ZOMBIES OF ANGLETON - THE MOVIE (First 30 minutes - draft script)

FADE IN:

A 1968 Mustang Shelby GT 500 driving on the Baltimore – Washington Parkway in Maryland, USA.

DISSOLVE TO:

Race Banner. Black Ops assassin. Driving the Mustang to Fort Meade.  Race entered the Fort’s checkpoint. He shows and ID to the guard. His retinas are scanned. The guard points in the direction of a building.  Lettering on it displays the National Security Administration Headquarters.

DISSOLVE TO:

Unassuming door at the end of a corridor in the basement of the headquarters of the National Security Agency (NSA). A number on the door displays 00166.

DISSOLVE TO:

Room 00166. A gruff-looking, mustachioed soldier in the lab. He sits on the edge of a desk in the middle of the lab. In his hands is an open folder with several pages. Four stars on his uniform’s collar indicate the rank of four-star general. Three men in lab coats are also present. They are standing a short distance from the General. They talk among themselves. Their voices are an inaudible murmur. The general reads the first page of folder. It is titled RACE BANNER – SUMMARY. A camera zooms in on the page:

• Awarded PhD degrees in Middle Eastern studies and philosophy by 18th birthday
• Black belts in Brazilian Jujitsu and Krav Maga
• Fluency in Arabic, Pashtu and Farsi
• Enlisted in the Marine Corps – 1987. Promotion to Sargent 
• Awarded Navy Cross Medal for bravery in combat during
• Operation Desert Shield
• Hired as an NSA assassin operative after retiring from the Marine Corps

A knock on the door.

                                                                  

                                                                   THE GENERAL
                                                                          Come in.

The general observes a muscular built, 6’2 man with blond hair enter the room. The general extends his hand in greeting. The men shake hands.

                                                                   THE GENERAL

Agent Banner. Welcome. I am General Langford. These men are my top scientists. They will be present for this meeting. Have a seat.

                                                                       RACE BANNER                                                                                                                                        Thank you, Sir.

Race walks to a chair facing the desk. The top of the desk has nothing on it except Race’s personnel folder. The general sits behind the desk. The three scientists gather at the side of the desk. They remain standing and quiet. The general starts the meeting with a question. His voice is tinged with dread.

                                                             GENERAL LANGFORD                                                                                                        Race, are you familiar with the zombie parasite?

                                                                   RACE BANNER                                                                       Somewhat sir. Mostly from unsubstantiated rumors.

                                                              GENERAL LANGFORD                                                                                          The zombie parasite is a genetically modified species of Toxoplasma gondii. When it infects a rat it can alter its the brain to make it attracted to cat urine. Therefore these rats are inclined to be captured and eaten by cats. When the cat eats the infected rat the parasite travels to the gut and lays eggs which are later expelled with the cat’s urine. Infected rats lick the urine and the cycle begins again when cats eat them.

General Langford pauses.

                                                        GENERAL LANGFORD                                                                  These scientists genetically modified the parasite for use on Al Qaida prisoners in Iraq. When infected a prisoner enters a zombie state and immediately imprints as a slave on the first person he sees. This happens to be an NSA handler. In this state the zombie follows every order without question from its master. Infected prisoners were fitted with a vest of C4 explosives and a detonator. They were then allowed to escape to join their brethren in Pakistan. Success was spotty because detonation of the vests occurred more often than not in public areas. This was explained away as zealousness on the part of Al Qaida.

Another pause.

                                                     GENERAL LANGFORD                                                            Race, we suspect there are rogue operatives in a Texas town that are using this parasite to infect the general population. We need you infiltrate this town and find out who is responsible for this and why then take them out. It shouldn’t be hard to gather information. The town’s citizens have an average IQ far below the national standard.mation. The town’s citizens have an average IQ far below the national standard.

RACE BANNER What is the name of this town?

                                                               GENERAL LANGFORD                                                                    Angleton. About fifty miles southeast of Houston near the Gulf Coast. Have you heard of it?

                                                                RACE BANNER Yes sir.                                                                                  It has a national reputation as the town where dreams go to die. When do I leave?

