Italic = Spanish

Regular = English OVER BLACK:

“2008”

FADE IN:

1 EXT. DESERT - SWELTERING HOT DAY 1

Deep blue sky overhead. Below it, on a hard sunbaked plain is

a BODY. It lies still.

MOVE IN TO:

A MAN face-planted in the earth. His adobe-colored suit and

the wind-tossed pages of a disfigured BOOK hints the
possibility of his being a clergyman. His sooty book, The
Truth, flaps open close by.

3 A NEW ANGLE reveals ANOTHER MAN lying next to him... a 3

partner maybe. He’s dressed like someone who drives an
unreasonably large pickup truck. A TEXAN. Blood streaks down
from his ears. It’s starting to dry.

Out of the silence, we hear... a CAR driving close and

earsplitting Musica Ranchera in its distorted speakers.

It’s faint -- but growing louder.

A mucky, blue, Mazda pickup TRUCK raises the dust as it

GRINDS to a halt near the crossroad.

The plates tell us we’re in Mexico.

From the Mazda: Two AMIGOS step out and walk toward the
bodies. We track with their stride.

A THIRD Amigo stays in the truck. He’s a hard-worker, just

not old enough to handle the current situation. This is
SALVADOR.

The two Amigo’s --PIO (70’s) and PANCHO (30’s)-- investigate

the scene. Pancho walks to the Texan. He studies his face.
Pio looks to Pancho, expectant. Pancho shakes his head, no --
he’s dead.

...Pio turns the clergyman onto his side. His glasses are
broken -- DULLING out his LEFT EYE. He seems to be in his 40s
due to his receding hairline. This is KIRK. He coughs. He’s
alive.

Salvador spies out of the window.

The two Amigos look spooked, but curious. They look at each
other like they’re about to have a coin toss. Pio steps
forward...
 2.

PIO
(to Kirk)
What happened?

No answer.

PIO (CONT’D)
And why is he dead?

Nothing...

Off Pio, looking like he’s considering something carefully.

He glances at the truck parked behind the rising heat... He

WAVES his hand -- summoning Salvador.

Pancho is inattentive. He walks back to the Texan.

Salvador sprints to them. He stops when he reaches Pio’s

side.

PIO (CONT’D)
Ask him what happened.

SALVADOR
(to Kirk)
What happened?

THWACK. Pio’s hand against Salvador’s head.

SALVADOR (CONT’D)
Aye!

PIO
In English, stupid!
(to Pancho)
He’s deficient.

Pancho awkwardly looks to Pio. Pio double-takes when he sees

Pancho removing the boots from the Texan’s feet.

Pio hits Salvador on his back - try again.

SALVADOR
What happened?

No answer. Pio stares down at Kirk for the longest time.

Salvador finds a SATCHEL. He picks it up and looks inside.

The look on his face tells us something important is inside.
Pio sees and -
 3.

PIO
(to Salvador)
Don’t touch that! Go back to the
truck!

Salvador leaves the satchel. He wanders back to the truck.

Pio bunts Kirk’s foot with his.

PIO (CONT’D)
Amigo.

Pancho, with the stolen boots in hand...

PANCHO
Somebody will find him.

He follows Salvador.

Pancho opens the driver’s door and looks at an aggravated

Pio, waiting next to Kirk’s body. He wants to help.

Pio looks at Pancho -- barely shrugs.

4 EXT. THE TRUCK - MOMENTS LATER 4

Pio is sitting in the bed of the Mazda, Pancho shuts the

tailgate.

Pancho drives, Salvador is where he usually is in the middle

and Kirk is next to him, half-baked.

Salvador scrutinizes Kirk.

PANCHO
Don’t look.

He listens.

Pancho cranks the truck. The musica ranchera continues.

5 INT. PIO’S HOME - THE NEXT MORNING 5

Kirk OPENS his right eye. He’s conscious, seems okay. He’s
dressed in sweats and a t-shirt.

An out-of-tune piano chimes in the background, something

Chopin-like, with a spice of Mexico.

6 INT. THE KITCHEN - MOMENTS LATER 6

The strident piano fills the room.