Blood Money

Part 1

November 30, 2000 (Green)

Written by: Shawn Ryan & Mere Smith

Teaser

EXT. CORDELIA'S APT - NIGHT - STOCK ESTABLISH

INT. CORDELIA'S APT - NIGHT

CLOSE ON WESLEY -- grim-faced, eyeing an unseen opponent.

WESLEY
You think I don't have what it takes?

CLOSE ON GUNN -- also grim-faced.

GUNN
I know you don't have what it takes.

WIDER -- a Western Tableau -- Wes and Gunn face one another across Cor's dining room table. (Don't see what's on table.)

WESLEY
I guess we'll just have to find out.

Gunn's eyes flick to Wesley's fist as he brings it up slowly.

GUNN
Go on, English, make your move
-- it'll be your last.

Wesley opens his hand. In it are three dice. PAN FROM Wesley's open hand to table where a Risk Game is in its final stages. Gunn brings up his hand, in it are two dice. Both men roll their dice simultaneously. Beat, then:

GUNN
(triumphant)
And I now rule Europe, Australia
and South America.

Wes sits dejectedly.

WESLEY
I've still got Kamchatka.

GUNN
Three fifths of the world covered
in water, the rest covered in me!

WESLEY
Shut up.

CORDELIA shuffles in from her bedroom in bathrobe and fuzzy slippers, looking sleepy (not glamour make-up and coif.)

CORDELIA
Fun as it is having you guys over
day and night, it's getting kind of late.

WESLEY
It's only seven-thirty.

CORDELIA
Really? Oh, in that case: get out.

WESLEY
What if you get a vision?

CORDELIA
I'll call you.

GUNN
What if Angel --?

They both look at him.

CORDELIA
I thought we weren't going to
say the "A" word.

GUNN
Oh yeah, let's not say the A-Word,
lets just spend our lives sitting
around waiting for him to call.

WESLEY
We're not waiting for him to call.
The man fired us. We're on our
own now, a separate unit,
fighting the good fight.

GUNN
Mmm hmm, with no plan or
office or business cards of our own.

Beat. Wes looks to Cor.

WESLEY
He's never going to call, is he.

She shakes her head, just a little sadly. Another beat, the three of them accepting the inevitable.

WESLEY
Right. I'll tell you the first thing
we're scrapping…

WESLEY
(digs rumpled card out of pocket)
… these stupid calling cards.

CORDELIA
They're not stupid! I designed
them. That's an Angel.

WESLEY
The universal symbol of the one
thing we don't have.

GUNN
That's an Angel? Looks like a
lobster with a… growth or --

Cor grunts, grabs card.

GUNN
We'll make our own logo.

WESLEY
Something sleek but edgy.

GUNN
Something that lets you know,
you need help, we're there.

WESLEY
Exactly. Danger is our business --
we'll catch you when you fall.

GUNN
Oh, I like that.

Cor suddenly grabs her head and falls (simultaneously with Gunn's last line above) violently out of their THREE SHOT, catching Gunn and Wes unaware.

ANGLE - FLOOR

CORDELIA
Gyahhh!

They both lean down -- she is in the throes of a terrible vision. (We won't see it.) They help her sit up.

WESLEY
Easy… breathe, breathe…

GUNN
What is it? What do you got?

Her eyes pop open. She's just seen something horrible.

CORDELIA
It's got two heads, it breathes fire,
it's gigantic… and it's rising up in
the sewers beneath the Kenyard
School for Girls.

Gunn and Wes grab weapons, head for door. Cordy lies back on the floor.

CORDELIA
You shouldn't go alone…

As her eyes close,

EXT. STREET #1 - NIGHT

ANGEL makes his way down the sidewalk, head lowered. A GUY ON A BICYCLE zips toward him, and Angel sidesteps him, keeps moving, looking back over his shoulder at the guy.

When Angel turns back around, he runs SMACK INTO a GIRL (ANNE) carrying a box full of clothes. The box goes flying, spilling its contents on the sidewalk.

ANGEL
I'm sorry.

He crouches down, starts helping her re-pack the box.

ANNE
No, no, it's me. I didn't hurt you,
did I?

ANGEL
(shakes his head)
Fine.

ANNE
(hurried)
I'm just -- I couldn't see over the
box, I was rushing, I'm late for work…

Angel picks up a particularly garish striped shirt.

ANGEL
You do clown work?

Anne laughs.

ANNE
Just some old clothes that got
donated.

ANGEL'S POV -- the BOX, marked "East Hills Teen Center".

ANGEL
East Hills Teen Center.
(she looks up, surprised)
It's on the box.

Anne looks at the box.

ANNE
Oh. Right.

ANGEL
(gesturing behind her)
You missed one.

Anne turns, looks, grabs a jacket lying on the sidewalk.

ANNE
Thanks.

Angel stands, holding the box. Anne throws the jacket into it, and is about to take the box from his hands when --

ANNE
Oh. Whoops. Sorry. Hold on.

