Shooting in the Dark

Smith checked his wrist watch
Still fifteen minutes to go
Out came the rifle

Smith braced the rifle.
He slowed down his beating heart
Before stopping hers

Fifteen minutes, tops
Quickest response of police
Out in merely eight

Smith leaves a surprise
When the police come calling
They host a bonfire

Political jobs
Large payouts, publicity
Resume builder

Waiting for payment
While sitting on his houseboat
Smith watches the news

Senator Wills dead
Rising political star
A terrorist plot?

Smith checks his account
Other half still not there
He starts to worry

Smith calls employer
Number is disconnected
Smith packs his goldfish

Smith puts on wetsuit
Houseboat is blown to pieces
Barely escapes

Smith calls in favors
Vicky is in extractions
Chuck is a hacker
Chuck looks at bank trail
Money has been laundered clean
Not much to go on

Smith contacts fixer
But fixer died yesterday
Another dead end

Chuck watches chat rooms
Looking for shadows talking
Might have found a lead

Vicki liberates
A key, encrypted ledger
From the fixer’s house

Smith dodges girlfriend
But still almost gets flat lined
By her protégé

Smith asks his fish why
Fish blows bubbles and dances
Smith laughs and joins in

Vicki asks Smith why
Smith says he just asked his fish
The answer was dance

Vicki gets upset
Smith explains no one to kill
Until then just dance

Vicki joins in with Smith
They begin doing the twist
Ending with tango

Smith kisses Vicki
Thanks her for helping him out
She tells him to pay her

Chuck comes in just then
He thinks he has found something
Smith agrees with him.

Chuck breaks encryption
Ledger points to bank safe box
Then hands Smith the key

Chuck is the look out
Vicki goes inside with Smith
Smith looks much different
Vicki gets the box
Smith charms the teller with smile
Chuck sees trouble come

Three men packing heat
Chuck catches the fourth off guard
Their getaway’s gone

Chuck radios in
Vicki pockets the contents
Smith passes heist note

Teller hits alarm
Smith takes Vicki as a hostage
As the three charge in

The three pull their guns
Smith releases Vicki, hides
Guards open fire

Chuck ties steering wheel
Points getaway car at bank
Police sirens wail

The three are pinned down
They are still by the front door
When their car drives in

Smith, without makeup
Talks to police, then walks out
Vicki does the same.

Bank cameras don’t work
Until Chuck turns them back on
As they drive away

Vicki shows contents
A credit card, newspaper
Telephone number

Chuck checks credit card
Card has multiple accounts
All flush with money

Vicki buys two phones
Chuck modifies the sim cards
Phones ready to burn

Vicki calls number
No one’s there, leaves a message
We know what you did.

Smith reads the paper
A circled personal ad
Looking for rare birds

Smith turns on TV
Wants something simple to watch
Finds something complex

Senator Walters
Speaking at Wills’ wake
“Justice will prevail!”

Walters continues
“We will rise from these ashes
Terror cannot win!”

Walters grows somber
“I will continue Wills’ wish
One country, one voice.”

Walters shakes his fist
“And I will make that voice heard
Throughout this country!”

Clapping at a wake
The dead woman forgotten
Patriotic zeal

The TV left on
As the three of them drive off
There’s too much hot air

Drive to the next town
Eat dinner at Moe’s diner
Leave Vicki’s phone there

Two hours later
Three cars drive up with black suits
Smith sits across street.

