Scene Four – Police Station

Johanne: Excuse me, do you have a moment?

Samuel: What?

Johanne: I’m Johanne McGuire from the American Embassy. This is Jay Renhart. About that American theft case.

Samuel: This isn’t the time for that; can’t you tell?

Johanne: Isn’t that odd?

Samuel: Who’re you? What kind of position are you in, to say things?

Renhartr: Now, now. Isn’t there someone here that I can talk to?

Samuel: No. Troilo!

Troilo: Hm? Yes.

Samuel: Find out where this came from.

Troilo: I haven’t seen this gun before.

Samuel: That’s why you’re looking it up.

Troilo: How?

Samuel: Think about it.

Renhart: It’s Soviet.

Both: …..

Renhart: AK47. They were used by the Special Forces for a short time before they were cut back.

Troilo: Soviet make…

Renhart: Is this a lost article or something?

Samuel: It’s nothing to do with you.

He takes the gun away.

Renhart: What on earth happened?

Troilo: Ah, it’s the guerillas again… I mean, that is-

Renhart: Did they carry those and attack a warehouse or something?

Troilo: Please stop, I can’t say anything to foreigners.

Renhart: But isn’t it strange? Why would guerillas have had Soviet weapons?

Troilo: Yes, that’s- No, I’m not saying anything.

Renhart (laughs) You were Officer Troilo?

Troilo: Yeah.

Renhart: I’m Jay Renhart. Won’t you lend me a little time?

Troilo: No, I can’t. I still have work to do.

Renhart: You just finished one, didn’t you? It’s not that complicated of a tale. It’s just a rather expensive theft.

Renhart (voice over): This seemed to make things easy. But, why Soviet-made weapons? Did it mean the KGB were prowling around here too? Well, it isn’t anything to do with me. At any rate, he seemed like a nice enough guy, but I wasn’t sure if he’d be useful.

Troilo: Fine. Let’s start at the hotel.

Renhart: Ah, wouldn’t it be better to go around to all the pawn shops?

Troilo: The pawn shops?

Renhart: If it’s been sold and we don’t hurry, it’ll have been processed. Is there a list of shops?

Troilo: Yeah, wait a second.

Renhart: OK, thanks, Johanne. I should be all right on my own now.

Johanne: Huh? But you don’t know the streets yet, do you?

Renhart: I’ve got him.

Troilo: Got it!

Renhart: Well then, shall we go?

Troilo: Yeah, sure.

Johanne: Mr. Renhart!

Renhart: Don’t worry, from here on it’s my job.

Scene Five – Pawn Shop

A bunch of young, unsavory-looking punks are hanging out at the pawn shop. As Renhart and Troilo enter, one of them is leaving off talking to the shop owner who is behind the counter.

Maltines: Well, when you know something, let me know.

Kicho: Sure.

Maltines leaves. Troilo and Renhart come up to the counter.

Troilo: Hey.

Kicho: What?

Troilo: Ah, I’ve got something to ask you.

Kicho: I don’t deal with customers who don’t introduce themselves. Sorry.

Troilo: I’m Offficer Troilo. This is-

Renhart: Officer Renhart.

Troilo does a double-take.

Troilo: Huh?

Kicho: What do you want? I haven’t done anything.

Troilo: I know. You’ve never once dealt with stolen goods. That’s good, if you answer our questions properly.

Kicho: … What are you saying?

Troilo: Actually….

Troilo seems to lose track of the conversation, and Renhart takes the initiative.

Renhart: What did you hide just now?

Kicho: Eh?

Renhart: When we came in you hid something. Bring it out.

Troilo: … That’s right, bring it out.

Kicho: I’m not really hiding anything.

Renhart: Don’t play dumb; you tucked it away there in a hurry, didn’t you?

Kicho: What are you? Isn’t this odd?

Troilo: Hey.

Kichou: Wait, who is he?

Troilo: I don’t know either.

Kicho: Hey, give me a break.

Troilo: Now, now, if you tell us, we’ll understand.

Kicho: Tell you what?

Troilo: Ahhh, what you’re hiding.

Kicho: I don’t know.

Renhart: ….

Troilo grabs Kicho and they shake him up a bit. He pulls it out and Renhart grabs it. It’s very small. He studies it.

Kicho: The customer just left it there.

Renhart: That man just now?

Kicho: …..

Renhart: Do you know what this is?

Kicho: I told you, I don’t know. He told me to look it up, and left it.

Troilo: What is it?

Kicho: I told you, I don’t know!

Renhart: I’ll leave the rest to you.

Troilo: Huh?

Renhart: I remembered something I have to do. I’m leaving this in your custody.

He drops the small thing into Troilo’s palm.

Kicho: Wait, come on now!

Renhart: Don’t show it to anyone, I’m counting on you.

Troilo: All right.

Kicho: That’s cruel, why…?

Renhart: Don’t complain. You want us to take you in?

Kicho: But-!

Troilo: Be quiet. This way is better.

Renhart: Well then.

Troilo: What about the jewel?

Renhart: Please take care of it.

Troilo: Wha-?

Renhart (voice over): That’s the new model targeting system that the NATO army is using for experimentation. It’s the type that irradiates the target with a laser, and I’ve heard that when mounted on a gun its accuracy rapidly increases. What is it doing here? It’s still in the testing phase; it’s not something to be sent out and around. Soviet-made machine guns; this isn’t something simple. Something stinks.

