DEBT OF HONOR
(Book 1- Matt Kelly, Weapons Master Series)
BY KIRK IRVING KOSKELLA
Third Revision
© 2003, 2008, 2012 Kirk I. Koskella
NAK Filmworks
ESTABLISHING SHOT – INTERIOR NIGHT
DARKENED ROOM – WORKBENCH
MULTI-ANGLED MONTAGE WHILE WORKING
(DARK MUSIC PLAYS)
A single 40 watt light bulb illuminates the bench as a craftsman works diligently on a small puzzle box. We see old misshapen hands, ravaged by arthritis, working their mastery of delicate inlays upon the small wooden box. Placing what appears to be a sealing coat of something. (The building process time-lapsed.) We see several boxes of the same character. Each finished exquisitely, similar but distinctly different.
The hands holding the final box for close inspection – still failing to see the face of its maker. Then, gloved hands handling the box. 5 Boxes in all.
The darkened room begins to glow white…
A WHITE SCREEN – the Brightness of a noonday sun… In the middle of the screen, the following quote comes into focus as if rising from a desert floor’s heat…
“This is a war of unknown warriors;
Let all strive without failing in faith or in duty…”
WINSTON CHURCHILL
The screen dissolves once more to white as we hear screams, sounds of attack, torture and mayhem.
EXTERIOR – DAY
VENTURA BOULEVARD – KARATE STUDIO
POV – ACROSS THE STREET
A new focus coming to a storefront on Ventura Boulevard viewed from across the street. The sounds now recognized as an army of children, all attacking their Karate Instructor.
CUT TO:
INTERIOR – DAY
KARATE STUDIO
Matt Kelly, 40’s, scrambling out from under the pile of 30+ kids making a mountain over his body.
MATT
(Laughing)
Okay. Okay. I give up. YOU WIN!!!
Students begin jumping and cheering as if they just won the greatest prize-fight on earth. Master Kelly, known as Master “K” claps twice and instantly discipline and order replace the chaos. Students race to their positions in line. Master K leads them through traditional bowing to the flags and each other.
After dismissal, all line up to run and jump high to “High 5” master K’s hand, held high. The last child not bothering but running to tackle Master K as the two roll around for a tickle fight. They run off the mat to get changed and head home.
Jimmy Kim, 20 a year old Korean-American, man’s the front desk, smiling as he answers his phone.
CUT TO:
Master K dressed and leaving the studio with a wave:
MATT
Mr. Kim, I’m off to the bank. I won’t be long.
JIMMY
It’s Friday, you better hurry. A three-day, too.
CUT TO:
EXTERIOR DAY- SAME TIME
A routine day. Matt Kelly walks the route to the bank. It’s only a block or two. He stops to say hello, loads groceries in an elderly woman’s car. We get that Matt’s a nice guy and everybody knows and likes him.
CUT TO:
EXTERIOR BANK – DAY (LATE)
As Matt reaches the bank, he is met by Security Guard “Charlie” (mid to late sixties). Matt offers his hand in deference and respect.
CHARLIE
Hello Mr. Kelly. You just made it. We got busy at the
last minute. Only 10 minutes to closing.
MATT
Thanks, Charlie. Good lookin’ out. Hey, wait a minute.
Aren’t you supposed to be retiring soon?
CHARLIE
Only 11 days, thank you. Then it’s just me and the missus.
INTERIOR BANK – LOBBY
SAME TIME
The two men enter the bank – all smiles. Charlie holds the door as the two enter. Two men, dressed in full body armor rush in from nowhere behind Charlie pushing the two inside as the far door shows three additional armed men enter. Body Armor and Face-plates on each.
INTERIOR BANK – SAME TIME
People are being thrown to the floor as the camera shifts between patrons and gunmen. Charlie comes face to face with one gunman. A Korean man in his late fifties to early sixties (well dressed, athletic build) moves back slowly against the wall. Matt is near Charlie – Not close enough to assist.
Face-to-face with the first gunman, Charlie realizes what is happening, moving his hand to his gun. Before he can do anything, the gunman fires twice – point blank. Charlie falls grabbing the gunman’s face-plate, pulling it off. This reveals a kind looking face. Not a monster. The face is too pretty to forget. Furious, the gunman fires twice more into Charlie’s crumpled form.
FROM SLOW TO QUICK MOTION (ALMOST DREAMLIKE): REPEATED ACTION AS IF THE MIND IS PLAYING CATCHUP TO THE ACTIONS.