Vicki flirts with suits
Chuck stumbles and falls onto car
Suits move him along

Suits find phone was taped
In the top of the toilet
Scrubbed clean of data

Three cars leave as one
Smith waits for Vicki and Chuck
Then slowly pulls out

Chuck pulls up Google
Tracks one of suits’ cars on map
Second burner works

Cars duck behind gates
Private estate on a hill
Guards posted around

Vicki does a sweep
Has high end security
No easy way in

Internet searches
House is owned by corporate shell
More digging later

They wait till dark falls
Chuck pulls out blimp drone,
Night vision camera

Blimp flies over wall
Triggers the outside lights, guards
The blimp is shot down

Smith finds a lookout
Pulls out sniper telescope
All the shades are closed

Chuck sets up laser
Tries to eavesdrop but too far
Vicki has idea

Laser shines through scope
Chuck almost gets it working
Needs more parts to work

Back at the hideout
Chuck works on the equipment
Smith works on Vicki

Smith’s phone wakes him up
Is he interested in work?
Smith agrees to meet

Vicki wants to come
Smith wants her to go with Chuck
Smith knows what to do

Smith scouts out the park
Meeting is on the red bench
Too many ways in

Smith rents hotel room
Balcony looks over park
Smith sets up backup

Chuck deploys new bot
Lands on a tree in neighbors
Laser eavesdropping

Chuck and Vicki wait
Rooms they are watching are dark
Nobody is home

Chuck hacks corporate shell
Peels back ownership onion
Owned by Sen. Walters

Vicki overhears
Smith is walking into trap
Chuck gets Smith’s voice mail

Vicki and Chuck drive
Dodging police as they speed
Desperate car chase

Smith sits on park bench
Black suit sits down next to him
Smith remains silent

Smith looks at cell phone
Sees text message from Vicki
Trap! We are coming

Suit passes paper
Smith doesn’t read the message
Asks why he’s not paid

Suit claims ignorance
Smith doesn’t buy the story
Saw suit at diner

Suit starts to stand up
Smith growls for him to sit down
Shows suit laser dot

Suit sits down but laughs
Suit waves and five laser dots
Bloom on Smith’s torso

Suit asks who else knows
Sirens grow in the distance
Smith claims everyone

Suit doesn’t believe
Claims Smith is acting alone
Smith points out sirens

Suit checks out story
Sirens are getting louder
Smith pushes button

Chuck brings up twitter
Calls in favors from network
Converge on the park

Police form blockade
Vicki shows her driving skill
Avoids the capture

Park is getting close
More cars join the high speed chase
Chuck’s friends have arrived

Vicki slams through gate
Begin to drive through the park
Police in pursuit

Suit stands up angry
Slammed back down, hit with bullet
Smith flips over bench

Bullet grazes side
Smith rolls putting suit between
Three more shots hit Suit

Smith looks at the cars
Flying through the park like birds
Tearing up the grass

Police arriving
Chuck’s friends driving crazily
Hell has broken loose.

Vicki sees Smith, Suit
Spins car in front, gives cover
Except she gets shot

Smith pulls Vicki out
Chuck runs for better cover
More shots hit the car

Smith checks on Vicki
She is bleeding pretty bad
Smith looks for escape

Police car drives up
Sees Vicki is shot, gets out
Smith puts him to sleep

Smith grabs police hat
He puts Vicki into car
As more shots ring out

Smith jumps in and goes
With all the chaos and cars
Smith drives out of park

Chuck watches Smith drive
As police swarm area
Chuck tries to walk out

Chuck gets out of park
He almost got away but
The Suits pick him up

Smith drives through downtown
Can’t go to a hospital
Needs another plan

Finds homeless clinic
Talks to friendly doctor there
Trusts Vicki with him

Sirens getting loud
Prompts Smith to leave Vicki there
Time to ditch cop car

Drives through ethnic hood
Gives kid a hundred dollars
Tells them to have fun

Kids start destroying
Smith wanders off, keeping watch
Nobody follows

Chuck is tied to chair
A Suit asks him about Smith
Where can they find him?

Chuck tells them nothing
Suits roughs him up, breaks Chuck’s nose
Chuck spits blood and laughs

Suit wipes off Chuck’s blood
Tells Chuck he won’t be laughing
Heats up metal rod.

Smith unfolds paper
Remembers the circled ad
Why exotic birds?

Smith calls about birds
Woman claims she collects them
Rare birds make good pets

Smith asks to see them
Woman claims she never meets
Birds are finicky

Smith remembers bird
A snitch in Puerto Rico
Who liked to wear red

Smith claims he has bird
Blood red and orange parakeet
A Puerto Rican

Woman asks why her
She thinks he can find others
She hangs up the phone

Smith calls her back
Tells her canary can’t sing
Because of his work

She asks about work
Smith tells her about fixer
She agrees to meet

Vicki wakes from sleep
Her side is bandaged and sore
She asks about Smith

Vicki borrows phone
She tries to call For Smith
His phone is busy

Vicki tries to leave
Doctor puts her back in bed
Tells her she needs rest

Vicki pretends sleep
Doctor leaves, no one comes in
Vicki limps outside

Chuck is unconscious
Burn marks cover his body
Suit is still not pleased

Smith pays taxi fare
He walks along the boardwalk
Sees he missed the call

Smith calls doctor
Find out Vicki is missing
Smith begins to leave

Smith tries calling Chuck
Suit answers the phone instead
Tells Smith Chuck will die

Smith asks what Suit wants
Suit wants Smith to trade for Chuck
Smith agrees to terms

