Day 21 Assignment

[Joe Donato]

<div>As I wrote based on the screen outlines, I found my actual sequence of
events shifting and turning to make more scenes that just the two key scenes, but my focus was hitting
the two main points of those scenes while continuing to build up to the main conflict. I
got Chuck to do 2 things that were holding him back: 1 – acquiese to
listen to his wife and work together with her, despite still having
doubts about her plan. 2 – Risk sacrificing the RV of his own choosing (not
as a victim), thus letting go of his “ability to run away and escape, not just the dangerous kid, or new tech, but his own career struggles. Not sure if that is obvious or not yet, but I can fix
that in rewrites. Besides, I like it not being entirely on-the-nose anyways. In either case, the Climax is all setup…</div><div>

EXT. RV IN THE MOUNTAINS – DAY

The tow truck arrives with Chuck and Ruth. They get out and walk up to their RV, still in the same condition they left it.

CHUCK

There she is. Have at it.

The tow guy gazes at the site, but respectfully refrains from snarky remarks. His face shows that he’s thinking a lot more than he cares to express.

Series of shots:

Tow guy underneath, banging at something.

Tow guy on top of RV bending over and measuring.

Tow guy scraping edging.

Chuck and Ruth cling to each other as they watch. Ruth occasionally scans the horizon with a serious look.

Tow guy rocking the RV back and forth.

Tow guy poking at the wheels.

Finally, tow guy walks up to them.

TOW GUY

Uhhh, I hate to break it to you, but this wasn’t just running over some rocks and underbrush. There’s evidence of pre-sabotage here.

CHUCK

Whuhh?

TOW GUY

Uh yeah, I’m talkin broken hoses that were cut with a knife, some electrical wires cut off to your gauges.

RUTH

So you’re saying someone had access to our vehicle?

CHUCK

You sure its not possible that someone just did that overnight, while we were in town?

TOW GUY

Why would someone do that? Does anyone else know that you’re here?

CHUCK

I dunno. I mean, just sayin’

TOW GUY

Well look, I can tow it in but it might take a few hours to get it on the truck the way it is.

CHUCK

But it can be fixed right?

TOW GUY

(long pause)

(deep sigh)

IIIII, I dont know.

CHUCK

I mean if the frame ain’t rusted, anything can be fixed right?

TOW GUY

Welll, yeah theoretically, buuut

CHUCK

But what, what are you saying?

TOW GUY

I’m saying I don’t want to fix it.

CHUCK

You’re saying you don’t have the skills and talent and patience to fix it.

RUTH

Chuck

TOW GUY

Well, now I’m saying I really don’t want to fix it.

CHUCK

(angry)

Fine, but you’re towing this thing to someone who can. Someone maybe a little older, with a better work ethic perhaps?

RUTH

Excuse me, can you give us a minute?

Tow guy gives them their minute. Ruth grabs Chuck. They walk.

CHUCK

I am NOT surrending that RV. That may be a busted up bucket of bolts but its all we got!

RUTH

When do you think he got at it?

CHUCK

Huh?

RUTH

Focus for a minute. When would he have sabotaged it?

CHUCK

(thinking)

I dunno, It must’ve been in the Walmart parking lot. But how did he know we were even there?

RUTH

He found us. But how?

CHUCK

I dunno, maybe he went back to the zombie car and got the tracking gadget connected to our phone.

RUTH

And then what? Why would he continue to track us?

CHUCK

Wait, give me your phone. Open up that app.

She opens the phone and the app.

Chuck puts his license plate into the app. It shows up, right where they are.

CHUCK.

Now wait a second. Lets walk some more.

They walk further away from the RV and the Tow Guy.

TOW GUY

Uhh, is everything OK?

CHUCK

Yeah yeah, we’ll be right back, just start prepping for the tow!

They get about 200 feet away from the RV site. Chuck checks their location. It hasn’t changed at all.

CHUCK

It’s not our phone. He’s got a tracking unit on that thing somewhere! I saw this somewhere on a TV show once. This guy dismantled the entire car to find the tracking device.

(to Tow guy)

Wait! Wait! Nevermind!

The tow guy, currently hooking his tow chain to the Rv, looks up at Chuck as Chuck comes running.

CHUCK

I got another job.

Tow guy just looks at him.

CHUCK

you think you can help me find a tracking device?

TOW GUY

Uhh, Active or passive?

CHUCK

Huh?

TOW GUY

(sigh)

Yeah yeah, hang on.

Series of shots:

Tow guy does thorough search of every part of the electrical system of vehicle. Doesn’t find anything.

TOW GUY

Nothing active

(to Ruth)

OK nothing active.

RUTH

(to Chuck)

what does that mean?

(to Tow Guy)

What does that mean?

TOW GUY

It means you’re not being tracked in real time.

CHUCK

How do you know that?

