Nick of Time

Officer You got it.

Security Guard 1 Sir, do you have metal in there?

Man Er, just my keys.

Security Guard 1 May I see them? Thank you.

Security Guard 2 Sir, I can take you down here. You don’t have to wait, I can take you up here. Come on. Sir. Yes, you. I can take you down here. Come on down. Come on. Okay, you’re all done. Move on now. Right here.

Officer Sir, they’re all in place.

White Best we check the entryway over here.

Gene Officer.

Smith I know what you’re thinking. You’re like a worm on a hook, wriggling around thinking you might get off.

Gene What would you do?

Smith She’d be dead. You do what you’re supposed to do, young man. You do it now. Whoa, what’re you doing?

Gene Officer.

White Yeah?

Gene There’s a plot to kill the governor. Now, if you don’t believe me, you can check that man right there. He has a gun.

White So do you, Mr Watson. You got this under control, Smitty?

Smith Yeah.

White Sure doesn’t look like it.

Smith Well, it’s under control.

White Yeah. Well, it’d better be, ‘cos I’m running out of these.

Smith I ought to throw you after that walkie-talkie but, I’m gonna give you a break ‘cos you’re amateur.

Waiter Gentlemen?

Smith Yeah, thanks.

Gene No, thank you.

Smith Have a cracker, Mr Watson. Thank you. You got spunk. There was this guy, big guy, Irish-Italian, red face, black hair, jolly son of a bitch. Wait a second. Nobody could make me laugh like him. He made a science of collecting jokes. Closed more bars together than I could count. Now, he was a pal. I loved the crazy Mick. I’m not ashamed to say that, but, he was a fuck-up. He had this image of himself. He thought he was a, a con-man. Always trying to shave the edge. He was nickel and dime. I’ll always miss him. Tell me why.

Gene Tell you why what?

Smith Tell me why I miss him.

Gene He’s dead?

Smith That’s right, he is dead. But tell me why.

Gene How do I know? I don’t. . . I. . .

Smith Tell me why he’s dead.

Gene ‘Cos you killed him.

Smith That’s right, I did. I killed him. He fucked up one too many times, so, I put a bullet in his eye, then I put two more into him just to make sure. Now, that was somebody I loved. I loved him. But, I got the call, I put him down like a sick animal. So, if you got doubts about what’s gonna happen, if you don’t deliver, let me tell you something. I’ll make gravy out of your little girl, just to season that black Irish cocksucker’s meat. You do what you’re supposed to do, young man. You do it now.

Announcer May I have your attention, please. May I have your attention. Let’s give a big warm welcome to the honourable Tom Bradley.

Ms Brooks Hi.

Gene Hi.

Ms Brooks Are you feeling better? The elevator, you weren’t feeling well. Are you better now?

Gene Oh yeah.

Ms Brooks Better now?

Gene Yeah, much better, thanks.

Tom Bradley I give you now, my friend and yours, Governor Eleanor Grant.

Gene You know something? My wife, always said I had a problem trusting people.

Eleanor Thank you, Tom, for that lovely introduction.

Ms Brooks Well, you can trust Eleanor Samara Grant.

Gene Yeah. Well, I’m gonna trust you, and you’re gonna trust me.

Ms Brooks Er, I don’t understand.

Gene Listen, I don’t want to hurt you, but my little girl needs your help. She’s going to die if you don’t help me.

Ms Brooks Okay, I’ll help you. Let me, let me just get Mr White. He’s our head of security.

Gene No, no, everything’s fine, just take a walk with me, just you and me. Right this way.

Eleanor As it is, this is not the life I want for our children, for myself and for you. . .

Gene I’m gonna put the gun back in my pocket now, but don’t make a move ‘cos it’s still pointing at you, all right?

Ms Brooks Okay.

Gene Just pretend that nothing’s happening. My daughter’s been kidnapped. They say they’re going to kill her if I don’t kill the governor. I don’t wanna do that. But. . .

Ms Brooks All right, all right. Let’s talk to security.

Gene No. Can’t talk to security, they’re involved.

Ms Brooks I don’t see how they could be involved. They’re the best. They’re hand-picked.

Gene Well, how’d I get in here with this?

Ms Brooks I don’t know.

Gene Listen to me. Now, if you don’t help me, the governor’ll be dead. I promise you. Please, you gotta trust me.

Ms Brooks It’s a little hard to trust you, under the circumstances.

Gene All right then, here. Do you trust me now?

Ms Brooks I guess I’ll have to.

Gene Well, good.

Ms Brooks Okay, there’s one person that we can go to, come on.

Gene We can’t go anywhere. They guy that’s following me’s got eyes in the back of his fucking head. If he see’s I’m not here, my daughter’s dead.

Ms Brooks Well, he’ll think you’re in the crowd until the end of the speech. Wait a minute, wait, wait. Er, we got about ten minutes.

Gene Ten minutes, you sure?

Ms Brooks Yeah, I’m sure, I’ve heard this speech a lot. Now come on, we’ll take care of it.

Gene No, wait. I can’t, I gotta. . .

Ms Brooks Hey, hey, trust me. You asked me for my help. Let me help. Come on.

Gene Listen, put that thing away, would you?

Ms Brooks Oh, yeah. Er, okay.

Gene Thank you.

Eleanor . . .control crime and prove that communities do belong to the people. . . . . .and change a perverted system that let’s us carry guns to school, but forbids us to pray there. Education is the key. Education is. . .

Albert Ms Brooks

Ms Brooks Is he in?

Albert Yes, ma’am.

Gene You sure we can trust these people?

Ms Brooks It’s her husband, he’s her campaign manager.

Brendan What is it? Is there a problem?

Ms Brooks Brendan, we need to see you.

Brendan Aren’t you supposed to be downstairs, covering the conference?

Gene We gotta hurry.

Ms Brooks Brendan, listen to me. Someone is trying to kill Eleanor.

Brendan What, what are you talking about?

Ms Brooks We, we need people that we can trust, we’ve only got a few minutes.