KILLER WORMS

by

Dominador Tomate

Registration Number
1036868		1519 Dover St
Delano, CA 93215
(661) 342-5222
email:  rodani@aol.com	

FADE IN:

EXT. CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY – DAY

INSERT:

CENTRAL SAN JOAQUIN VALLEY

Thousands of black crows fly overhead.  

A view of an aerial shot shows agriculture at its best - blocks of acres dividing miles as far as the eye can see – vivid green and brown squares sliced up by straight borders made up of paved and dirt roads.  

Hwy 99, a major artery that feeds millions of cars in and out of the central San Joaquin Valley, bisects the city of Delano sitting 200 miles North of Los Angeles.  It’s here where farmers earn a livelihood.  

The city is surrounded by farmland requiring sophisticated irrigation systems necessary to nourish plant life that farms well in intemperate conditions such as extreme heat and cold. 

One such system is located on the corner of an avenue where a large reservoir supplies water up to 240 acres of almond trees.  

A booster pump in the center of the reservoir sucks water from the pond and sends it to a filtration system that shoots clean water to trees via miles of hose and emitters.

This pump, however, is quiet.  

ART ZAMUDIO, who pulls up in his early model pickup, mud soaked from miles of recently rain-drenched travel, walks toward a large electrical panel next to the reservoir and presses the green “on” button.  

The booster pump kicks on and HUMS loudly.  

Within moments, the hum intensifies, sounding like a vacuum cleaner with paper lodged inside its suction pipe.  

It SPUTTERS then COUGHS.  

A lower pitch hum indicates that the pump broke suction due to its shaft and impeller freezing.

To prevent further damage, Art responds by quickly punching the red “off” button.  

He flips out his hand held phone/radio.

		ART
	Ron, Scott was right.  Pump’s running 
pretty bad.  Had to shut it off.

		RON (O.S. RADIO)
Yeah.  Might want to check the cone 
strainer.  See if anything’s stuck on it.

		ART
	Copy that.

The tail water pump sits inside the sump, not too far from the edge.  To get to it, a gangplank is braced against a cement standpipe.  The other end sits against the reservoir’s edge.  

Art walks the gangplank and visually inspects the strainer.  The water is clear except around the offended area, which is murky and dark.  

Something grabs his attention.

		ART
	Ron.  Looks like you’re right.
	Junk all over the damn place.
	Gonna try to open’er up.

		RON (O.S. RADIO)
	On my way.

Art yanks a shovel from the bed of his pickup.  He takes the blade end and swishes it against the obstruction.  Several hard swishes, and he’s able to stir most of the gunk away.  But something thick is lodged tight against the basket weave.  He attempts to pry the blockage loose, but it won’t budge.

With little space available on the pump stand, he positions himself to gain the best leverage.  

He spits on his hands, grabs the shovel tightly.  Pausing momentarily to take a deep breath, he jerks violently with one massive burst of energy, and in..

SLOW MOTION

…he slips and back flops into the pool, sending his shovel flying into the air, barely missing a bird in flight and splashing deep into the center of the reservoir.
		
ART
	Aiye.  Chingao.

Another pickup truck shows up in time for RON LESSLEY, the driver, to witness the failed reverse swan dive.  

Ron hops out of his Chevy Silverado and rushes to the edge of the man-made pond.

He bends over and searches before the soaked foreman pops up spitting water from his mouth.

Humiliated, Art treads water and throws his phone.

		ART
	Catch.

Not expecting it, Ron fumbles the catch.

		RON
	You alright?

		ART
	Just feel stupid, that’s all.

		RON
	Since you’re there.  Think
	you can hand scrape the strainer
	clean.

		ART
	Might as well.  I’m here.
		(beat)
	This job don’t pay enough.

He takes a deep breath and dives, swimming to the cone strainer.  

He pulls out what looks like branches and swims up with armloads full of them.  Once up, he slings what he can toward the edge of the pond.

		ART
	Sticks and junk were trapped all 
	around it.  A mess, but it’s
	clear now.

		RON
	Jump out.  I’ll turn‘er on.

Art swims to the edge and Ron helps him up.  

While Art dries up, Ron walks to the pump panel and hits the “on” switch.  

The pump fires up and runs without a hitch.

He checks the pressure gauge along side the discharge pipe.

		RON
	Pressures good.  Hot damn.
Looks good all around.

Art takes off his soak-drenched shirt and wrings water from it.

		ART
	I need a raise.  Kemosabe.

