Two Winters Past

EXT. HIGHWAY. MORNING.

CHLOE ISIS sits in the abandoned car. VALENTINE stands outside. Sky is grey above.

VALENTINE: We can probably make it to Parlor City by nightfall if we start walking now.

CHLOE ISIS: A few more minutes here. That’s all I want.

WIDE: Broken, overgrown highway. Commotion in the tall grass at the median. CHANGO lurches into view. He is scratched, dirty, and bloody.

CHLOE ISIS and VALENTINE have not yet seen CHANGO.

CHANGO: There you are!

CHANGO grabs VALENTINE and throws him down.

CHANGO: I said ya ain’t going nowhere.

CHANGO climbs into the car on top of CHLOE ISIS. She is screaming and beating her fists on his chest.

CHANGO: Come’ere, beautiful.

VALENTINE tries to pull CHANGO out.

CHANGO backhands VALENTINE, who falls.  

CHLOE ISIS kicks at CHANGO but he gets her feet under control.

CHANGO’s gun falls. He does not notice.

CHANGO: Time to come home.

VALENTINE hits CHANGO across the back with a branch and continues until the branch breaks.

CHANGO gets out of the car.

CHANGO: Now boy, how many chances do you want? Coulda just run off there, but you had to be a hero. What’s mine is mine, and if you want to die for it, that makes it more mine. Got me?

CHANGO punches VALENTINE several times. VALENTINE tries to fight back, but CHANGO either avoids or is unaffected.

On the fourth punch, VALENTINE falls and CHANGO gets on top of him, punching.

CHLOE ISIS gets out of the car and attacks CHANGO from behind, but he backhands her and knocks her down.

VALENTINE is still.

CHANGO stands.

CHLOE ISIS has retrieved the machete. CHANGO laughs.

CHANGO: Know how to use that thing?

CHLOE ISIS: I’m not going back with you.

CHANGO: You’ll do what I say, or you’ll die on your own. (Smiles wickedly.) Or someone else will find you... someone else not so nice as me.

CHLOE ISIS runs away. CHANGO chases.

VALENTINE is still.

Hold shot on VALENTINE. He opens an eye, sits up, looks around.

VALENTINE: (rubbing his head) Chloe?

VALENTINE gets up.

VALENTINE: Chloe?

VALENTINE climbs on a car, looks around.

In the distance, CHANGO is about to catch CHLOE ISIS.

VALENTINE jumps down, sees Chango has dropped his pistol.

VALENTINE fumbles with the gun, checking for bullets.  

VALENTINE runs after CHANGO, who catches CHLOE ISIS and drags her down.

CHANGO: Think I might have to break one of those sexy legs if you’re gonna keep running away.

VALENTINE shoots up in the air.

CHANGO lets CHLOE ISIS go and turns to face Valentine.

CHANGO: You’re tougher’n I give you credit for. Here I thought you was faking when I knocked you out.

VALENTINE aims at CHANGO.

CHANGO: You couldn’t shoot me if you tried. I bet that was the first time you even fired a gun, ain’t it?

VALENTINE: I’ll fucking kill you like I killed Remmy and Cole.

CHANGO: So do it. Quit talking and do it.

CHLOE ISIS: Val, no!

CHANGO: Coward.

VALENTINE shoots, but misses.

CHANGO charges. VALENTINE shoots twice more.

CHANGO is hit once in the arm, stopping his charge but not bringing him down.

CHLOE ISIS heaves a chunk of broken asphalt that hits CHANGO in the back and he falls.

VALENTINE runs to CHANGO as he tries to get up and pulls him to the guardrail.

Keeping CHANGO off balance, VALENTINE pushes CHANGO over the guardrail. CHANGO rolls down the steep embankment beyond.

VALENTINE: Holy fuck!

CHLOE ISIS: Val, can you see?

VALENTINE wipes the blood from his face.

VALENTINE: Yeah. I don’t think he did anything permanent. Maybe a scar or two.

CHLOE ISIS: I told you he’d come back. Again and again. He won’t stop chasing us.

VALENTINE: Chloe listen, he’s dead. He’s not stopping himself from that fall after he’s been shot in the arm.

CHLOE ISIS: He’s gonna come back.

VALENTINE: He’s not. He’s dead.

CHLOE ISIS: Are you sure?

VALENTINE: Look over the edge.

CHLOE ISIS looks down.

The hill’s angle is above 75 degrees, and the face is covered with dry brush. A path has been cleared where Chango rolled out of sight.