TOW GUY

Because I didn’t find anything connected to your electrical system and it would have to have been receiving electrical power all this time to maintain constant GPS locating. Got it?

CHUCK

Uhh

RUTH

OK I think I get it.

TOW GUY

However, that doesn’t mean there’s not a passive system on there somewhere.

CHUCK

And how does that w-

TOW GUY

Basically it means it collects data so it stores where you’ve been and then sends that information periodically back to the tracker whenever it gets near an open internet connection or other powered network source.

CHUCK

Sooo

TOW GUY

It means I’m gonna have to flip the car over, and I can’t guarantee I won’t do irreversible damage in the process, and I’m gonna need some help.

CHUCK

OK, gimme a minute.

Chuck uses Ruth’s phone to make a call.

INT. VOLKSWAGON CAMPER – CONTINUING

VW Driver’s phone rings.

VW DRIVER

Yo… Chucko! What? A mission? Sure thing! But I’m at the LoneStar Casino. Right on the border of California & Nevada. Can you meet me?… Well then. How about we do it remote? I can talk you through it…

CHUCK (O.S. ON PHONE)

Uhh, I don’t think that’s gonna work. But I promise you I’ll make it worth your while.

VW DRIVER

OK then, but I’ll need a couple of hours and gas money.

CHUCK

Sure thing. Drive to where you picked us up and call us when you get there if we’re not there already.

Click.

BACK TO CHUCK AT RV

Chuck stares at the RV for a long time. He pulls a tire iron from the trunk.

CHUCK

Ok then. What do we have to do?

TOW GUY (ON PHONE)

Start with the front bumpers. See how they’re stuck on the cactus?

Chuck stabs the Tire Iron into the RV bumper area.

RV – Late afternoon

The RV is upside-down like a turtle on his back. Ruth sits down on a section of kitchen table that was removed.

RUTH

Well?

TOW GUY

Nothin… yet.

CHUCK

One more conference.

He walks to Ruth and sits down beside her.

CHUCK

Ok, so he didn’t get inside the vehicle. Maybe that’s why he went with the passive system instead of active.

RUTH

So while we were sleeping, he fiddled with the outside.

CHUCK

No. Because he would’ve made too much noise getting all up in there.

RUTH

When else were we preoccupied enough for him to tamper with the car?

CHUCK

When we were getting gas. And we were arguing. He could’ve totally snuck around, skinny little wormy kid like that. Slid underneath the car, and back around the other side in no time.

RUTH

But why? Why so early? We weren’t even a threat then. He didn’t know us from Adam.

CHUCK

That’s what so scary!

Tow guy shoves his skinny arm into the exhaust system and rattles around.

TOW GUY

Aha! Just like noodlin’ for catfish in the Colorado!

He fishes out a reluctant small black box and waves it in the air triumphantly.

CHUCK

Lets go.

EXT. HIGHWAY ON HILLY TERRAIN – DAY

Chuck and Ruth wait by the side of the road, peering down the highway silently.

Finally in the distance the VW appears.

CHUCK

How long has it been since we left the hotel?

RUTH

You do have a watch you know.

Chuck starts to look at his watch while she checks her phone.

RUTH

Six hours. Why?

Chuck shrugs.

CHUCK

He could be in Mexico, even Canada by now.

RUTH

I just hope he hasn’t done anything else yet.

INT. VOLKSWAGON CAMPER – DAY

Chuck shows the RV driver the tracking box.

CHUCK

Great, usb 3.0.

CHUCK

That’s good then?

VW driver just smiles, as he plugs the gadget into his laptop.

CHUCK

Wait a sec. Is he going to be able to upload the tracking info now?

VW DRIVER

Uhhh, not sure exactly, but IF he does do that, I’ll know.

He clicks and taps and drags on the screen.

CHUCK

OK, then just let me know if he does it.

Beep

VW DRIVER

he just did it…

(pause)

But all its going to do it tell him that you’re still in the desert and haven’t gone anywhere.

(pause)

And that’s even if he’s reading it now. It’s probably just automatic and he’ll see it when he checks his email next

(pause)

But he might be OCD like most kids these days and have that urgent need to check and know everything all the time right away for that immediate adrenaline rush thing

(pause)

And actually, I don’t know if even giving him all the information, or just telling him that a new system has been activated, which may be more important info to him anyways cause he’ll actually know that you found it

CHUCK

STOP IT! JUST STOP IT!

Awkward silence.

CHUCK

we want. To know. The location. Can you jus tell us that?

VW DRIVER

Oh yeah. Now that you asked.

He cicks and taps and drags and notions to the screen map.

VW DRIVER

Boom.

CHUCK

Zoom in.

He taps and drags on the screen map.

RUTH

that’s the construction bridge. The site of the crash.

CHUCK

Cause he wants to salvage, understandable.

RUTH

Or he’s visiting the gravesite ’cause he’s still grieving.

VW DRIVER

Well, its only a half hour away.

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