		RON
	Hey.  I heard that that means
	horses ass.  Is that right?

		ART
	If that’s what it is.  Then
	that’s what you are.

Ron takes a look at the pump and sees that the strainer is clean and then takes a look at the branches lying on the ground.

		RON
	Well, I’ve seen sticks, and
	I’ve seen branches.  And these
	here are neither.

		ART
	What the hell are they then?

		RON
Bones.

		ART
	Bones?  Where do you get bones
	from them sticks?

		RON
	Yep.  These here are bones.

		ART
	Well then.  Alright Mr. 
	Know it all.  What happened?
	Animal drowned and the pump 
sucked the flesh right out of it?

		RON
	Maybe.

		ART
	Maybe?  What kind of answer is
	that? 

		RON
	Maybe a bunch of pie-rahn-nas ate
	it, whatever “it” was when it stopped
for a drink of water.

Art looks around the reservoir and shuffles away from the edge.

		ART
	That’s stupid.  Ain’t no piranha’s
here.  It would’ve been eaten me
	up.

		RON
	Don’t know.  Maybe they only
	eat at night.  Like vampire bats.

		ART
	Damn Ron.  Maybe you should 
quit watching t.v.

		RON
	Hey.  Where’s Jeff?  Wasn’t he
	supposed to be here with the
	gasoline? 

		ART
	Right.  Trencher ran out of gas.
	And Chango is sitting on his
	ass with nothing to do.

		RON
	Damn.  If it ain’t one thing
	it’s another.

		ART
	Where’d you send him?  Fresno?
		
		RON
	Quit your belly aching.  He
	went to Richgrove.

		ART
	Shit.  That’s only five minutes
	away.

Then all of a sudden, a car CRASHES (O.S.) that not only grabs their attention it sends a flock of black crows flying overhead.  

		RON
	The hell?

They sprint to their pickups, Art barefooted with boots in his hand, smarting when his feet hit sharp stickers, stones and branches.

EXT. CRASH SITE

We see a pickup wrapped around a telephone pole located on the corner of an intersection.  It appears the driver navigated incorrectly causing him to swerve out of control.

Wires dangle precariously above the vehicle nearly making contact with both car and road.  

JEFF LESSLEY, Ron’s brother, is unconscious as several gasoline containers from the pickup bed lather fuel onto the road.  

One live wire finally arcs causing a mini-explosion.  The fuel burst into a small flame that quickly grows and gathers speed to vulnerable parts of the crashed vehicle.

Ron and Art’s pickup arriving at a distance is too far away to be of any help.

A lone figure appears and pries open the door.  SAM MENDOZA unlatches the seat belt and pulls Jeff from the cab, the air bag already deflated.

Sam drags Jeff’s dead weight to safety, Jeff’s heels creating imprints on the ground resembling rail tracks.  

Seconds later, the flame makes its way to the vehicle that EXPLODES into a ball of fire.  The impact sends Sam flying several feet before he ends up flat on his back.

Sam shakes the cobwebs from his head and proceeds to pull Jeff further away from danger.
	
Ron and Art pull up in time to see the crashed vehicle DETONATE.

Art calls 911.  In the b.g. he’s heard providing directions and details of the accident.

Ron checks his brother who finally comes to.

		JEFF
	What happened?

		RON
	You smashed the company truck
	into a telephone pole.  That’s
	what you did.

		JEFF
	Wow.  Did I do that?
		(Looks at Art)
	I know you.
		(Looks at Ron)
	I know you.
		(Looks at Sam)
	But who the hell are you?

		RON
	Damn Jeff.  What am I gonna
	do about fuel for the trencher?

CUT TO:

INT. MENDOZA HOME

For the first time in a long time, Sam enters the home of his youth.  However, because it’s unoccupied due to the passing of his mother and father, it’s cold and sterile, void of the soul that makes it a home.  

He walks toward the mantel and pulls pictures from it, smiling at the candid shots of his family.

This prompts him to pull out an album from underneath an end table.  

He opens a high school yearbook and flips the pages.  He pauses at several pictures, one of him making a game-winning touchdown, another of him running in a track uniform, candid shots of him in classroom with friends.  

He stares at the picture of him, dressed in a block D jacket, next to a waif-looking girl in front of the Journalism building.  

He reads a handwritten remark.

