Snatched

by Peter Ackers

BACK TO SCENE

  NICK

  How is he paying you? Where’s the money? How are you getting it? Is he bringing it to you?

  (beat)

  No, he’s not. You said you’d collect it when you got up. So the money is sitting waiting. Get that blood money at your leisure, won’t you? When you drag your space-wasting behind out of bed. So the money is dropped off and waiting. Where?

  No answer. Nick revs the engine, but then lets the engine idle as he looks at the ground, at the items Doki laid on the ground. He drops Doki’s phone on the ground and points.

  nick

  That yellow thing. Pass it to me.

  Doki is quick with this, very quick. Suspiciously quick. Nick takes the item.

  close up:

  yellow gas cupboard key

  Nick looks at it in his fingers. It’s a universal key used for opening cupboards containing gas meters. It has a small key welded to the top, so there’s a key at each end. And there’s a postcode gouged into the plastic.

  doki

  That’s nothing. For my house. I got a gas reading today, forgot to put the key back.

  nick

  For a guy so frugal with answers, suddenly you’re spinning me a lecture about this key.

  Nick puts the key in his pocket. Doki suddenly goes wild.

  doki

  Hey, you fucker, let me go. I’ll kill you. I know people. You better move to Mars. I’ll have your fucking head cut off.

  nick

  Relax. I want to check your gas meter. I’m concerned you’re paying too much.

  doki

  You don’t know what I’m capable of, you fucker.

  Anger seems to explode in Nick. He yanks the throttle, no brake, and the back wheel grates rubber onto the concrete as the bike tries to thrust forward. Doki screams at the force of the machine bearing down on his chest.

  nick (shouting)

  Maybe you don’t know what I’m capable of, you piece of shit. Maybe you better move to Mars, if my son has been hurt in any way.

  Nick spits on Doki after this uncharacteristic burst of rage. Are we seeing a transition here in Nick?

  doki(in pain)

  Fucking do it, then. You ain’t got the balls. I’ll fucking cut yours off!

  Nick screws his face in rage. He wants to do it, to crush the life out of this man, but then he relents and eases off the revs. He can’t hurt this guy. It isn’t in him.

  nick

  Please. He’s a baby. What do you want from me?

  Just then the Shopkeeper appears.

  shopkeeper

  What’s all the noise round here? What’s going on?

  Nick pulls another wheelie on the bike, the front wheel raking over Doki’s shoulder, turns, and races away into the street, and Doki, quickly to his feet and full of anger, throws CURSES after him. And then he grabs up his phone off the ground and dials.

  shopkeeper

  What are you two playing at?

  Doki grabs the guy.

  doki

  Your CCTV. That guy took his helmet off in the shop. Let’s go.

  (into phone)

  Hey, it’s me. I need a favour.

  He roughly escorts the Shopkeeper through the door of the shop.

  EXT. industrial complex - NIGHT

  Nick’s bike pulls up. We’re on a dark road overshadowed by buildings. A scary area at night. Nick is parked before a pair of heavy gates. The building beyond is old, unused, windows broken, weeds growing through cracks in the ground. He turns off his Sat Nav, which seems to have guided him once again.

  He puts his helmet on the bike seat and approaches the gate. As he does this, he puts Doki’s watch on his wrist. The gate is locked by a chain and padlock. He tries the metal key attached to the gas cupboard key. No joy. He starts to climb.

  He drops down again as he hears a CAR COMING. It draws close. Nick goes to his bike, climbs on, fiddles with the Sat Nav, throwing glances up as the car approaches. He looks like he’s trying to pretend he’s not up to no good.

  The car slows, parks on the other side, right across from him. It’s a taxi. A magnetic sign on the door reads: “ELITE TAXIS.” Now Nick is intrigued, because we see that the TAXI DRIVER is looking at him.

  The Taxi Driver exits his vehicle. And he’s carrying a long metal steering lock. He approaches Nick, brandishing it.

  taxi driver

  You’re coming with me, mate. Someone not too happy with you wants a word.

  Dark industrial estate, a stranger brandishing a weapon. Nick should be scared, but he’s not.

  nick

  Doki. That was quick. But then he knew where I was headed.

  taxi driver

  Don’t make this hard, mate. Get off the bike.

  nick

  Hard? You worried about having a hard night? Poor fucking you.

  The man’s coming at him with a big metal weapon, but Nick just looks angry. He looks at the helmet in his hand. That hand starts to shake.