                                                                GENERAL LANGFORD                                                           We have a plane ready for you to leave at 0800 tomorrow at Washington Dulles Airport. You will receive more details on this operation at that time.

Race senses General Langford’s hesitation.

RACE BANNER Is there something else sir?

                                                                  GENERAL LANGFORD                                                                     Two other matters, Race. You’ll be working with an operative called the Rogue Botanist. He is working undercover in the area as an employee of the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. He has a reputation for eccentricity. Will that be a problem?

                                                                         RACE BANNER                                                          No sir. I’ve worked with him before. His botanical knowledge and love of cannabis is legendary. He’s a little on the spectrum but I’ve adapted to his behavior.

                                                                 GENERAL LANGFORD                                                    I’m pleased to hear that however, there is one other matter. It seems Jack Corning who is the ranking senator of the Senate Intelligence Committee wants a new agent to work with you on this mission. His name is Jim Corning, the senator’s son. I protested this but it was above my rank to block.

                                                                        RACE BANNER                                                                              I’ll make sure he doesn’t get himself killed.

Race looks at the scientists. They are fidgeting with heads looking down.

                                                                        RACE BANNER                                                                                   There’s more to this then nurse-maiding a rookie field agent, isn’t it sir?

                                                                 GENERAL LANGFORD                                                                                         Race, what I’m about to say will sound treasonous but you need to trust me.

                                                                         RACE BANNER                                                                           Explicitly, sir.

                       

                                                                 GENERAL LANGFORD                                                          Our intel has confirmed agent Corning and his father are double agents for a shadow organization called The Family. The Family is a branch of the Illuminati. I know you’ve been involved in missions to take down the Family’s operations in the past. It is imperative that agent Corning be eliminated and untraceable back to you and the other men in this room. Do you understand, Race?

                                                                         RACE BANNER                                                              Absolutely sir but I have a request. I need to bring on agent Terrance Ford for a day or two as additional back up.

                                                                  GENERAL LANGFORD                                                                        Consider it done.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

Secure airstrip at Washington Dulles International Airport. Race walks up the steps to a Cessna Citation jet. He enters the jet, sits down then removes a folder from his back pack. The jet takes off. The folder is titled Top Secret – Level 5. He opens it. Inside is a photo of Jack Corning with his personnel profile. His face is pudgy and pasty white with thinning black hair. The camera zooms in on the front page.

• Son of John Corning, republican senator from Texas.
• Graduated from Yale at bottom of his class with degree in political science.
• Internally reviewed by Yale Board of Directors on suspicion of employing students to attend his classes and take exams for him. Dismissed after final review.
• Arrested for possession of cocaine. Charges dropped.
• Arrested for solicitation of a prostitute. Charges dropped.
• Two counts of rape of female students. Charges dropped.

Race’s thoughts are audible.

                                                            RACE BANNER                                                                            Damn! This guy has taken a few pages from Trump’s playbook.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

Race is driving a Black Tahoe SUV on Texas state highway 288. He approaches the outskirts of Angleton. He glances at the city’s welcoming sign:

                                        ANGLETON. WHERE DREAMS COME TO DIE!                                           DUNG FESTIVAL – THE THIRD SATURDAY IN SEPTEMBER!

DISSOLVE TO:

Race drives into the parking lot of a motel on the main road leading through town. The marquee advertises it as:

The Angleton Motel. Rated #1 three years in a row!

Race walks to the front desk to check in. The desk clerk is a dirty, disheveled older man.

THE MOTEL DESK

RACE BANNER
Reservation for Race Banner.

DESK CLERK

Room 215. Will you be staying longer than an hour?

RACE BANNER

Yes, two weeks at least.

The desk clerk chortles.

DESK CLERK

I don’t think we have that many whores in Angleton.

Race does not acknowledge the desk clerk. He takes the room keys and carries his backpack and two sets of luggage to his room.

DISSOLVE TO:

Race opens the door to room 215. He looks at the No Smoking sign above the bed. An ash tray full is on the night stand by the bed. He sits on the edge of the bed, looking at the stained bed sheets and pillows. There is a knock on the door. Race opens it to see a large, athletic black man smiles at him.

RACE BANNER

Terrance!