Suit will call Smith back
Give him location of swap
Then Smith has one hour

Smith looks at boardwalk
Knows he should stay right there
But can’t leave Vicki

Smith calls bird woman
Tells her he needs to leave now.
She taps his shoulder

Bird woman explains
She was watching for the Suits
She’s scared for her life

Smith looks at his watch
Tells bird woman everything
Asks her what she knows

She looks around them
Asks to get out of the crowd
Smith asks about car

Bird woman pauses
Smith points out Suits could be here
She decides to help

Bird woman gets car
Asks Smith where they need to go
Smith answers cell phone

Vicki was worried
Smith assures her he is fine
Asks where she is now

Smith gives directions
Bird woman begins to drive
And tells Smith story

A case long ago
Needed a professional
A bit of wet work

Bird woman sent son
Trained in military ops
Should have handled it

Son ends up missing
Yet the job was completed
Bird woman was sad

Bird woman had searched
Looking for what had happened
Found someone had cleaned

She found her son’s grave
Outside a Mexican town
She then dug deeper

Found a connection
A business that paid her son
And a certain man

That man was Walters
Walters found out and threatened
To kill family

She dropped out of sight
Began working through proxy
And kept low profile

Smith asks why the ad
The proxy was Smith’s fixer
She needed to talk

Bird woman kept ads
To allow fixer contact
Smith’s ad was one such

Smith asks about bird
Was Puerto Rican hit hers
She tells him it was

Smith presses his luck
Does she have dirt on Walters
And can he have it

Bird woman falters
Worries Walters will find out
And kill family

Smith calls Chuck’s cell phone
Asks Suit for proof of Chuck’s health
Suit sends him picture

Smith shows bird woman
Points out Chuck’s life is at stake
Asks again for dirt

Bird woman agrees
Tells Smith he can have it all
But no more contact

Smith gets out of car
Vicki comes out of hiding
She doesn’t look good

Smith gives her fierce kiss
Calls her silly for leaving
Vicki asks for Chuck

Smith fills Vicki in
Smith doesn’t know where Chuck’s held
Needs to have a plan

Vicki asks for phone
She shows Smith hidden program
Same used to track suits

Smith steals older car
Vicki lies down in the back seat
Yells at Smith for bumps

Chuck’s held in warehouse
Smith looks for a way inside
Vicki sleeps in car

Smith tucks Vicki in
But leaves Vicki a handgun
Kisses her on cheek

Smith opens window
Lets himself inside warehouse
Begins his stalking

Smith turns down hallway
A guard gets the drop on him
Smith is a goner

Guard pauses and smiles
A shot echoes in the hall
Vicki shot the guard

Smith blows her a kiss
Worries shot might cause Chuck harm
Smith takes off at run

Smith bursts in on Suits
Smith drops one Suit with one shot
Second Suit grabs Chuck

Smith drops his weapon
Suit turns his gun onto Smith
Chuck head butts the gun

Shot goes wide of Smith
Smith dives for his dropped weapon
Chuck is pushed to floor

Vicki enters room
Suit fires, but misses her
Smith drops second Suit

Vicki cuts Chuck free
Smith rifles through second Suit
Finds federal badge

Vicki sits to rest
Smith asks Chuck about others
Chuck says others left

Smith does a quick search
Does not find Chuck’s burner phone
Decides to call it

Suit answers the phone
Smith lets Suit know that Smith knows
Suits work the Feds

Suit hangs up the phone
Smith brings up tracking program
Shows Suit is nearby

Smith begins to swear
They grab the bodies and leave
They put Suits in trunk.

Smith begins to drive
Black SUV jumps on tail
Smith asks how they know

Smith pulls a hard right
SUV begins to shoot
Vicki returns fire

Chuck ducks down in back
Vicki goes in Smith’s pocket
Smith asks Vicki “Now?”

Vicki takes out phone
She throws it out the window
Smith makes a hard left.

Traffic gets heavy
Police are now responding
Smith gets low on gas

Smith loses the Suits
Police are getting closer
Smith sees bridge ahead

Vicki, Chuck get out
Smith drives car at bridge rolls free
Car sinks out of sight

Smith looks for transport
Police are getting closer
Vicki passes out

Chuck asks what is next
Smith gives Vicki a small kiss
Grabs Chuck and they run

Smith pauses, looks back
Police rush to help Vicki
Chuck pulls Smith away

They run for alley
Looking for a quiet place
Somewhere without eyes

Smith looks for new car
Chuck yells about more trouble
SUV is near

Smith loses his cool
Pulls out his gun and fires
SUV crashes

Smith checks SUV
Everyone is dead or out
Smith finds explosives

Smith puts some in bag
Hands that to Chuck, grabs a gun
Takes a badge as well

They wire SUV
Using the rest of plastique
Adds remote start

Just about to leave
One Suit begins to come to
Begs Smith for mercy

Smith asks for info
Suit tells Smith about Walters
Walters wants Smith dead

Smith asks the Suit why
Suit tells Smith he doesn’t know
Walters didn’t tell

Chuck announces done
Smith tells Suit to enjoy death
Suit pleads for his life

Smith tells Suit he’s safe
Smith and Chuck run from the scene
Smith hits the trigger