  When the guy is a few feet away, he stops. His mouth opens to speak. It takes Nick half a second to whip up his helmet and slam it hard into that open mouth. The Taxi Driver falls on his ass, weapon dropped, both hands clutching his bleeding mouth. Nick leaps off the bike, stands over the man.

  nick

  You know where my son is?

  The guys looks shocked. Puzzled. It’s enough for Nick.

  The guy scrambles away. Nick follows, not threatening. Just urging. He shadows the guy until he’s in his car and its screeching away.

  Nick looks at the helmet in his hand, a smear of blood on it. And drops it, shivering. The full realisation hits him: he just assaulted a stranger.

  EXT. building grounds - NIGHT

  A long, flat expanse of concrete. Nick walks, full of caution. It’s dark and open and empty and the sort of place you might expect unsavoury people to lurk. Maybe men and forklifts moved across this area way back, but only weeds and vermin frequent this place now.

  LATER

  Nick approaches a stone hut set against one of the buildings, like an added piece, an extension. There’s a metal door and a padlock secures a hasp. He tries the key. The lock clicks open.

  INT/ext. power hut - NIght

  VERY DARK. Nick leaves the door wide to allow light in, but it’s meagre. There’s machinery in here, pipes and things, all silent and dead. And debris all over the floor.

  Nick walks through slowly, feeling his way. He comes across a white box on a wall and feels with the key for the keyhole. Eventually he gets it open. The gas cupboard. He roots inside. Finds something. A paper bag, folded shut and stuck down. He breaks the seal and reaches inside, pulling out crumpled paper, dropping it on the ground.

  Nick exits the hut, holding what he’s found, and now he’s got light, he peers into the bag, reaches in and pulls out a bit of paper.

  close up:

  crumpled £10 note.

  Nick rushes back into the hut.

  VERY DARK. We make out Nick on the floor on his knees, scrabbling on the floor, scooping up the paper he dropped, now that he knows it wasn’t padding but lots of money. He’s thrusting what he finds in the bag.

  Nick exits the hut and drops to his knees again. He empties the bag of money onto the concrete, starts flattening the notes, stacking them.

  LATER

  The notes are stacked on the ground in front of him. Two stacks. Nick presses them flat, and then emotion overcomes him. He cries.

  nick

  Five thousand. I would have paid five thousand to avoid this. Jesus.

  He regains control. Now he looks angry. He wraps the notes tightly in the bag and reseals it.

  And then he seems to notice something.

  close up:

  bag

  The two halves of the torn seal are misaligned. Nick’s hands move them into alignment.

  The seal is a small, round sticker with a symbol on it, like a logo, an emblem. Colourful meshed letters reading “P&BK.”

  B
ACK TO SCENE

  Nick looks intrigued by this logo.

  nick

  I’ve seen this. I. . .

  He gives up thinking. He leans back against the wall of the hut. He jams the bag into a long pocket in the thigh of his trousers, zips it. And puts his head in his hands, like a man giving up.

  nick (singing)

  It’s got a cute nose and big round eyes; it’s created excitement you can’t disguise; it’s a wonderful baby from a perfect pair, and that’s reason enough for a great fanfare. You make us dance all day, dance-

  He stops, eyes snapping open. He jumps to his feet. And then he’s running.

  dissolve to:

  insert:

  WINDOW

  The word “Dance” is stencilled on the glass.

  PULL BACK TO REVEAL:

  EXT. DANCE STUDIO - NIGHT

  The word “Dance” is part of a name on the glass in a door. Some dance studio, this. The dance studio is one of a number of businesses in a long single-storey building.

  A window beside the door has blinds pulled but there’s LIGHT beyond. And faint MUSIC. Nick tries the door and it opens.

  INT. dance studio - NIGHT

  A wide space. There are FIVE DANCERS here, all adults, working to the music. They are being led by DIANE, who turns to the door as a BELL RINGS when Nick opens it. He tries to conceal the handcuffs on his wrists.

  diane

  Nick. Hey. You’re here late. No problem, is there?

  Nick glances up. A clock on the wall tells us it’s 03.52. Yep, that’s late. Or early.

  nick

  Early actually. No, no problem. Gotta open the museum a bit earlier today. Deliveries. Thought I’d drop by.

  They hug. Old friends.

  nick (cont.)

  Anyway, I should say the same. A good turn out for such a time.

  diane

  Last minute rehearsal. Two couples off on holiday tomorrow. Or today. Anyway, what can I do for you? Anything you need help with?