INSERT:

To one of the cutest guys in school.  I know you’ll be a hit in college.  One of these days, you’ll look at this picture and say, I knew that gal.  When I look at your pictures, I can tell everybody “I knew that guy.  The best in Delano High!”  Keep in touch.  Don’t be a stranger, and remember me always.  Francis

		SAM
	Francis.  Wonder what she’s up to.

BOBBY BROOKS, dressed in deputy uniform, knocks on the door.

		BOBBY
	Hello?

Sam looks up to see who’s at the door.

		SAM
	Yeah?

		BOBBY
	Hey Sam.  It’s me, Bobby.

		SAM
	Bobby.  Wow, not expecting to
	see you here.  Come in.  Sit down.

Bobby walks in but stays near the door way and stays standing.

		BOBBY
	Still live next door.  Saw
	a car in the driveway.  Had to 
be nosey.  My job.

		SAM
	Glad you were.  Thanks for watching
	over the place.

		BOBBY
	I’m a cop.
(beat)
And you’re neighbor.  
(beat)
What I do.

		SAM
	I’d offer you something to drink
	but I just moved in.

		BOBBY
Got to go anyway.  Now that I 
know you’re around, I’ll stop 
by later.  Got something to show you.

		SAM
	Yeah?  What is it?

		BOBBY
	Later.  Got a beat to attend to.

		SAM
	Sure.  Alright.  Hey.

		BOBBY
	Yeah.  

		SAM
	Seen your cousin lately?

		BOBBY
	You mean Francis?

		SAM
	Yeah, Francis.

		BOBBY
	She’s a newscaster.  Channel
	3.

		SAM
	No shit?

		BOBBY
	Yep.  Doing real good.

		SAM
	Good to hear.  Tell her I said hi
	if you see her.

		BOBBY
	Can count on it.  Listen.  We’ll 
talk later, okay?

		SAM
	Got it man.  Thinking about
	jogging anyway.

		BOBBY
	Nice day for it.

CUT TO:

EXT. STREETS – DAY

Sam jogs by the high school.  His path takes him past the corner displaying a marquee announcing a school event.  

Across the street a group of kids perform aerial stunts at the skateboard park as kids take turns showing off their skills.  He slows down to observe some of the action but he continues his jog.

He jogs past the Catholic Church.

He jogs past City Hall.

He jogs past the Police Station.

He jogs past the hospital.

He jogs past the bus terminal.

His jog takes him to Main Street.  When he nears a department store window, he stops and notices the mannequin dressed up in a suit by the window.  This grabs his attention, and he breaks to stare.

CUT TO:

FLASH BACK SCENE

INT. OFFICE BOARDROOM – DAY

Sam is dressed in a suit, shirt and tie, similar to the mannequin.  He is in a meeting with a group of others also dressed in suits.  Sam leads the meeting with a projector displaying a power point presentation.

		SAM
	…unlike other investments, you
	will net considerably more in a
	shorter period of time.  There’s
	absolutely no risk, and the tax
	savings you earn from the back end
gives you more spending value.

		INVESTER ONE
	How can I be sure that this is
	safe?  What guarantees do I have
	that this program won’t go belly
	up?

		SAM
	There are no guarantees.  But what
	we have are assurances.  Assurances
	backed by some of the largest companies
	in the world.  As you can see by the
	documentation in front of you and
	the website I have up on the screen, this
	investment is…

The presentation is interrupted by federal agents storming in without knocking.  An agent walks to Sam, turns him around and cuffs him from behind.

		SAM
	What’s going on?  I’m in
	the middle of a presentation. 
	Can’t this wait?

		AGENT
	Sam Mendoza.  You are under arrest.
	You have the right to remain silent.

		SAM
Wait.  What’s the charge?

		AGENT
	Larceny.  Grand larceny.  You’re
	investment program has been determined
	by the SEC as a gross violation.  More
	specifically, Ponzi.

		SAM
	Oh, I see.

He looks at the boardroom and directs his gaze downward.  By the doorway, he sees his partner also in cuffs being led away.

		AGENT
	Once again, Mr. Mendoza.  You have
	the right to remain silent.  You
	have the right to an attorney.  Should
	you not afford one, one will be 
	appointed to you by a court of law.
	Do you understand your rights?

Sam nods his head.

		SAM
	Mr. Mendoza, I need to hear you
	say it.

		AGENT
	Yes…I understand.

The agents take him away.  As he walks toward the door, the group of investors provide their disapproval with body language and facial expressions.  

Sam shuffles away humiliated and defeated.

CUT TO:

EXT. MAIN STREET – BACK TO PRESENT

He approaches the railroad tracks and notices thousands of crows roosting on aerial wires and on tree branches.  

