The Face of an Angel

ACT TWO

FADE IN:

EXT. MAIN HIGHWAY - TEXAS - NIGHT

A truck slows down at a junction with a smaller road heading out into the desert, stops. Bennu jumps down, calls back to the driver.

BENNU
Thanks a lot.

There's an acknowledging TOOT TOOT on the HORN and the truck begins to pull away. Bennu turns and sees:

A SIGNPOST

reading: TULLNER - 10 miles

RESUME BENNU

Quite restored now. He sees the side road stretching away like a ribbon into the darkness. It's a beautiful clear night. Uplifted by the prospect of finding Mira, Bennu sets off down the road, striding out briskly.

CUT TO:

GROUND TO AIR SHOT

A small light PLANE is DRONING over the desert, very low.

BACK TO BENNU

Some way down the road, hearing the ENGINE noise. Intrigued, he goes off the side of the road to where some trees are growing amid a clump of underbrush. Pushing through the bushes he sees:

HIS POV

A Land Rover - its headlights blazing to form a landing strip for the pilot - is parked deep into the desert. Vaguely we can see three men in the halo of light.

ON THE PLANE

On final approach, then touching down on the desert, blasting up clouds of dirt with its wheels. As it rolls to a halt, the pilot guns it around. The Land Rover cruises alongside, stops.

ON BENNU

in the underbrush, watching, fascinated.

HIS POV - THE PILOT

is handling some sacks down to the three men, who stow them in the back of the Land Rover. Their VOICES carry faintly on the night air, too far away to distinguish what they're saying.

RESUME BENNU

The whole operation seems strange and possibly furtive to him, but it's none of his business. He turns and begins to head back for the road when he hears a SHOT. Swinging around he sees:

HIS POV

The largest of the three men in the Land Rover hlding a pistol, looking down at something out of sight. His companion is beside him. The pilot is scrambling back into the plane, hits the throttle and guns the thing around into wind for immediate take-off.

ON BENNU

Concerned, about to move forward, when:

HIS POV

The larger man and his companion lift and dump the body of the third man into the back of the Rover, climb aboard. The larger man we shall know later as UNGER, gets behind the wheel, starts the engine as his companion vaults aboard.

ON THE LAND ROVER

Unger hits the accelerator and the Land Rover surges forward, curving around in an arc to head for the road.

ON BENNU

transfixed, watching this. Suddenly the headlights swing over him before he can duck.

BACK TO LAND ROVER

Unger turning the wheel, sees:

HIS POV

A FLASHSHOT of Bennu's face, pale under his long golden hair, outlined and startled against the underbrush.

BACK TO UNGER

reacting in shock.

THE SCENE

as Unger skids to a stop, reverses the machine in a fast arc and then slams it into forward gear to head for where Bennu was standing

ON BENNU

Realizing he is in danger he turns and begins to lope back deeper into the underbrush towards the road

BACK TO THE LAND ROVER

scorching to a stop by the trees, trhough which it cannot pass. Unger and the other man, whose name is WOODS, leap out frantically.

ANGLE ON TREES

A FLASHSHOT of Bennu, racinga way.

ON UNGER

raising his pistol, squeezing off a couple of rounds.

ON BENNU

as the bullets slam into trees close by, he bends lower, increases his pace.

BACK TO LAND ROVER

Unger, realizing the futility of pursuit in the darknes yells:

UNGER
(to Woods)
We'll dump the stuff then get him on the road!

Both men pile back into the Land Rover which skids and slides as Unger wrestles it around in its original direction.

BY THE SIDE OF THE ROAD

Bennu flings himself down, panting. In the distance he can hear the LAND ROVER RACING away over the desert. A strange world he's come into! Gingerly he clambers to his feet, begins to move back towards the desert.

EXT. DESERT - NIGH

Bennu comes up to where we can see the Jeep and aircraft's tracks, looks around helplessly for blood or any sign of the body of the victim. There's nothing. He turns and heads back for the road.

CUT TO:

FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD

A limousine is parked by the side of the road, its lights out, a man behind the wheel. The Land Rover comes off the desert and bounces onto the shoulder by the limo. The man inside gets out and moves forward. Woods heaves him one of the sacks, then carries the other to the limo's trunk, where they stash them carefully. The third man, whose name is BELCHER, closes the trunk.

BELCHER
(to Unger)
You coming?

UNGER
Got something to do here.

Belcher gets into the limo and drives off. Woods lifts the canvas sheet in the back of the Rover.

ANGLE

The body of the victim, face down.