She bends down, picks up her PURSE, slings it over her shoulder, then takes the box from Angel.

ANNE
Okay. I think I'm good.
(then)
I'm really sorry.

ANGEL
No problem.

ANNE
(re: clothes)
They're for the kids. We close in a
couple hours, and there's always a
feeding frenzy when a new batch
comes in.

ANGEL
You work with runaways?

ANNE
Some of them. Some are from here,
just don't have anywhere else to go.
We give 'em food, clothes,
somewhere to stay, if they need it.

ANGEL
That's good. It's good that someone's…
it's good to do.

An awkward pause.

ANNE
Well… I'm late.

ANGEL
Right.

ANNE
See you around.

ANGEL
Uh huh…

Angel nods. As she heads off, Angel turns and watches her go. Almost as though she's touched him somehow --

INT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - ANGEL'S ROOM - NIGHT

Angel walks through the door, moves to his desk. Takes something out of his pocket, starts to put it on the desk --

ANGLE ON: AN OPEN WALLET, being placed on the desk. The driver's license says: ANNE STEELE, and, sure enough, there's Anne's picture. Angel has stolen her wallet.

The camera MOVES OFF the wallet, down the desk, seeing a SURVEILLANCE PHOTO OF ANNE. The camera then ARMS UP to the WALL, to find a line of PHOTOGRAPHS -- all of Anne, in various locales and at different times.

As we TRACK DOWN this line, we come to the last photo: Anne, talking to LINDSEY MACDONALD.

BLACK OUT

END OF TEASER

Act One

INT. MERL'S LAIR - NIGHT

MERL, our demon informant, is putting on his jacket, moving to the door. As he reaches for the knob -- BOOM! The door flies open, smashing Merl in the face. Angel stands in the doorway. Merl holds his nose, apparently in great pain.

ANGEL
Evening, Merl.

MERL
By doze! You broke by doze!

Angel just looks at him. Merl drops the hand, and the act.

MERL
What do you want, man?
I ain't inviting you in.

Angel nods, steps over the threshold, looks around the room.

ANGEL
Couldn't find you at any
of the bars, Merl.
(off Merl's look)
Demon lairs. No invitation
necessary.

MERL
Yeah, but it's polite.

ANGEL
You avoiding me, Merl? I
ask you a favor and you
avoid me? That's impolite.

MERL
Well, nearly drownin' me and
leavin' me hangin' in a sewer
ain't exactly Emily Post, either.

ANGEL
Okay. So we're both rude. I
can live with that. Now do
you have the information I want,
or do I get to see what the
inside of your head looks like?

Merl sighs, walks over to a beanbag chair, sits.

MERL
Fine. I checked out the girl.
She's clean. Changed her
name a couple times, but no
record.

ANGEL
What's her connection to
Wolfram and Hart?

MERL
Easy. She runs a shelter over
on Crenshaw. Couple months
ago they almost lost the lease
on the place. Wolfram and Hart
steps in, clears it all up pro bono,
and there you go.

ANGEL
But she's still working with them.

MERL
You know so much, whaddya
need me for? Come to think of
it, why do you need me? What
happened to that hot chick who
worked for ya?

ANGEL
Pro bono, huh? There's gotta
be an angle.

MERL
Always is. But as far as I can tell,
the shelter itself's strictly legit.

Angel takes that in, nods, moves to the door. Merl stands.

MERL
Hey! What about my hundred bucks?

ANGEL
I'll owe you.

He turns to the door, then turns back again.

ANGEL
But only if you use it for new
furniture. Bean bag chairs?
(disappointed)
Merl.

He leaves. Off Merl, insulted --

INT. SEWER TUNNEL - NIGHT

A long dark tunnel, scary. We hear FOOTSTEPS. Gunn and Wes, armed to the teeth, move into frame.

GUNN
So it's big.

Wes nods.

GUNN
And fire breathing.

Wes nods again.

GUNN
A big, two-headed, fire
breathing --

WESLEY
(shut up!)
I think we all have the picture
here, Gunn. He's not a teddy
bear. And he probably shouldn't
be attending the Kenyard School
for Girls.

Quiet beat as they move on.

GUNN
You know right about now I
wouldn't mind having --

WESLEY
Don't say it. We don't have him
and it's not going to do any good
wishing we did.

GUNN
I was going to say some dynamite.

WESLEY
Oh. Dynamite. Maybe it's not too
late to go back and --

They hear just a TREMENDOUS ROAR from the end of the tunnel.

They fall silent, edge up to the opening, combat ready. They exchange a look -- they then both sneak a quick look around the corner, Wes high, Gunn low, weapons ready.

They whip back fast, both flattened against the wall. They speak in urgent whispers.

WESLEY
Oh God.

GUNN
Damn tunnel's at least twenty feet
tall -- he was crouching.

They are so scared.