The men greet each other with powerful handshakes and hugs.

TERRANCE FORD 

How’s it going old man?

Terrance’s tone is tinged with sarcasm because both men are in their late thirties.

RACE BANNER

Great, you old fart!

Terrance enters the room. He sits on a chair by the bed. Race sits on the edge of the bed.

TERRANCE FORD 

Man, it’s been too long my friend but I’m afraid you need to cut to the chase cause I’m flying out of Houston to South Korea late tomorrow.

RACE BANNER

I spoke with Jim Corning this morning. We agreed to meet out by the motel pool to hash out a strategy. I don’t think he is that intelligent so we’ll only give him need-to-know intel. Good luck avoiding the bed bugs tonight.

TERRANCE FORD

I think I’ll sleep in my car tonight.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

 Next day. 0800. Outdoor pool of the Angleton Motel. Camera pans to Race and Terrance sitting on worn poolside chairs by a dilapidated table. The pool water is green from algae growth. Jim Corning is not present

TERRANCE FORD

Looks like our mark has stood us up.

Race sighs.

RACE BANNER

Let’s go wake him up. I’d rather eliminated him away from this town and the prying eyes of the Family.

DISSOLVE TO:

Race and Terrance approach the door to Jim’s motel room. They pause after hearing the sound of a woman yelling inside the room.

UNKNOWN WOMAN’S VOICE 

You asshole, the deal was one-hundred for the coke and fifty for the  fuck!

Jim Corning

Shut the fuck up, bitch!

Race and Terrance hear the sound of a face slap. They give each other a nod then Terrance throws his body against the door. He smashes through it and into the room. A Caucasian man is naked. He is standing over a naked woman on the floor. Clothes are strewed about. On the bed’s night stand is a plastic bag with partially spilled white powder. The woman spits blood on the floor. The looks wide-eyed at Race and Terrance.

Jim Corning 

Fucking cunt is trying to rip me off.

Jim stumbles towards Race and Terrance. He is within three feet when Terrance quickly reaches out his hand and grabs Jim’s neck. Jim is held at arm’s length. He is immobile and unable to pry open Terrance’s hand around his neck. Jim is gasping for breath. Race intervenes.

RACE BANNER 

Terrance, let him go.

Terrance releases his hold on Jim’s neck. Jim crumples to the floor. He rubs his throat, still gasping for breath. Race looks at the woman.

RACE BANNER

Get your clothes and leave. Now.

The woman gathers her clothes from the floor. She does not put them on. She quickly exits the room. Jim regains his breath. He stands up to face Terrance. He is furious.

JIM CORNING 

You fucking nigger! When I tell my dad what you did to me you’ll be cut up and feed you to the sharks!

Terrance smiles.  He appears to not be threatened. He looks at Race.

TERRANCE FORD

Well Race, guess I’ll leave for Houston now.

Race nods his head once. Both men exit the room with a further word. Jim stares at them bewildered.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

Night. Same day. Race sits in a bedside chair at his motel room. He is in his underwear. He stares into space, hand on chin. His cell phone rings on the night stand. He picks it up. He glances at his watch. The camera pans in to show 9:17 pm.

VOICE (over phone)

I’m at the airport. I wish I had more time to help but I guess it’s up to you to take care of business.

RACE BANNER 

Wasn’t in the cards my friend. You watch yourself in South Korea, you hear?

VOICE (over phone) 

Roger that. Do me a favor and make him suffer a little longer and tell me all about it when I get back to the states.

Race hangs up the phone. He gets into bed. He stares at the ceiling. He appears to mull over what to do about Jim. He reaches over to turn off the light on the night stand.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

Next day. Early morning. The motel room of Race Banner. Sunlight shines through the window. Race is awake. He looks at his watch. The camera pans in to show 6:25 pm. His cell phone rings. It’s on the night stand. He picks it up to answer.

RACE BANNER 

Hello.

UNKNOWN VOICE (over phone)

Agent Banner, this is General Langford. A human leg was found in a fishing net from the Gulf of Mexico last night. It still had the trouser leg and Police found a wallet in the pocket. There was a NSA identification card in the wallet that belonged to Agent Ford. I’m sorry.