Scene Six – The Church ~A Small Room~

Carlos and Maltines and two or three other young men are in a small room in the church.

Carlos: So like we thought, he didn’t know?

Maltines: He’ll look into it and let us know.

Rino: What the hell is this thing?

Carlos: Don’t play with those. I bet we could sell them for a lot.

Galeano: But with this inflation no matter how much money we get it’s nothing but scraps of paper.

Carlos: What about dollars?

Galeano: Dollars?

Bartolome: You have some kind of lead on that?

Carlos: I’m looking.

Rino: Well, that’s true, at least. No matter how much we give to the poor, they can’t eat metal.

His pals smack him for being an idiot.

Maltines: One thing bothers me.

Carlos: What’s that?

Maltines: Why do you think there were weapons like this?

Carlos: On the surface they’re traders, but underneath they also act as weapons brokers, right?

Galeano: Smugglers?

Carlos: Probably.

Rino: This is no joke!

Maltines: Then the other side is no good either, not if they learn about us.

Carlos: I thought about that. But that’s exactly why I’m not sure what to do. Moving that way might be even more of a risk. Am I wrong?

Bartolome: I think we should do as Carlos suggests. Don’t worry so much.

Galeano: Nothing you can do about it. That’s Maltines’ disposition. Right?

Rino: Hahahaha.

The old priest, Romero, arrives.

Romero: Carlos, what on earth?

Carlos: Father.

Romero: I heard. About a strike on a warehouse in the harbor? Are the bearers of the Democratic Movement whom I trusted thieves?

Carlos: I understand your anger, but-

Romero: Quiet, you don’t understand anything! In a Democracy, everyone has an equal right to speak. This is…. Who will trust someone who carried a gun?

Carlos: But at least now we can help the ones who are starving.

Romero: What would happen to such a makeshift resistance? The majority of the people in this country identify with the middle class. If they don’t make a stand, Democracy won’t be possible. They’ll never support violence.

Carlos: In the shantytowns near the harbor, there are children who don’t have the strength to cry because of malnutrition. The number of people who die from head colds is—. Why can’t we try to save these people?

Romero: Bring them here. Don’t we do all that we can for them?

Carlos: How many people do you think there are!?

Romero: Stick to what you believe in. We don’t have any other way of opposing their power. If it’s because of that, then nothing can be done about the starvation either. We too should starve and suffer with them. When the time comes that each of us understands their suffering… that will be the time that they realize. A nation is not made by knocking about its people.

Carlos: I understand. I’ll listen because they’re your words, Father. But I must….

Romero: So long as you understand. I was the same when I was young. But it was because of that that so many of my capable friends were arrested. Don’t make the same mistake we did.

Carlos: Yes, sir.

Romero: Incidentally, where are all of the things that you plundered?

Maltines: Ah, well…

Carlos: They’re hidden for now.

Romero: Then bring them here sometime tonight. At least we should give them to everyone to eat.

Carlos: Well, that’s not quite right.

Romero: What? What do you mean?

Scene Seven – The Church ~The Chapel~

Renhart, who is listening in on their conversation, is discovered by Alicia, who is dressed as a nun. Renhart turns, and Alicia is startled when she recognizes him. He is also surprised to see her.

Renhart: You are….

Alicia: What are you doing here?

Renhart: I could ask you the same. Ah, but this is a surprise!

Carlos and the others have noticed him, and come out.

Carlos: What’s wrong?

Renhart: ……

Carlos: Who is he?

Alicia: ………

Renhart: Ah, no, I’m not really anyone suspicious.

Rino: What were you doing here?

Renhart: Nothing. Can’t you come to a church?

Carlos: Who are you?

Renhart: I’ll ask you the same: Who are you?

Galeano: Doesn’t matter who we are. Didn’t we ask you what you were doing here?

Romero: Enough. Stop, please. Ah, excuse them. These boys are all students of mine. I’m the priest, Romero.

Renhart: Pleased to meet you. I’m Renhart. I’m from the American Embassy.

Romero: I see.

Renhart: Here’s my credentials.

Renhart moves to pull out his ID, but the priest waves him to stop.

Romero: Ah, no, that’s fine.

Maltines: But you didn’t look like you’d come here to pray.

Romero: Hey.

Rino: There is something strange here.

Romero: …Please stop.

Renhart: No, it’s fine. They’re right, I certainly didn’t come here to pray.

Romero: …….

Renhart: It’s quite a stupid story, and I’m sorry to trouble you with it, but the truth is that I caught sight of the Sister here and, my attention preoccupied, I followed her in.

Romero: Ohhh…?

Renhart: No, not with any wicked intent. I just…. I’m very sorry to have troubled you.

Alicia’s reply is distant and polite.

Alicia: Oh, no.

Renhart: Haha…. Not much of a position, is it?

Romero: No, I see. Uhm….

Renhart: If it’s all right with you, I’d like to take my leave.

Romero: Ah, yes, of course.

Renhart: Well then.

He moves to leave, but Romero’s voice brings him up short.

Romero: Faith begins from the most trivial of things. If you would like, please come again some time.

Renhart: Thank you. Please excuse me.

Alicia nods at him as he leaves. The scene changes.

Renhart: If that lot knew what they had, they wouldn’t have brought them to a pawn shop. Meaning that they’re not deeply connected to the KGB? What’s the woman have to do with it? I don’t think she’s a guerilla. Any way, couldn’t I have come up with a better excuse? The instant I quit I started loosing my edge.

Date: 2015-02-16; view: 791