  Nick seems to consider this. A helping hand would be good. But he makes his decision.

  nick

  No, I just need Wendy’s office for a mo.

  She looks at his biker gear.

  diane (cont.)

  Thought Wendy outlawed bikes when Joseph was born?

  nick

  Actually, was my choice. Anyway, Wendy sent me by. I really need to get in her office.

  diane

  Oh, okay. You know where it is. Sure I can’t help?

  nick

  Don’t want to trouble you. I’ll be five minutes.

  diane

  Anyway, how’s mother and baby?

  nick

  Good. Look, chat in a min. Let me go sort this thing.

  Diane

  I’ll be right here.

  INT. dance studio, office - NIGHT

  Small, cluttered. Posters on the walls, boxes of stuff in corners, and a small desk, also cluttered. Nick enters and closes the door and stands there, looking like he’s not sure what to do next. On the door behind him is a large poster, but he hasn’t seen it.

  He goes to the desk, has a brief route through the stuff there. Sits in the chair, opens the drawers. Pulls out a box that says “MEMBERSHIPS” on it. Then he looks up and seems to see something. He gets up.

  close up:

  P&BK LOGO.

  The same logo from the bag.

  PULL BACK TO REVEAL:

  The poster on the door. It’s advertising some street dance show. Eight or nine groups and characters. And the P&BK logo is under a picture of two young men wearing hip-hop gear, with caps and medallions, caught in some dance move for the camera.

  Nick stares. Two guys. They look more like wannabe hip-hop stars than baby kidnappers. Nick pulls the bag, to be sure.

  COMPARE THE LOGOS

  It’s the same mark. A signature. Nick steps closer, so his face is inches away from the faces of P&BK. He SPITS on the paper faces.

  Putting the bag back in his thigh pocket, he goes back to the desk, to the memberships file.

  close up:

  Nick’s fingers are flicking through. He’s at K. Finds Patrick Kang. The next card is Louise Kelly. He moves on. Nicola Kelly. Next, Bart Kielty, and after that, Peter Kielty.

  Bart and Peter Kielty? Nick takes both cards. Puts them side-by-side. A PK and a BK. Birthdates are the same, as is the address.

  END CU.

  Nick flops in the chair.

  nick

  So you know my wife, you bastards.

  Nick takes a pen and writes the postcode on his wrist, above the handcuff.

  He walks towards the poster again.

  nick

  So what is it, blackmail? Revenge for something?

  Nick tears the poster down.

  INT. dance studio - NIGHT

  Nick exits the office, waves over Diane when she looks round. She approaches

  nick

  Wendy cancel anyone’s membership recently?

  diane

  No, why?

  nick

  Any problems with anyone? Any arguments? This place had any threats on it?

  diane

  No, not that I’m aware of. Why? What’s wrong? It didn’t seem right, you turning up at this time, looking worried. What’s happening, Nick?

  Nick looks like he’s about to spill the beans. Then he heads for the door.

  nick

  Nothing’s happening, Diane. Don’t worry. See you later.

  EXT. dance studio - NIGHT

  Nick’s astride the bike, typing into the Sat Nav.

  nick

  Four miles. Fuckers are right on my doorstep.

  EXT. flats - NIGHT

  A three-floor block of flats. There’s fencing out front because the builders are messing with this place. But of course they aren’t here at such a time. Just their stuff. Nick is astride his bike in a small car park, watching the place.

  He gets off his bike, removes his helmet.

  EXT. flats, entrance - NIGHT

  A thick security door with an intercom and a slot for a card. A residents’ card that Nick doesn’t have. He tries the door anyway, but it’s locked.

  EXT. FLATS - NIGHT

  Nick climbs the fence, leaps over. He looks around for something on the ground and finds a pair of scaffolding joint clamps. He tests his fingers through them, wearing them like knuckle dusters. They’ll do.

  Nick rushes across to a pallet of bricks, and uses that to leap and grab the lip of the first-floor walkway, first tossing up the joint clamps. He climbs up and over the railing, onto the walkway.

  Nick approaches a door. It’s made of thin wood and has a big pebbled-glass window. He dons his new makeshift metal boxing gloves, assumes a fighter’s stance, ready for action, and knocks on the door.

  No answer.

  He kicks the door handle and the door easily cracks open, loudly. Nick ducks to the side, ready with his weapons. But no one comes rushing out. Nick tosses aside the joint clamps and moves inside the flat.