As the gunman turns to the crowd, the pandemonium returns.
QUICK SHIFT – SAME TIME – to Matt and Korean man’s eyes meeting. Both men going calm. As if one.
Quickly, Gunman #1 pulls his weapon across his body from where Charlie lays dead, focusing on Matt’s face. Without thought, in perfect calm (slow motion) Matt redirects the weapon as it blasts the ceiling, immediately snapping the wrist, reversing course, snapping the elbow, bringing the Gunman’s hand behind his back, shoving the man’s hand and gun up under his body armor. Matt’s hand covering the gunman’s hand and gun – firing twice. The impact reflected through the Gunman’s body, stopped by the Kevlar from the inside.
This, as Gunman #2 places a shaped charge on the bulletproof glass separating the patrons from bank staff. Gunman #3 coming to bear on Matt as Gunman #1 is still standing. Matt turns the body to Gunman #3 as a shot hits the vest of the dead attacker. Matt pulls a combat stiletto knife from the dead man’s harness just as the shot is made, returning the knife to the right eye socket of his attacker in an almost simultaneous movement between the two..
The Korean has moved to confront Gunman #2 as the shaped charge is attached. Gunman#2 pulling a slung riot shotgun to bear. The gun is shoved downward, flipped up under the face plate and the gun fires while the Gunman is then thrown into the shaped charge – just as it goes off. The dead man’s body keeping some patrons safe from blowback.
Gunman #4 moves in to intercept the Korean holding an H & K MP5 – A4, and begins to pepper the walls with gunfire. The Korean adeptly moves free of the bullets path, taking hold of the weapon mid-fire, dismantling the weapon while executing a spiral fracture and takedown. The gunman being tossed beyond the range of the camera.
Gunman #5 removes his face mask. The two heroes cannot reach him as he picks searches for a target that will permit the gunman’s escape. Matt sees a young pregnant mother and daughter huddled near a desk at the corner of the room. Gunman #5 smiles as he focuses on the pair, bringing his Deawoo Triple-action Semi-Automatic Pistol to bear. MATT KELLY throws himself into the line of fire, blocking the pair from the gunman’s view as two shots ring out. The Korean lets lose something pulled from behind his neck.
KOREAN’S POV:
The gunman stands momentarily, then falls, the spike lodged in his brain – between the eyes. As the Korean looks, he sees the pregnant Mother and young child safe. Matt Kelly lying with two bullets near his heart and shoulder. Matt lays bleeding…
ROLL CREDITS
MONTAGE OF SCENES: THE BANK, PEOPLE BEING LED OUT, SWAT TEAMS AND POLICE. Ambulance services, firemen, suits, and a host of television reporters. The Korean is nowhere to be seen. MATT being wheeled out on a gurney. Desperate emergency personnel trying to keep MATT alive. Ambulance leaving as a horde of reporters continue broadcasting.
CONTINUING MONTAGE – CUT TO:
ESTABLISHING SHOT – AMBULANCE ARRIVING
EMERGENCY ROOM ENTRANCE:
Hospital Staff rushes, meeting the gurney at the doorway. Oxygen mask and a lot of blood overspray keeps us from seeing Matt clearly. Gurney enters CPR In progress.
PARAMEDIC
Rhythm check… We have a rhythm, bradycardia
E.R. NURSE
(all business)
Atropine. One amp!
Grabs it out of code cart and administers. Paramedics and staff transfer Matt to bed.
E.R. NURSE
(con’t)
Tell me the story.
Staff checking placement of endotracheal tube, checking IV’s hanging more fluids, clothes being cut off, radiology taking chest x-rays, blood being drawn.
PARAMEDIC
Multiple gunshot wounds with extensive bleeding in full arrest
on scene. CPR initiated and 2 large bore IV’s started. He has
received 3 litres of normal saline. We got him back twice
en-route and lost him. No change in level of consciousness.
Name and date of birth from his dog tags… Austin, DOB July 4…
E.R. NURSE
(startled, she finishes the date)
…What? … 1971.
PARAMEDIC
What?
Matt takes a turn for the worse. Nurse is tearing off the facemask enough to see. Panicked and horrified to think…
PARAMEDIC
Awww… here we go again… V-Fib.
NURSE
Resume CPR. Where is that o-negative?? Dammit!
(MORE EMPHATIC)
You will not die on me – NOT AGAIN!
CONCLUDE CREDITS: