Scene XVll

EXT. HISPANIC NEIGHBORHOOD - NIGHT

Onlookers leer at them driving by.

FREDDY
Right here.

Mick pulls up onto an empty lot. They exit the car and head
toward a three-flat tenement building.
Freddy hands a young Hispanic boy a bill and points to their
car.

FREDDY
Here to see Manuel.

Hispanic boy nods.

FREDDY
Watch the car, amigo.
They walk up a short stoop into an apartment building.

INT. APARTMENT BUILDING - NIGHT

People in work clothes give the three of them very strange
looks. Freddy leads them down a hallway to a door.

INT. SMALL ROOM

They enter a room with no windows.
Freddy taps his foot on the rug on the floor. Roxanne and
Mick look around the room befuddled.
Suddenly...

LADDER GUY
Hola!

The floor baseboard opens up to the cellar and a ladder comes
sticking up out of the floor. A small, Hispanic LADDER GUY
with a wrench in his hand, climbs up the ladder and peeks his
head out.

FREDDY
(pointing to himself)
Amigo of Manuel.

LADDER GUY
Ven! Ven!

The ladder guy waves his hand "come on down" and climbs down
the ladder into the cellar.

ROXANNE
(whispers to Freddy)
Why does he have a wrench in his
hand?

FREDDY
(whispering back)
Because if you don’t pay up before
you leave, he can crack your head
open with it.

Mick, Roxanne and Freddy climb down the ladder into the
basement.
There are no windows, a dirt floor, a stack of hubcaps on the
back wall, and two pool tables.

ROXANNE
(whispering)
Do you speak Spanish?

FREDDY
About three words. Don’t need it.

Freddy flashes a bankroll over to MANUEL who is a middle-aged
businessman type, sitting in the corner behind an old desk.
Ladder guy removes the ladder from the kitchen floor, closes
the baseboard, and sets the ladder against the wall.

ROXANNE
Do they have any money?

FREDDY
Sure they got money.

Manuel begins counting large bills.
Freddy points to the back of the basement which is an
underground garage filled with hubcaps.

A "customer" gives Manuel several hundred dollar bills and
Manuel hands him a set of hub caps.

ROXANNE
Five hundred for a set of used hub
caps?

FREDDY
Well those caps as they say, are
"built for speed."

The customer opens a hubcap and inspects a bag of pills. He
pops several in his mouth, closes the bag, puts it back
inside the hubcap and leaves.

EXT. STREET IN FRONT OF "GARAGE" - NIGHT

The customer goes to his car puts the hubcaps on the wheels
and drives off.

BACK INSIDE

At the pool table a YOUNG HISPANIC MAN constantly shouts
"Cocksucker" over and over in between bouts of Spanish. He
speaks "C.S." in good and bad emphasis. He makes a pool shot
and takes a large wad of cash from the table.

MICK
I’m not sure about this.

FREDDY
You’ll be fine, Mick. You just got
a case of the "High Speed Wobbles."

There is a loud scratching noise coming from above. It can
be heard even over the radio that is playing Spanish music.

MICK
What’s that noise?

FREDDY
Don’t ask.

Noise overhead gets even louder. Dirt falls on their
shoulders.

ROXANNE
Freddy, what the fuck is that
noise!?

FREDDY
-- Rats. Think of that ceiling as
the Autobahn of the rodent world.

Roxanne and Mick cringe, and look up and see big ceiling
water pipes that the rats run across.

FREDDY
Come on, it's time you guys met the
houseman.

Manuel gets out of his chair and meets them halfway.

MANUEL
Freddy, why you bring a broad down
here? What are you, crazy?

FREDDY
Manny, she’s not any broad, she’s a
backer from California. Ran with
Hippie Jesse. They just got in
town today and I promised I’d show
her fille some action. How about
some Nine-Ball?

ROXANNE
(look of incomprehension)
Nine-Ball?

Manuel nods an okay, and motions for the Hispanic player to
come over.

Roxanne, Freddy, and Manuel watch as a session begins.

Roxanne looks hesitant.

Mick is sweating.

MONTAGE OF MICK BEING POUNDED ON

-- Mick misses frequently and appears to be struggling.
-- Ca’Sucker has a few big runs and Mick racks the
balls over and over again.

BACK TO SCENE

ROXANNE
He’s getting murdered. Why did you
do this?

FREDDY
Now tell Manuel you want to play
One-Pocket.

ROXANNE
One-Pocket?

Roxanne gets up and signals to Manuel.

ROXANNE
Manuel, this kid is too good for
us. If he’ll play Mick some One-
Pocket, we’ll keep playing;
otherwise we're going to quit.

Manuel nods to Ca’Sucker slightly smirking. He will play
Mick anything because he is shooting good and winning.

Roxanne walks over to Mick.

MICK
Why’d you make me play Nine-Ball?
This guy owns that game.

ROXANNE
It's okay. We’re going to play him
One-Pocket and we’re going to raise
the stakes. Freddy’s plan all
along. Now just get in there and
get the cheese.

Roxanne and Mick smile. She holds his hand for a second in
secret.

MONTAGE OF THE TIDE TURNING FOR MICK

-- Ca’Sucker keeps drinking the coffee and chain smoking
cigarettes.
-- Mick wins over and over again.
-- In between, a giant rat falls off a pipe from above,
messing the setting of the balls.
-- Ca’Sucker is grumpy and angry.
-- Roxanne and Mick win a few thousand.
-- Roxanne is paid off by Manuel. Manuel’s crony with the
wrench looks to Manuel as to whether or not to let them
leave. Manuel nods them a pass and they climb up the
ladder and out.

INT. CAR (MOVING) - MOMENTS LATER

ROXANNE
Freddy, you want to tell me what
actually happened in there?

FREDDY
Sure. We let Ca’Sucker feel good
about beating Mick at Nine-Ball.
Meantime, he downed about five
Cuban coffees and a handful of
speed pills. Nine-Ball’s a game of
pep and energy, but it's not the
way to win at One-Pocket. One-
Pocket’s precision, strategy and
patience -- like the difference
between checkers and chess. I knew
Mick would torture Ca’Sucker
playing One-Pocket.

ROXANNE
(to Freddy)
Well, here’s where we part company
again. We’re going to head back
South to work off this bankroll...
maybe pump it up and head to Vegas
for the big Stardust Tournament.

There is an almost imperceptible pause as Roxanne gazes at
Freddy.

FREDDY
Just be careful on the road. Jesse
thinks you two made him look
foolish. You know how dangerous he
can be.

ROXANNE
We’ll be careful... It really has
been great seeing you again.

Roxanne plants a sisterly kiss on Freddy’s cheek.

FREDDY
(waving goodbye)
‘Til we meet again.
Don’t forget -- get paid after
every game, don’t sleep any
scratches, and may you never need
to use the rope.

ROXANNE
Don’t worry, the next time you see
us, we’ll be living high and
driving brand new wheels.
continued....