  INT. flat 5, HALLWAY - NIGHT

  A thin hallway. Empty except for a small table with a phone and a scattering of items. Nick takes the first door on his left. He moves through this flat quickly.

  LIVING ROOM

  Small, untidy but clean. Lots of expensive electrical stuff. Nick has a quick look, then leaves.

  BEDROOM

  A computer desk, two single beds, posters of bikes and rap album covers, clothing on the floor. Yep, this room belongs to a couple of guys who might be wannabe hip hop stars. Nick pulls drawers and opens the wardrobe.

  KITCHEN

  Sparse, but neat. The microwave is probably the main cooking tool for these guys.

  Nick rubs his head. He’s found nothing. No baby, no clues.

  Angry, he yanks the microwave off the counter and it smashes on the floor. It’s an act of carnage that someone like Nick isn’t used to, but the violence is like a hit of heroin and he’s suddenly hooked.
Next to go, a shelf of plates. He sweeps them to a splintered mess on the floor.

  LIVING ROOM

  Nick kicks over the plasma TV and wrecks a few more things.

  BEDROOM

  His anger hasn’t gone yet. Nick puts his emotions to work in this room, too.

  As he prepares to smash the computer, he sees sheets of paper covered in the same sort of sticker that was used to seal closed the bag of money he found earlier. There’s P&BK stickers of various sizes, and even ink stamps and stamp pads of various colours.

  Nick picks up a large stamp and stamps the wall. A big green “P&BK” logo is printed. Nick tosses the stamp, smears one of the stamp pads across the wall, and finally overturns the computer desk and everything on it.

  HALLWAY

  As Nick makes for the front door, we hear a voice that makes Nick stop cold.

  voice (o.s.)

  Hey, it’s me. I just got to your door. It’s open. You guys leave it open?

  (beat)

  Well, it’s open. As in wide open.

  Nick ducks through another door just as a MAN enters, holding a phone to his ear.

  BATHROOM

  Tiny. Nowhere to hide if the guy comes in. The bath is behind the door. Nick closes the door over and stands in the bath.

  voice (o.s.)

  Might need my hands here, Bart. Let me clip this on my belt and do the speaker thing. Quiet till I check.

  SOUNDS of the Man bashing open doors, checking the flat. The bathroom door is kicked open and the Man stands there, looking in. He doesn’t check behind the door. His phone is clipped on his belt.

  man

  All clear. Place is vandalised. Who’d you piss off recently?

  phone voice

  What vandalism? What the hell’s up with that place? Is the card there?

  man

  Where’d you leave it?

  phone voice

  I don’t know. I was in and out, rushing. Check around. I used the phone. Check the table. What do you mean, vandalism?

  The man leaves the bathroom. THOUGH THE DOORWAY we see the bedroom. The man stands just inside, looking at the carnage in the room beyond, his back to us. Nick chances a glimpse past the door, ducking back quickly when he sees the guy.

  man

  The whole place is trashed.

  phone voice

  It’s that guy you found. Doki, was it? Clearly he didn’t agree with my new revised payment plan.

  man

  Doki? What makes you think that? You think he wanted more money? I’m not following. He asked for ten thou’, we gave him ten thou’.

  phone voice

  The bag had five grand in it. It was ten minutes work and I wasn’t going to hand over ten grand for ten minutes’ work.

  man

  Ah. That might have done it. I might trash the house of a guy who I thought robbed me of five thou’

  phone voice

  Only, how did this fucker find my address?

  The Man moves deeper into the bedroom, hidden now beyond the doorway.

  man

  He’s got contacts. And you two are sort of known locally. Hell, you’re on YouTube streetdancing. Wouldn’t be impossible.

  phone voice.

  Well this fucker’s gonna regret that. He’s about to wish he’d been born as some camel in Afghanistan. Fucker. You know where this wanker lives?

  man (o.s.)

  The guy who recommended him will know. I’ll go see him. Look, I don’t think anything’s been nicked. Doesn’t look like he tried to take his five thou’ some other way.

  phone voice

  I don’t care. Get out of there. Go get your guy. Then come meet us.

  man (o.s.)

  Bart, you do know I’ve only had three hours sleep, don’t you?

  phone voice

  And I’ve been up all night, Carl. You find that card yet?

  man/carl (o.s.)

  Give me two seconds here, would ya?