Explosion rocks street
Nothing much left of the van
Street looks like war zone

Chuck asks why do that
Smith points out in war you kill
Sends the right message

Chuck is not happy
He asks what about Vicki
She is still at risk

Smith points out she’s safe
She will be at hospital
Under police watch

Chuck asks how that helps
Feds make people disappear
Vicki is not safe

Smith nods, he was wrong
They need to die to escape
Then Walters won’t care

They find car nearby
Sirens in all directions
Smith just drives away

Chuck wants to know plan
Smith talks about bird woman
Need to get her proof

It is getting dark
They drive to cemetery
Chuck gets weirded out

Smith finds his headstone
Wiggles it out of the ground
Waterproof sack found

Hands Chuck money, keys
Tells him they need burner phone
Will pick up new car

They replace headstone
Drive stolen car into swamp
Hitchhike into town

Retrieve Smith’s stashed cars
Chuck buys a few more burners
Smith has them split up

Vicki awakes cuffed
The Suits have the room staked out
Suit tells her she is bait

Smith looks at cell phone
Dials number then just listens
He likes what he hears

Smith hangs up cell phone
Drives onto the interstate
And heads out of town

Chuck ducks into room
Crappy hotel has good view
Hospital down road

Suits threatens Vicki
Smith better show up real soon
Or she will be dead

Suit gets a phone call
He announces change in plans
Time to hit the road

Smith finds dark cabin
Breaks in, searches the fire place
Finds a black notebook

Smith reads contents, smiles
Opens up his burner phone
There is no signal

Chuck continues watch
Sees an ambulance, escort
He hurriedly leaves

Smith drives down highway
Gets signal, begins to call
Lights begin to flash

Vicki bounces, moans
Suit laughs, tells driver hit more
Vicki passes out

Smith hides gun on seat
Officer points at Smith’s phone
No hands free device

Smith gives his papers
Officer goes to check them
Smith moves gun closer

Smith hopes ID works
Nervous that Walters would know
Doesn’t want to kill

Officer comes back
Gives Smith a warning this time
Go buy a headset

Smith thanks officer
Drives off, but listens to cop
Calls on speakerphone

Chuck doesn’t pick up
Burner still in hotel room
Chuck left it in haste

Smith swears, pulls over
Calls Walters’ state office
Talks about notebook

Smith says he’ll call back
Vicki better be alive
Smith turns off cell phone

Suit in ambulance
Answers his cell phone, listens
Vicki pretends to sleep

Suit questions caller
He swears and punches the van
They need her alive

Smith heads to hideout
Looking for Chuck’s laser sight
And a meal and drink

Smith picks up cell phone
Dials Walters’ office again
Aide gives him number

Smith shuts off cell phone
Takes out a new burner phone
Calls the new number

Suit answers the call
Smith asks for proof Vicki still lives
Suit tells Smith one sec.

Suit brings up camera
Vicki kicks the Suit in groin
Screams for Smith to run

Vicki is beaten
She blacks out again, bleeding
Suit picks back up phone

Smith says that’s enough
Threatens to kill them all if
Vicki is harmed more

Suit tells Smith, “Shove it.”
Commands Smith to surrender
And bring Chuck in too

Smith laughs at the Suit
Claims Chuck died in explosion
That blew up Suit’s van

Suit doesn’t believe
Smith tells him check DNA
Suit hangs up on Smith

Smith swears at his phone
Throws it across the front seat
Phone begins to ring

Smith slams on the breaks
He pulls over to get phone
Cell phone stops ringing

Smith looks at display
Caller ID shows no number
Smith punches dashboard

Smith slams it in drive
Phone begins to ring again
Smith swears and answers

Chuck is on the line
He followed the ambulance
Knows where they have her

Smith tells Chuck lay low
Now has an ace in the whole
Gets Chuck’s location

Smith meets up with Chuck
Behind security firm
Vicki is inside

Chuck wants to rush in
Smith wonders how it will end
Wants to finish it

Smith calls for pizza
Has it delivered to Suits
Suits don’t look happy

Smith calls the Suit back
Asks how he likes his pizza
Suit threatens Vicki

Smith proposes meet
He’ll bring the dirt on Walters
Suit will bring Vicki

Suit doesn’t want deal
He’s going to kill Vicki
Smith hangs up the phone

Chuck thinks Smith lost it
Chuck demands the phone, hits Smith
Smith pulls gun on Chuck

Chuck stops, backs away
Vicki is as good as dead
Chuck begins to walk

Smith yells stop at Chuck
He knows what he is doing
A gun shot is heard

Chuck lunges at Smith
Smith pistol whips Chuck. Chuck falls.
Smith tells Chuck, “Calm down.”