WESLEY
We'll take another look, then we'll --

GUNN
Die.

Again they sneak a look.

WESLEY
Wait, wait… till his back is
turned… now!

They pivot into the cave and pivot right back out as a HUGE STREAM OF FLAMES shoot right past.

GUNN
I thought she said he breathed fire.

Another beat, they look at each other and -- both let out KILLER WAR CRIES --

WES AND GUNN
DAAHHHHHHHHH!!

And charge around the corner out of sight. Off their war cries,

INT. EAST HILLS TEEN CENTER - NIGHT

Anne talks to a HISPANIC WOMAN, mid 20's.

ANNE
Then you tell him no. Benny knows
the rules -- he's not coming in here
drunk. You turn him out -- don't
even listen to him.

The Woman nods, moves off. Anne turns around to see:

ANNE'S POV -- Angel is standing in the middle of the room, carrying a brown paper GROCERY BAG.

ANGLE ON ANGEL, as Anne approaches.

ANNE
Hey! Guy I ran over!

ANGEL
Hey -- girl who ran over me.

ANNE
You can call me Anne. It's shorter.

ANGEL
Angel.

They shake hands.

ANGEL
I brought some… I don't know
if they're any good.

He shows the contents of the bag to Anne -- clothes.

ANNE
That's great! We can take 'em
over here.

She takes the bag, and they move over to a table that has other clothing donations on top of it (boxes and bags with clothes in them, etc.)

ANNE
Now let's see -- what do you got?

Anne sets Angel's bag down, then pulls out the top item -- a lacy, frilly DRESS.

ANNE
Well, that's… not what I
expected. What's the matter --
doesn't fit you anymore?

ANGEL
I like a longer hemline.
(off her look)
A friend left her clothes at my
place. I won't be seeing her
any time soon, so I figured --

ANNE
(sympathetic)
Ex-girlfriend?

ANGEL
God, no. I mean, just, no.

Anne finishes unloading the clothes, turns back to Angel.

ANNE
I really appreciate -- we really
appreciate this. Every little bit
helps, you know?

ANGEL
Just wish I could do more.

ANNE
Well, if you're not busy -- you
up for a tour?

INT. EAST HILLS TEEN CENTER - ANNE'S OFFICE - NIGHT

Anne enters (sans bag now), Angel behind her.

ANNE
And here's the vibrant nerve
center of our massive corporation.

ANGEL
Wow. It's, uh --

ANNE
Small. I know. But I'm hardly
ever in here.

Angel notices the COT tucked back behind the desk.

ANGEL
You just come in for naps?

Anne sees what he's looking at.

ANNE
Oh, that. Nah, sometimes I'm here
so late, it's just easier than going home.
(then)
So, what do you think?

ANGEL
I think this place is amazing. And
it runs on donations?

ANNE
Every last penny.

ANGEL
Gotta be tough, trying to stay ahead.

ANNE
It is -- but thankfully we have a
guardian angel.

ANGEL
Guardian angel?

ANNE
Wolfram and Hart -- it's a law firm.
They've been a godsend the last
couple months. Bailed us out of an
eviction, defended some of our more
"troubled" youths…

ANGEL
They sound like saints.

ANNE
(nods)
As far as I'm concerned. They're the
ones that came up with the idea for
the big Hold Up.

ANGEL
(darkens)
Hold up.

ANNE
Charity ball. It's a fundraiser for
the center -- big TV celebrities
pretending to "rob" the guests of
their donations. Wild West theme.
It's gonna be big.

ANGEL
And Wolfram and Hart's picking
up the tab?

ANNE
They're donating everything, from
the music to the food, plus they
have connections to all the TV stars --

ANGEL
That's not surprising…

ANNE
It's good for their image, I guess.
And it's a pretty dorky theme,
but hey, whatever it takes, right?

ANGEL
Right.

Anne beams. Off Angel --

INT. MERL'S LAIR - NIGHT

Merl is tying up the trash. He picks up the bag, moves to the door -- BOOM! The door FLIES open, knocking Merl down.

MERL
Doesn't anybody knock?

REVEAL -- the doorway, where BOONE stands.

BOONE
You Merl?

Merl sizes up this very large, intimidating demon.

MERL
Merl? Merl who? My name's Ed Silverman.

Boone steps into the room, towering over Merl.

BOONE
You're Angel's lackey.

MERL
No I'm not --

Boone takes another step toward Merl, his BOOT landing on Merl's HAND. Merl winces.

MERL
Ow! Independent contractor.
Independent contractor!

BOONE
And what do you do for him?

MERL
Pictures! Ow! I take -- ow ow OW!

Boone lifts his boot. Merl cradles his hand. Boone starts wandering around Merl's lair, not even looking at Merl.

BOONE
Pictures?

MERL
Surveillance, ya know? I dig dirt,
check people out for him -- not
that he appreciates it. Who the
hell are you, anyway? IRS?