Race is speechless. He pushes a button on the phone to end the conversation. He calmly dresses then exits the room. He walks to Jim’s room. A sheet hangs in the door way. He moves it aside to enter the room. He looks at Jim sleeping on the bed. The bag of white powder on the night stand is almost empty. He walks over to Jim. Nudges him awake.

RACE BANNER

Jim, Jim. Time to get up. We’ve got a new mission with a great training opportunity for you. Meet me in the motel lobby in thirty minutes.

Jim opens his eyes but remains groggy. He partially gets up, leaning on his elbow.

JIM CORNING

Okay, Okay. I’ll be ready in an hour.

Race doesn’t acknowledge Jim. He walks to the doorway and exits the room.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

Race is in the motel lobby. He wears blue jeans, hiking boots, a t-shirt and black ball cap. His face expresses no emotion. He smiles when Jim appears. Jim is wearing brown polyester pants with a blue dress shirt and leather shoes. Race looks him over and  smiles.

RACE BANNER

Alright Jim, let’s get some food then I’ll fill you in on the mission when we are driving to our area of operation. It’s not far from here.

Jim has a perplexed look on his face but agrees. The two men exit the motel. They walk across the parking lot to the Tahoe.

FADE OUT:

FADE IN:

A black Tahoe is driven on a road leading out of Angleton. A road sign displays County Road 523. Two men are inside the Tahoe. Their conversation is inaudible. The camera pans closer. The two men’s conversation is audible. Paper bags with McDonald’s logo are on the floor board by Jim’s feet.

RACE BANNER

This will be an excellent mission, Jim. We have intel on two Russian spies that are hiding out on the Wildlife Refuge we’re driving to. A speedboat will pick them up at a lake. We’ll hide nearby then apprehend them and the boat driver. Do you have your Glock?

JIM CORNING
Um, I forgot it.

RACE BANNER
That’s okay. I have an extra.

DISSOLVE TO:

The camera pans out to show the Tahoe driving into the entrance to a national wildlife refuge. A sign displays The Victoria National Wildlife Refuge. Jim eats the last of his breakfast sandwich. He looks at Race.

JIM CORNING
Um, Race. What happened to that black guy?

RACE BANNER
Oh, him? I told him to leave. I won’t have my team member act that unprofessional. It sets a bad example. When this mission is over I’m going straight to the director and demand that he be fired.

JIM CORNING
Good. I never want to see him again.

RACE BANNER
You can bet on that.

Race drives the Tahoe up a dusty gravel road. It stops at a gravel parking lot on the edge of a serene lake. Wading birds scatter in flight. Trees and shrubs grow around the edge of the parking lot. The sky is cloudless. A sign displays Salt Lake. Both men exit the vehicle. They survey the area. Race sees another gravel road leading into a grove of trees.

RACE BANNER
I’ll drive the vehicle on that road over there into the trees where no one can see it.

Race points to bushes at the far end of the parking lot.

RACE BANNER
You see those big bushes at the other end of the parking lot? That’s where we’ll hide

Jim’s enthusiasm is showing on his face. He gets out of the vehicle then waits for Race to hide the Tahoe. Race walks out of the tree line. Both men walk into the bushes and wait. Jim pulls his Glock out from its holster.

JIM CORNING
This is going to be fun, Race. Let take those Russians out if they make any move for their guns.

RACE BANNER
You got it buddy. Just save one of them for me.

Race walks behind Jim. Jim appears too excited to notice. Race takes out a garrote wire from his backpack. Each end of the wire is twisted around a 4-inch cylindrical piece of wood. Race holds each piece of wood in his hands. He raises the wire over Jim’s head then quickly down and wraps it around his neck. Race pulls each end of the wire in opposite directions. Jim has a stunned look on his face. He grabs at the wire, trying to get his fingers between it and his neck. He frantically swung his arms backwards in an attempt to hit Race. In less than twenty seconds he suffocates to death when the wire cuts through his trachea. Jim’s arms fall limply to his side. Race holds Jim up by the neck for a few seconds longer then lets him slump to the ground. Blood flows down Jims’ neck. It stains the entire front of his shirt. Race looks around to see if any people are in the area. There are none. Race takes out his cell phone from his trouser pocket. He pushes two speed dial buttons. The camera pans in to a name on the screen. It says ROGUE BOTANIST. The phone rings once. A voice answers.