Smith pulls out cell phone
Suit answers with deep laughter
Knows Smith is close by

Smith responds of course
I want to watch explosion
When I press trigger

Suit doesn’t believe
Smith tells Suit he killed Vicki
Smith will have revenge

Smith hears Vicki yell
Suit tells Smith she is alive
But she is bleeding

Smith offers meeting
Everyone gets what they want
Or Smith cuts loses

Suit needs some more time
To ask his boss what he wants
Smith wants an answer

Suit promises help
Doesn’t want Vicki to die
At least not quite yet

Chuck gets up off floor
He’s about to say something
When Smith knocks him out

Suit asks what was that
Smith tells Suit to call his boss
He has ten minutes

Smith splashes water
Chuck wakes up again, jumps up
Smith keeps gun on Chuck

Chuck sneers at Smith, “Why?”
Smith points out Suits think Chuck’s dead
It’s their only shot

Smith calls the Suits back
Suit says the boss man agreed
They will set up meet

Smith counter offers
Tells Suits to meet at diner
Where they found cell phone

Smith wants Walters there
Smith will be there in ninety
If not then no deal

Smith hangs up the phone
Asks Chuck about Twitter friends
Would they help again?

Suit enters diner
Smith shakes head, gets up to leave
Walters walks in too

Smith looks for Vicki
Asks why she isn’t here too
Walters points finger

Walters gives Smith deal
Smith gives Walters the notebook
Vicki gets to live

Walters continues
If not I will kill you now
And Vicki dies too

Smith counter offers
Walters lets Vicki go free
Notebook stays hidden

Walters laughs at that
Why would he negotiate?
He has all the cards

Smith asks about dirt
Stuff the notebook talks about
Like bird woman’s son

Walters doesn’t care
Admits to killing the man
He was a weak point

“Is Vicki one too?”
Asks Smith as he gets angry
Suit produces gun

Walters laughs at Smith
Hand over the notebook now
I am done playing

Smith tells Walters no
Walters will have to kill him
Just like the others

Walters smiles, stands up
Tells Smith to enjoy his life
What little is left

Smith asks about Chuck
Suit reminds Smith Chuck is dead
Smith reveals his lie

Right now Walters’ words
Are broadcasting on Twitter
The world will soon know

Smith reveals the wire
Asks if Walters is joking
Gives Walters an out

Walters looks pissed off
But agrees to just joking
Part of a role play

Smith asks for Vicki
Walters tells him where she is
Walters turns to leave

Smith reminds Walters
They will be in touch very soon
Or Chuck will broadcast

Walters understands
Nothing done is personal
Business decisions

Smith agrees with that
Asks about compensation
Just to make things right

Walters gets pissed off
Is Smith trying to blackmail?
Smith pushes too far

Smith fires right back
Everything is personal
Business decisions

Walters flips the bird
If you’re smart you’ll disappear
With that he walked out

Suit offers Smith job
Likes attention to detail
Smith has that in spades

Smith turns down offer
But gives Suit a business card
Might do freelance work

Smith races down road
Sees Vicki leaning on sign
He slams on the brakes

Smith picks Vicki up
Gives her a ferocious kiss
Vicki groans from wounds

Smith puts Vicki down
He tries to apologize
Vicki kisses him

Vicki looks around
Wonders how Smith pulled it off
And where is Chuck now

Smith lets her in car
Tells her just wait till you hear
What we can do next

Walters sits at desk
Calls for Suit to come help him
Suit doesn’t show up

Walters tries again
Phone doesn’t seem to connect
Walters smashes it

Walters screams for Suit
Yells he wants some help right now
Head grows a new hole

Suit comes running in
Walters lies in blood puddle
Suit smiles, then calls help

Smith meets up with Chuck
Vicki is in the car too
Chuck asks what is next

Smith’s phone starts ringing
Smith answers, asks Chuck, Vicki
Do we want a job?

Suit hangs up cell phone
Puts away Smith’s business card
Time to go to work

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