BOONE
Angel and I have a history.
(more to himself)
An unfinished history.

Merl gets to his feet.

MERL
Yeah? That's real nice. You two
go to college together?

BOONE
(ignoring him)
These people you "check out"-
who are they? Friends? Enemies?

Boone finally turns to face Merl. His stare is lethal.

BOONE
What does Angel care about?

MERL
(now nervous)
I -- I don't really know. Last thing
he had me do was follow some
chick does charity work.

Boone turns around again. Merl starts sidling to the door.

BOONE
Why?

MERL
Well, between you and me, it ain't
about the girl. It's Wolfram and Hart.

BOONE
Wolfram and Hart. Who are they?

MERL
Law firm. Technically. More like
Evil Incorporated -- and lately Angel's
been gunnin' for 'em. 'Specially
these two lawyers…

Boone turns, and Merl freezes, mere inches from the door. Boone crosses and suddenly GRABS Merl around the throat.

BOONE
Tell me about the lawyers.

INT. WOLFRAM AND HART PARKING GARAGE - NIGHT

A pair of shapely legs quickly step through the deserted parking garage. CAMERA ARMS up past the briefcase to reveal LILAH moving to her car. Shmucky with the bait. She's sensing something… a woman alone in a place like this would, anyway. She hurries to her car. Aims her key chain, disarms the alarm.

INT. / EXT. LILAH'S PARKED CAR - PARKING GARAGE - NIGHT

Lilah climbs behind the wheel. Pulls the door shut, locks it. She inserts her key into the ignition. Senses that presence again. Shakes it off. Starts her car. Puts it in reverse. Adjusts her rearview mirror --

CLOSE REARVIEW MIRROR

Just the empty backseat and the parking garage beyond.

LILAH

Looks over her shoulder and GASPS --

ANGEL

Is sitting in the backseat.

ANGEL
Lilah. I just had to drop by and
congratulate you on the big promotion.
Co-vice president of special projects.
Wow. That's super. You deserve it.
Yeah. That and, well -- so much more.

LILAH
Angel…

ANGEL
(cutting her off)
But you know what the really special
part is?

All she can manage is a tiny head shake.

ANGEL
When I think that maybe, in my small
way, I helped make it happen for ya --
I just feel all good.

She makes an instinctive move for the driver's door -- Angel's hands clamp down on her shoulders. She can't move.

LILAH
Angel… I can assure you, now that
Lindsey and I are in a position to
affect policy, things will change --

ANGEL
Change? Well -- yeah. 'Cause I get it now.

LILAH
"It?"

ANGEL
The game. Kinda fun actually when you
know the rules -- I mean… when you
know there aren't any. I see how it works.
You screw with me. And screw with me.
And screw with me… and now -- I screw
with you.

LILAH
Uh…

ANGEL
It's gonna be great!

LILAH
Angel, please…

ANGEL
(cheerfully)
No, no, no.

Angel leans in over the back of the seat, cheek-to-cheek.

ANGEL
The begging comes later.

And WHOOSH. Angel's gone, the back door creaking open. Off Lilah, scared shitless --

EXT. LOS ANGELES SKYLINE - NIGHT TO DAY

Flashy-cutty transition…

INT. WOLFRAM AND HART - LINDSEY'S OFFICE - DAY

Lindsey and a noticeably perturbed Lilah.

LILAH
He was in my car!

LINDSEY
And yet, here you are, still alive.
He was just trying to spook you.

LILAH
It worked!

LINDSEY
Relax. He doesn't kill humans.
(beat, remembering the wine cellar)
At least not with his own hands.

LILAH
He's not playing by the old rules any more.

Before Lindsey can respond, his INTERCOM buzzes.

ASSISTANT (V.O.)
Mr. McDonald, your ten o'clock is here.

LINDSEY
I don't have a ten o'clock.

ASSISTANT (V.O.)
Well, I'm not telling him that.

Mildly perturbed, Lindsey moves to the door, opens it. Boone stands there. Lindsey keeps his cool.

LINDSEY
Sorry, but I'm afraid I'm all booked up
this morning.

Boone enters, moves past Lindsey.

BOONE
Shut the door.

Beat. Lindsey shuts the door.

LINDSEY
Won't you come in, Mr…?

BOONE
Call me Boone.
(eyes Lilah)
You the better half of this team?

LILAH
I like to think so. We run the Special
Projects Division together. Did you
have a special project?

BOONE
More like a grudge. With a fella named
Angel. That's where you two come in.

BLACK OUT

END OF ACT ONE

Act Two

INT. WOLFRAM AND HART - LINDSEY'S OFFICE - DAY

Boone talks as he glides around the room as if he owns it. Lindsey and Lilah stand, not totally unintimidated.

BOONE
Haven't seen Angel since Juarez in
the Twenties. We got into a little
disagreement over a señorita. I called
him out. We fought for three and a
half hours.

LINDSEY
Obviously, you both survived.

BOONE
(offended)
I was working on a three-day drunk at
the time. I wasn't at my peak.

LILAH
How'd it end?

BOONE
Sun came up and I let him go.

LILAH
You let him go? Why?

Boone looks at them with disdain.

BOONE
Sun came up. Would've been too easy.
You people know anything about honor?
(beat, no, they don't)
Anyway, life is long when you're eternal --
always figured I'd cross his path again. Lo
and behold, I'm in a karaoke bar downtown
and I get wind of this lizard demon Merl who
sometimes does favors for the vampire with
a soul. I find Merl and he tells me Angel's
planning on bringin' you two down.

LINDSEY
Did he happen to mention how?

BOONE
Don't know, don't care. All I do know is
when he comes for you, he's gonna find
me instead.

LINDSEY
I like it, and I'll tell you why. Because of
the finding you instead part. How much
do you charge?

BOONE
This isn't about money, this is about
knowing.

LILAH
Knowing what?

BOONE
Who's better -- him or me?

LILAH
If you're talking about killing Angel,
I'm afraid we can't help you.

LINDSEY
(to Boone)
Would you excuse me and my associate
for one moment?

BOONE
Of course.

Lindsey opens the door to the hallway, indicates for Lilah to exit with him. She does. Lindsey follows after her, closing the door behind him.

INT. WOLFRAM AND HART - HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS

Lindsey and Lilah huddle, speak in hushed tones.

LINDSEY
I'm going to use my discretionary fund,
bring him on board.

LILAH
Aren't you forgetting something? The
senior partners want Angel alive.

LINDSEY
So?

LILAH
So what if this guy's as good as he thinks
and actually kills Angel?

As Lindsey sheds mock tears and wipes at his eyes with his artificial hand --

LINDSEY
Boo hoo. Let me wipe away the tears with
my plastic hand.

LILAH
Hey, Napoleon. We're co-vice presidents.
This plan of yours explodes, we both end
up in tiny pieces.

LINDSEY
Do you want Angel hitchin' another ride in
your back seat? So to speak.
(beat, off her silence)
Besides, if he's not going to play by the old
rules… why should we?

INT. ANGEL'S HOTEL - ANGEL'S ROOM - DAY

Angel stands in front of the wall with all the photos, arms crossed. For a moment, he just stares at them -- then he picks up Anne's wallet, looks at her driver's license…

INT. CORDELIA'S APT - DAY

Wes and Gunn, in fresh clothes but bruised and battered from their fight, regale Cor with last night's adventures. The guys drink 40 Dogs from the can.

WESLEY
It's the biggest thing you've ever seen.

GUNN
And me and English here are just getting'
stomped, duckin' flames…

WESLEY
It hurls me into the outflow drain --

GUNN
-- but you come crawling back, stinkin',
screamin' curses -- the mouth on this boy!

WESLEY
And Gunn hits him from behind, yelling
"look at us when we kill you!" And both
its heads turn --

GUNN
Then SHONNNK! Wes buries his ax in
head number one --

WESLEY
-- and Gunn's running him through, pulling
out intestines the size of your leg --

GUNN
-- we turned him inside out.

CORDELIA
You weren't scared?

WESLEY
Oh mother in heaven --

GUNN
-- pants wetting, begging the Lord to spare
you kind of scared.

CORDELIA
But you did it.

GUNN
No. We did it. All of us.

WESLEY
All of us. Together.

Gunn slams a beer into Cor's hand.

GUNN
To us!

WESLEY
To us!

CORDELIA
To us!

They smash beer cans together. Oh yeah, there's spillage, Cor's laughing now. They drink, then:

CORDELIA
I did something -- I hope you guys don't
mind -- I started looking for an office,
you know for our new agency.

WESLEY
Our new agency!

GUNN
Our new agency!

Wes and Gunn smash their 40 Dogs together again, drink.

CORDELIA
There's a little place not that far from here.
It's not much, but…

GUNN
So why are we still standing here?

They exchange a look, all head for the door.

GUNN
Our new agency!

WESLEY
The Wyndam-Pryce Agency!

Cor and Gunn stop on a dime.

COR AND GUNN
The what?

WESLEY
You don't like it? But it's classy.

CORDELIA
It's stuffy. The Chase Agency has
the right ring.

WESLEY
Why?

CORDELIA
Because it's my name.

GUNN
Wes, Ms. Chase, only one player here
with the name that strikes dread in the
demon heart.

CORDELIA
What, Gunn? Oh yeah, that's so original.
I've got a gun and my name is Gunn, I'm
all gunny -- AND I've got a gunny sack.
I'm a gunny bear!

WESLEY
Wyndam-Price says everything you need to --

COR AND GUNN
Shut up!

CUT TO:

INT. MERL'S LAIR - DAY

Merl enters his lair, carrying some Chinese take-out. He gets one step through the door before he's GRABBED by a pair of BIG HANDS. His Chinese food goes flying.