WOOD'S VOICE
What about him?

RESUME SCENE

Unger starts the engin.

UNGER
Got to get that drifter first.

Woods swings aboard and they head back up the road.

CUT TO:

BACK DOWN THE ROAD

Bennu, trudging along, HEARS AND AUTOMOBILE ENGINE coming up behind him. He pauses, looking back.

ANGLE DOWN ROADWAY

to show headlights advancing, impossible to say what kind of vehicle they're on.

ON BENNU

tense, wondering if this could be the Land Rover, and the killer? Then:

ANOTHER ANGLE

The vehicle swishes by revelaing itself to be a beaten-up old pickup with several sacks of cement in the back.

THE SCENE

As Bennu realizes it's not the Land Rover he waves his arms. The pickup slows and stops a few yards down the road. Bennu trots after it. The driver is in his forties, the lean hard-bitten face of a man who works with his muscles. This HAL CRAWFORD, a farmer. As Bennu comes up:

HAL
Got a problem?

BENNU
I want to get to Tullner

HAL
Going within a mile of her.

He leans over and opens the passenger door. Bennu clambers aboard. The pickup moves forward again.

CUT TO:

FURTHER DOWN THE ROAD

The Land Rover zipping along at speed, away from Tullner.

ANOTHER ANGLE

to show the land Rover and pickup on a closing course.

IN THE PICKUP

Bennu sees the Land Rover coming up, reacts. Then it's past with a SLAP OF AIR. Hal shoots a look at him. He's a friendly, even cheerful man when life doesn't grind him down too low.

HAL
Traveling on your thumb?

BENNU
(puzzled)
My thumb . . . ?

HAL
Hitching rides.

BENNU
Oh. Yes.

HAL
Got friends in Tullner?

BENNU
(beat)
I am . . . looking for work.

HAL
Not too many jobs around right now. Used to be a sawmill, but it closed last year.
(beat)
Got money for a place to sleep?

BENNU
No.

Hal gives him a calculating look.

HAL
I got a bed you can have. Work it off helping me in the fields. Sound fair?

BENNU
(grateful)
Yes! It does.

He smiles gratefully, leans back, trying to figure out the meaning of what he saw in the desert. Hal drives on in a companionable silence.

CUT TO:

EXT. JUNCTION OF HIGHWAY AND SIDE ROAD - NIGHT

The Land Rover comes up, makes a U-turn, heads back down towards Tullner a few yards, then stops.

UNGER
(puzzled)
Nothing.

WOODS
Maybe he's still in those trees?

UNGER
First we've got to dump him.

He nods to the body in the back. Both men get out and lift the corpse in the canvas sheet, carrying it to the edge of a ditch, then unrolling the sheet and letting the body slide down into the ditch, out o sight of casual passers-by.

CUT TO:

EXT. DRIVEWAY TO HAL'S FARM - ROAD - NIGHT

The pickup slows and turns onto the rutted unpaved driveway leading to a small frame house with a barn behind it.

BY THE FARM HOUSE

as the pickup stops. A GERMAN SHEPHERD comes bounding at it BARKING ferociously. When Hal climbs down the dog begins to fawn on him.

HAL
(to dog)
Hey Bucky, glad to see me are you, boy?
(pats dog calling back to Bennu)
Named him after a real s.o.b. of a Sergeant I had in Korea. I'm about the only one he doesn't hate, so watch out . . .

Bennu has come around the side of the pickup. BUCKY immediately leaves Hal and WHINES, fawning and licking Bennu's hand. Hal reacts in astonishment.

HAL
I'll be damned! He likes you!

BENNU
(patting dog)
Because he knows I like him.

Hal chides the dog affectionately.

HAL
Lookit, dog, your job is to act mean with strangers. I'll be cutting your rations if this goes on!

He pushes into the farmhouse.

INT. FARMHOUSE - LIVING ROOM AREA - NIGHT

A sixteen inch black-and-white TV set is about the most expensive item in the room. It is fairly neat and clean but dirt poor. Hal leads Bennu in. The dog remains outside.

HAL
(calling)
Darlene!

A girl of about eighteen comes out of the kitchen. She's quite pretty but withdrawn, shy and obviously vulnerable.

Seeing Bennu with her father she reacts in surprise, immediately taken off guard, and unsure of what to do.

HAL
This young fella's gonna stay the night.
(to Bennu)
What's your name?

BENNU
Bennu.

He is watching Darlene, aware of her confusion.

HAL
(introducing)
My daughter.

