
          This is huge do you realize we can

          expose an entire network of dirty
          cops?

                    BRYCE
          Don’t look so excited this will be

huge for us.

                    PIERCE
          I need to make a quick phone call.

Bryce grabs an earpiece and a pair of binoculars.  Adric
approaches the front door and knocks... knocks then suddenly
the door opens and someone points a gun at him and pulls him
inside.  We hear six gunshots stunned Bryce removes his
headphones.

                    BRYCE
          They just killed my informant!

                    PIERCE
               (Acting surprised)

          What the f**k?

                    PIERCE
          I told you not to send him in there

          but you think you know everything!

                    BRYCE
          Not now.  My informant just got

          killed.  Let me see your phone.
                    PIERCE

Why?

                    BRYCE
          My battery died and I need to make

          a f*****g phone call.
Pierce is silent.

Pierce hands Bryce his cell phone.  Bryce looks at the
outgoing calls then looks at his dad and is shocked by the
realization that he’s the rat.  Pierce looks at Bryce with a
yeah so what look in his eyes.

                    BRYCE
          There’s a call to Catfish.

                    PIERCE
          There are some things about police

          work that you don’t understand.

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED: 12.

Bryce puts his hand on his gun but can’t bring himself to
draw it out of the holster.

                    PIERCE
          Are you really going to take your

own dad in?

Bryce paces the room not sure how to process this
revelation.

                    BRYCE
          How long?

Pierce doesn’t know how to answer his son feeling like a
fallen superhero.

                    PIERCE
          Longer than you’ll want to know.

                    BRYCE
          Why are you always making my life

          difficult.  You sat there and let
          me talk about living up to your
          standards and you were dirty all
          along.

                    PIERCE
          I have honor just not the type of

          honor you’d understand.

                    PIERCE
          You wanna be a good cop then be a

          good cop.  It’s up to you but that
          wasn’t working for me.

                    BRYCE
          Who else knows?

                    PIERCE
          I don’t know who’s trying to rat me

out.

                    PIERCE
          This world is out to f**k you

          son.  You need to treat it like the
          dirty w***e that it is and pimp it
          for all it’s worth before you kill
          over.  Trust me.

                    BRYCE
          So now what do I do should I arrest

          Catfish on murder charges, but if I
          arrest him he’ll tell the

(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

CONTINUED:

13.

                    BRYCE (cont’d)
          prosecution that he was working

          with you and you’ll go down too.

                    BRYCE
          Or he could die in our

          custody.  Suspect was resisting
          arrest and detectives Bryce and
          Pierce had no choice but to use
          deadly force.

EXT. CATFISH’S HOUSE - NIGHT

Bryce and Pierce load guns. They walk up to Catfish’s drug
house kick the door in and murder everyone in the house.

INT. CATFISH’S HOUSE - NIGHT

Bryce and Pierce walk past Adric’s body and approaches
Catfish’s room where a gunshot tears right through the
door.  Pierce signals to Bryce and he kicks the door in and
they kill Catfish and his naked girlfriend in a hail of
bullets.

INT. CATFISH’S BEDROOM

Pierce gets the money and drug stash.  He grabs a brick of
money and tosses it to Bryce.

                    PIERCE
          Here pay your bookie.

INT. INTERROGATION ROOM POLICE STATION - DAY
Bryce is making an official report to his supervisor.

                    SGT. DAVE
          Our investigation is complete , do

          you have anything you want to add
          to the official report?

                    BRYCE
Sergent Dave closes the file and shakes Bryce’s hand.

No sir.

INT. POLICE OFFICE

Bryce is treated like a hero alongside his father as the
entire department applauds both of them for their heroic
efforts.

FADE OUT