CLOSE ON MERL -- being SLAMMED face-first into a wall, then pinned there. He (and we) can't see who's holding him.

MERL
You gotta be kidding me!

He gets SLAMMED into the wall again.

MERL
I swear I didn't rat on ya, Angel! I
didn't say nothin' to that guy.

LILAH (O.S.)
(pleasantly)
Shut up, Merl.

We WIDEN TO REVEAL that Lilah is sitting on the edge of Merl's card table. Two BEEFY THUGS accompany her, one of whom now spins Merl around to face her.

MERL
Does everybody know where I live?
I gotta get myself a new lair.

LILAH
Merl. Lilah. And now that we're past the
pleasantries -- we've heard you do favors
for Angel. We'd like to know what those
favors are.

MERL
Yeah, well, I don't just go around sellin'
out my pals.
(beat)
How much you gonna pay?

LILAH
I'm sure you'll find our offer competitive.

Beefy Thug #1 SOCKS Merl in the face. Merl yelps.

MERL
Sheez. I wouda taken a credit card --

LILAH
(warning)
Merl.

Beefy Thug #1 cocks his arm back for another punch.

MERL
Okay.
(to Beefy Thug)
Down, Fluffy.
(Beefy Thug lets him go)
Last few days I been followin' this girl --

LILAH
(dark)
What girl?

INT. EAST HILLS TEEN CENTER - ANNE'S OFFICE - NIGHT

Anne is working at her desk, filling in a ledger, when she hears a noise, looks up. Putting her pen down, she rises from her desk, moves to the door, exits --

INT. EAST HILLS TEEN CENTER - NIGHT

Big schmucky el bait here. The place is dark, deserted. Anne makes her way to the main area, not a little scared.

ANNE
Hello?
(pause)
Anybody out here?

Nothing. Just some really loud silence. Anne takes one more look, then, as soon as she turns to go back to her office --

ANGEL (O.S.)
Anne.

Anne muffles a shriek, whips around to find Angel standing in the middle of a space that, two seconds ago, no one was in. He holds a fat manila envelope.

ANNE
You scared me to death. What are you
doing here?

ANGEL
I have to talk to you.

ANNE
(half-joking)
Oh boy. You're not stalking me, are you?

ANGEL
Actually, I am.

A beat.

ANNE
Excuse me?

Angel opens the manila envelope and spills its contents onto a ping pong table nearby.

ANGEL
These are pictures I've taken of you.
Surveillance photos. This --
(he pulls her wallet out of his coat)
-- is your wallet. I stole it when we
"accidentally" ran into each other last night.

He puts it on the table, on top of the pictures.

ANGEL
It wasn't an accident.

Anne looks from the wallet to Angel, starts edging backward.

ANNE
I'm calling the police.

ANGEL
Wait. I'm not gonna hurt you. I just
couldn't stand lying to you anymore.

ANNE
Lying about what? That you're a psycho?

ANGEL
I've been following you. It's true. But
not for the reason you think.

ANNE
There's a good one?

ANGEL
Wolfram and Hart -- they're not saints,
Anne. They don't care about you, or
your shelter.

Anne stops.

ANNE
You've followed me because of --

ANGEL
I've checked it out. They'll use your charity
for good publicity. Offer to throw a big
fundraiser. The money rolls in, but wait --
you're not the one counting it, so who knows
how much they keep back right from the start.
Next they give you a list of expenses -- all
very necessary and proper, but then whaddya
know, after a certain number of miscellaneous
-- and untraceable -- fees, you're left with five
percent, tops.

A beat, as Anne takes that in.

ANNE
You follow me, take my picture, steal my wallet
-- what makes you think I'll believe anything you say?

ANGEL
Wolfram and Hart are not what they say they are.
They show the world one face, but it's not the
truth. I can prove it. Everything they say is a lie.

ANNE
(softly)
Guess you have something in common, huh?

But before Angel can respond, the door opens. It's Lindsey.

ANNE
Lindsey?

Lindsey moves to Anne, protective.

LINDSEY
Are you all right?

ANNE
(confused)
Fine, I --

LINDSEY
He didn't hurt you, did he? Believe me,
if I had any idea this man was in contact
with you, I would've come sooner. I'm
just thankful I got here in time.

ANGEL
Very nice. A little over-the-top, but
maybe if you work on that look of
concern --

LINDSEY
(sotto, to Anne)
He's unbalanced, very dangerous.

ANGEL
(menacing)
You haven't seen anything yet.

But just as Angel takes a step toward Lindsey --

BOONE (O.S.)
Angel.

Angel stops, looks at the door, where Boone stands.

BOONE
Been a long time.

Angel looks highly confused. Lindsey speaks to Anne, but never takes his eyes off Angel.

LINDSEY
I brought some protection.

ANGEL
Boone. Working for Wolfram and
Hart. I thought you had integrity.

Boone steps into the room.

BOONE
I do.