ROGUE BOTANIST
Done?

ACE BANNER
Done.

DISSOLVE TO:

10:30 pm. Race stands by Jim’s corpse in the bushes. A vehicle drives up the road to Salt Lake. Dust bellows from behind it. The vehicle is a bronze colored, late model, Toyota 4-runner. It slows to a stop in the parking lot. The vehicle idles. Race watches a man exit the vehicle. He is a balding, fit looking Caucasian man in his late fifties. He is wearing the tan uniform of the United States Fish and Wildlife Service. The man walks to edge of the lake. He bends over to look at vegetation on the shore. Race leaves the bushes. He walks twenty feet from the uniformed man and into the trees where the Tahoe is hidden. He drives the Tahoe onto the parking lot. He parks it alongside the 4-Runner. The uniformed man walks over to Race. Streaks of sweat run down the front and back of his shirt.

RACE BANNER
He’s in the bushes over there.

Race points to vegetation that was moved aside where he existed the bushes.

ROGUE BOTANIST
And?

Race walks to the Tahoe. He opens the rear passenger door. He removes a gallon size Ziploc bag from under the back seat. It contains dried, green vegetation. He hands the bag to the botanist.

ROGUE BOTANIST
Thank you, Race.

RACE BANNER
You’re welcome, Thomas. Is the cleaner in route?

ROGUE BOTANIST
Affirmative.

RACE BANNER
Then my mission is accomplished.

ROGUE BOTANIST
Affirmative.

Race walks to the Tahoe. He gets in it and drives out onto the gravel road leading out from Salt Lake. The camera pans out to show the botanist dragging Jim’s body from the bushes.

DISSOLVE TO:

Salt Lake. 111:30 pm. The botanist is hunched over a plant. A smoldering cannabis joint extends from his lips. He occasionally puffs it. The sound of a vehicle approaches on the road to Salt Lake. The botanist does not turn to see it. The vehicle pulls into the parking lot. It is a 1995 Ford F-150 truck. The truck backs up behind the 4-Runner. It stops within two feet of it. A black, 55-gallon plastic barrel is upright in the truck bed. Fifty boxes are positioned around the barrel on the floor of the truck bed. Each is labeled FLUOROSULFURIC ACID (HFSO3) – ONE GALLON.
A woman exits the truck. She is 5’4, strikingly beautiful with light-tanned skin. Her brown hair is shoulder length. An ample bosom is evident beneath her long sleeve cotton shirt. She walks over to the botanist. He speaks excitedly to her.

ROGUE BOTANIST
Dig this Chelsea! Spiranthes vernalis. My favorite orchid on the refuge!

CHELSEA
You can jerk off to that plant later. I have a tight schedule to keep.

Chelsea and the botanist walk to the back of the 4-Runner. They open the rear hatch. Jim’s body is in the back. It is wrapped in a tarp. They pick up Jim’s body by the edges of the tarp and place it in the truck bed by the boxes of Fluorosulfuric acid. She and the botanist jump down from the truck.

CHELSEA
It’s too open around here to start dissolving the body. I’ll do it in Houston. Thank you so much, Thomas.

The botanist does not reply. He looks in the direction of his favorite orchid. Chelsea gazes longingly at the botanist then abruptly screams. She looks down at her jeans where she has stepped in a fire ant mound. The ants are swarming and stinging her legs under the jeans. She curses.

CHELSEA
Fucking ants! If it isn’t them it’s the mosquitoes or chiggers or some other little bitch bug!

Chelsea swats off the last of the fire ants from her jeans and legs.

ROGUE BOTANIST
I told you to watch where you stand out here.

Chelsea is angry. She turns around and walks to the driver’s side of the truck’s. She gets in the cab, closes the door and drives away without saying goodbye. Chelsea sees the botanist in her rear view mirror. He is walking back to the orchid. A tear runs down Chelsea’s cheek.

FADE OUT