He looks at Darlene, expecting her to react. When she doesn't, staring almost transfixed at Bennu, Hal swings on him.

HAL
(to Bennu)
Hey, cut that out! You charmed the dog, now you've struck my daughter dumb! Two things never happened before!

DARLENE
(with an effort)
Hello.

Bennu smiles, knowing her heart. It's a warm, compassionate understanding smile and it hits her like a javelin.

HAL
I don't know about anyone else, but I'm famished.
(to Bennu)
You look as if you haven't eaten for a month. Can't have you pass out on us before I've had my pound of flesh!

DARLENE
I've got something on the stove.

Throwing a last almost petrified look at Bennu, she goes back into the kitchen.

CUT TO:

THE CLUMP OF TREES

Unger and Woods are coming back out of the bushes and undergrowth towards the Land Rover parked on the shoulder. Obviously they found nothing.

UNGER
(baffled)
That's the only cover for miles.

WOODS
Musta got a ride.

UNGER
Only thing we passed was Hall Crawford's pickup . . .

It takes a beat to sink in, then they both look at each other and pile into the Land Rover.

CUT TO:

RESUME LIVING ROOM - FARMHOUSE

Hal and Bennu eating. Darlene sits at the table, a little hunched, listening and watching Bennu.

HAL
This is kind of a backwater really.
(grins at Darlene)
Biggest thrill for the kids is going down to Duke's to watch the bacon grinder!

He grins at Darlene who doesn't react. He makes a face.

HAL
That's a joke - or supposed to be.

Darlene is looking at Bennu.

DARLENE
Where you from?

BENNU
(carefully)
The west coast.

DARLENE
Ever been to Los Angeles?

BENNU
I've been through it.

HAL
That's done it! She'll be wanting to know what movie stars you met.
(to Darlene, cheerfully)
That's what you want to be, isn't it? A queen of the screen!

He winks at Bennu to show it's just good-natured ribbing. Darlene gets up and collects the dishes, her face closed, more hurt than angry.

DARLENE
(tight)
You know it's not.

She takes the dishes through the kitchen. Bennu watches her compassionately, very much aware of the unhappiness in her and the tension between them, below the surface kidding.

HAL
(making a face)
Guess I trod on a toe.
(beat, serious)
I lost my wife six months ago. Hit Darlene hard. They were real close.

He sits brooding for a beat, then:

HAL
You got sisters? Know much about women?

BENNU
(carefully)
I haven't had contact with them for . . . quite a long time.

HAL
Get the feeling everything I say is wrong . . .
(remembers)
When she was little, she thought I was God. She'd rather come out 'n watch me work than play with her dolls. Recently . . .

He sighs, breaks off. Bennu nibbles the last piece of bread on his plate. Hal looks up.

HAL
If you've finished that, I'd sure appreciate it if you'd take those sacks of cement in the truck into the barn.

Bennu gets up.

HAL
Darlene'll show you where it is.
(calls)
Darlene!

IN THE KITCHEN

Darlene, nervously drying the dishes. She has been able to hear the conversation from the next room quite clearly. Now, hearing her father call, she puts down the cloth, takes a jug and moves to the door.

CUT TO:

EXT. FARMHOUSE - NIGHT

Bright moonlight drapes the scene. Darlene and Bennu come out of the front door.

DARLENE
(pointing)
Barn's there.

She indicates a tumbledown shack. He goes to the pickup, hefting out a sack. She goes to a pump and begins working the handle, filling the water jug. Seeing this:

BENNU
(curious)
What're you doing?

DARLENE
Never see anyone draw water before?

BENNU
Not like that.

DARLENE
(tart)
I guess where you come from everything works on buttons.

BENNU
I didn't mean to be rude.

DARLENE
You think I don't know we're living in the Stone Age! He wasn't kiddin' about that bacon grinder. There's not a damn thing to do here, never was.

BENNU
Sometimes there are too many things to do. Then we hunger for places like this.

BY TURN OFF TO FARM

The Land Rover comes up and stops. Unger and Woods look over at the farm.

LONG SHOT - BARN AREA

Bennu - his fair hair glinting in the moonlight - moves towards the barn, carrying the sack of cement.

RESUME LAND ROVER

Woods brings out a jackknife, fingers it.

WOODS
I could sneak around the back. Do it real quiet.

UNGER
I got a better idea.
(grins)
Much better!

On his grimly determined expression we know bodes ill for Bennu:

FADE OUT.

END OF ACT TWO

ACT THREE