Suddenly METAL COILS SHOOT out of his wrists (CGI), wrapping around his hands like brass knuckles.

BOONE
Here's fair warning.

And with that he RUSHES Angel. They begin a knock-down drag-out fight. At first it's the usual -- Angel kicking some ass. But then Boone knocks Angel UP AND OVER the ping-pong table -- then KICKS the table at Angel, smashing him between the table and the wall.

Angel comes back, swinging hard -- but Boone coldcocks him with one of his brass-knuckled fists, and Angel's nose starts to BLEED. Then his mouth. Then he gets a CUT over his eye. It turns out Boone is pretty much kicking the shit out of him.

ANGLE ON ANNE, horrified. Lindsey, standing in front of her (where she can't see), can't stifle a smirk.

Boone sidekicks Angel in the gut, sending him flying across the floor, next to the door. Angel looks up at Boone, unfamiliar fear in his eyes --

-- and Angel runs right out the door.

Boone is about to go after him, but --

LINDSEY
Wait!

Boone turns, pissed. Lindsey approaches him.

BOONE
He's getting away.

LINDSEY
That's fine. As long as he's not
threatening my client.
(close to Boone, sotto)
Soon. But not here.
(regular voice)
Go out to the car; I'll meet you
there. I don't think he'll be back
tonight.

A beat, then Boone moves off, still pissed. Lindsey returns to Anne.

LINDSEY
It's okay. Angel's gone now. You're safe.

Off Anne, bewildered --

BLACK OUT

END OF ACT TWO

Continue on to Part Two

Blood Money

Part 2

November 30, 2000 (Green)

Written by: Shawn Ryan & Mere Smith

Act Three

INT. EAST HILLS TEEN CENTER - NIGHT

Lindsey and Anne stand, talking.

ANNE
That... guy. Who beat up Angel.
He wasn't human.

A beat.

LINDSEY
No.
(then)
You see, Anne, there's... another world.

ANNE
Lindsey. I'm not naïve.

This takes him back a bit. He changes tack --

LINDSEY
Angel isn't human, either. He's a
vampire. A sick, deranged --

ANNE
(steely)
He says you're planning to steal most
of the money from the fundraiser.

LINDSEY
He's lying. There are expenses --
you know how this works, in any
charity event. Especially one this
big. But we don't steal.

ANNE
He says he has proof.

This gives Lindsey pause. Brief pause, but pause nonetheless.

LINDSEY
He's lying about that, too. Who you
gonna trust, Anne? A mentally unstable
vampire, or the people who've worked
day and night, putting together a
fundraiser for your kids.
(beat)
I'd hate to see them lose out because
you made the wrong choice.

A long beat, as Anne tries to figure this out.

ANNE
So he doesn't have proof?

LINDSEY
(reassuring)
He can't have proof.

EXT. STREET #2 - NIGHT

A bookstore, a coffee hangout, a newsstand... that kind of thing. It's bustling along the sidewalk where we find a nervous Lindsey and a manic Lilah walking.

LILAH
He's got proof?!!

LINDSEY
Maybe.

LILAH
But that's what she said?
Angel's got proof.

LINDSEY
Everything's going to be okay.

Lilah stops him.

LILAH
Sure it is, 'cause all we did is
oversee a scheme to steal two
million dollars from a teen
homeless shelter. How did
this happen?!

LINDSEY
If he's got proof, it came from you.

LILAH
Me?

LINDSEY
You opened your mouth to someone --
he probably has it on tape.

LILAH
You're the one with the sporadic
professional death wish. How do
I know you're not on one of your
kamikaze missions, with me as
your co-pilot?

LINDSEY
The only person I talked to about
this was you. Always at my office.
And it's swept for bugs three times
a day. I never discussed stealing
that money in public.

A beat, as they both pause, then slowly turn their heads. The camera PULLS BACK to reveal the numerous people, sitting, walking, milling nearby. Lilah and Lindsey both realize that discussing it in public is exactly what they're doing right now. Everyone and everything seems suddenly suspicious to them.

LILAH
He's got us. That bastard just got
us on tape.

As they both scan the are for Angel's hiding place --

LILAH
What's he going to do with it?

LINDSEY
What do you think? He's going to use
it to humiliate us.

LILAH
The news? He's going to give it to
the news, isn't he? National coverage!

LINDSEY
Not personal enough for him.

LILAH
What then? What's he...

LINDSEY
He has to be there.

LILAH
What? Why?

LINDSEY
To see us swing.
(realizing)
With the bosses watching.

Lindsey whips out his cell phone and punches in some numbers.

LINDSEY
It's me. I want security for the
charity ball doubled. Make sure
we've got a vampire detector there.
(beat)
And contact Boone at the safehouse.
Tell him it's time.

INT. EAST HILLS TEEN CENTER - ANNE'S OFFICE - NIGHT

Angel enters as Anne is distractedly organizing papers.

ANNE
I sorta thought you'd show up again.

ANGEL
You all right?

ANNE
I didn't have a big monster pounding
my face into the floor, so I figure I'm
better than you.

Her tone is distant, cold.

ANGEL
What did Lindsey say about me?

ANNE
That you were a bad man.

ANGEL
A bad man.

ANNE
Well, a psychotic vampire who cut off
his hand, harassed his firm and may be
borderline schizophrenic. I was giving
you the short version.

ANGEL
Do you believe that?

ANNE
Well, I'd say for sure you're a
vampire. Human being would
be in a hospital, the beating you took.

ANGEL
And that doesn't frighten you?

ANNE
A few years ago, it would've been a
big turn-on. I thought vampires were
the coolest.

ANGEL
What happened?

ANNE
I met one.

ANGEL
But you're not afraid of me.

ANNE
Well, I've seen worse things since.
I've seen a 14 year old girl sitting
in her own blood after a rough trick
and dozens of people just walking
right by so no, vampires, demons,
even lawyers pretty much don't
impress me. Maybe you had a real
good reason for cutting off Lindsey's
hand; I don't care. I care about the
shelter. If an "evil law firm" is gonna
help me raise two million dollars --

ANGEL
Which you'll see maybe 5 percent of --

ANNE
Yeah, well, I did the math. I hadda
do it on paper but I'm pretty sure
5 percent of 2 million is a hundred
thousand dollars. That's more than
the shelter could raise in two years.

ANGEL
And the other 95 percent? You don't
care where that's going, who that's hurting?

ANNE
(not entirely resolute)
I can't.

ANGEL
There's blood on that money, Anne.
Are you the person who can just
ignore that? Have you become that
yet? I don't think you have.

ANNE
(faltering)
Ya don't know what it takes to --

Angel interrupts her, holds up a DIGITAL VIDEO TAPE

ANGEL
Help me. Get me into the party.
I put this on, world sees a whole
new side of Wolfram and Hart.

ANNE
Why should I-

ANGEL
Because it's right. In the long run,
it's better.

ANNE
Most of my kids don't have a long
run. No. I'm saying no.

ANGEL
Anne --

ANNE
No.

They stare at each other a moment.

EXT. MUSEUM - NIGHT

A LIMO pulls up to the main entrance. A VALET dressed in a cowboy hat and chaps opens the door, letting the well dressed COUPLE (dark suit for him, dress for her) out. As the couple enters the museum, a SECURITY GUARD (suite, tie, earpiece) passes through frame.

He leads us to ANOTHER SECURITY GUARD. The two men exchange an "all is okay" nod and move off in different directions, their eyes peeled. As they do --

HOLLAND (V.O.)
It can be a dangerous world out there.

EXT. PARK - DAY - VIDEO

We see HOLLAND in CLOSEUP now, looking directly into camera. He wears a fatherly looking sweater.

HOLLAND
Especially for our most vulnerable
citizens. Our children.

We PULL BACK now to reveal Holland is petting a friendly collie who frolics at his feet.

We continue pulling back to see that Holland's image is on a HUGE LARGE SCREEN TV and we are actually in --

INT. MUSEUM - BALLROOM - NIGHT

Site of the big party. In fact there are 3 or 4 smaller LARGE SCREEN TVs also spread around the room, which is filled with as many mingling extras in expensive suits and dresses as we can afford. WAITERS and WAITRESSES dressed as cowboys and dance hall girls, respectively, cater to this ultra-rich crowd.

HOLLAND
Far away from home with little money
and even less hope, too many runaways
find themselves on the streets, over their
heads and under society's radar.

The shot of Holland widens to reveal a (not unattractive) HOMELESS TEENAGE GIRL, shivering on a park bench. Holland continues talking to camera as he walks towards her.

HOLLAND
But there is a place, right here
in Los Angeles, that helps these
troubled kids. The East Hills
Teen Center.

Holland looks at the girl for the first time, offers her his hand. She takes it, rises from the bench. Holland looks back at camera.

HOLLAND
Let me take you there.

The video image changes to an EXTERIOR SHOT of the TEEN CENTER, followed quickly by INTERIOR SHOTS of the center.

Through the next series of scenes, the TVs show shots of teenagers reading books, playing ping pong, painting in an art class, etc.., in the background.

The camera pans down to reveal --

ANNE, taking big sips from her champagne glass. She looks around uncomfortably, then returns to her glass.

LINDSEY (V.O.)
Are we forgetting anything?

INT. MUSEUM - SECURITY OFFICE - NIGHT

Lindsey, Boone and DWIGHT, the head of security for tonight's shindig.

DWIGHT
No, sir. My men are stationed at
every possible entry point, everyone's
in radio contact. And if this vampire
of yours gets within a hundred feet,
Zorn will let us know.

REVEAL ZORN, a vampire detector, hood over his head, sitting in a chair in the back of the room, facing away from them.

LINDSEY
The moment h