He makes the mistake of running underneath a row of them.  At that moment several decide to relieve themselves.  Sam nearly gets hit by a healthy stream of white crow feces.

Across the street, a cameraman next to a news van trains his lens on him.  

Sam runs toward him.

		SAM
	Excuse me.  You’re not video taping
me, are you?

		FRANCIS (O.S.)
	Of course.  It’s a great shot.

He turns toward the voice as FRANCIS LOPEZ appears from the corner of the van.

		FANCIS
	Sam.  It’s been what, 10 years?

		SAM
	Wow.  Ten years have changed
		(beat)
	you .

What we see is an extremely attractive woman befitting of a newscaster, wearing an olive tone dress suit, hair long and flowing in the wind whisking against her angular but smooth cheek bones producing a grace of warmth and trust.

		FRANCIS
	Not the thick rimmed wall flower you
	remembered?  
		(beat)
How’s everything Sam?

		SAM
	Seen better days.

		FRANCIS
	We all have.

Uncomfortable pause.

		SAM
	So?  What’s all this?  Delano’s 
answer to Barbara Walters?

		FRANCIS
	Trying.  Trying.  Not a whole lot of news
	in this area.  Be nice to cover 
	something with some meat.

		SAM
	And the crows?  You got the inside
	story why we’ve got so many
	damn crows.  They’ve been here
	since I can remember.

		FRANCIS
	That story’s been covered.

		SAM
	Really?  They why the story?

		FRANCIS
	Had nothing else to do, so we 
thought about getting some 
candid shots.  Sam meet
	Tsi Tsen Pie, my camera man.

		SAM
	Pleasure.

Tsi extends a hand, but doesn’t say anything.

		FRANCIS
	English is limited.  He’s from 
	mainland China.

Tsi Tsen packs up his camera and slides the van door shut, LOUDLY.

		SAM
	Oh, oh.  Time to go?

		FRANCIS
	Deadline.  Need to bring in the reel
	to make the 6 o’clock news.

		SAM
	Thought this was all remote?

		FRANCIS
	He wants to edit his video.  Wants
	it perfect.

		SAM
	Oh. I see.
		(beat)
I know this sounds forward.  You
	think we can have lunch or dinner?
	Like to catch up, y’know. On things.

		FRANCIS
	That would be nice.  Here’s my card.

She pulls it out of her purse and hands it to him.

She enters the driver’s side, waves and drives off.

INT. VAN

		BEN KALANI
	When did I change my name and when
	did I have a problem with English?

		FRANCIS
	Sush.  Didn’t want to look too interested.

		BEN
	So when did you all of a sudden
	became coy?

		FRANCIS
	Had a crush on the guy.  Okay?
	Haven’t gotten over him.  That’s
	all.

		BEN
	Can I at least have my family name
back?

		FRANCIS
	Okay.  Sorry.

		BEN
	Cheese  Tsi Tsen Pie.  Where’d
you get a name like that?

As they drive back to Bakersfield, thousands of crows cover the sky finding places to roost for the night.

CUT TO:

EXT. STREET – NIGHT

MIGUEL SANCHEZ makes his way on foot, walking along side a country road.  A car approaches, slows down and stops.  It’s Deputy Bobby Brooks in his cruiser.  He lowers the window.

		BOBBY
	Miguel, where you headed?

		MIGUEL
	Home sir.  Where I live.

		BOBBY
	Richgrove’s another five miles
	away.  What happened to your 
	ride?

		MIGUEL
	Drunk sir.  Like me.

		BOBBY
	I should arrest you.

		MIGUEL
	Maybe for drunk driving.  But
	I’m drunk walking.  Besides, I’m
	no good in jail.  Got to
	go to work tomorrow.  Got
	hungry mouths to feed.

		BOBBY
	Sure you do.

		MIGUEL
	You could give me a ride.

		BOBBY
	Maybe not.
		(beat)
	What’s that on your hand?

		MIGUEL
	A bandana, sir.  Accidentally
	hurt it on something.

		BOBBY
	Uh, huh.

		MIGUEL
	Not to worry.  No one’s hurt.  
	We’re all fine.

		BOBBY
	I see.  If I get any calls regarding
	a broken nose or a bruised eye, I’ll	be visiting you.

		MIGUEL
	Only doing your job sir.

		BOBBY
	Yes I am.  Now get on home.

		MIGUEL
	My plan.  My plan.

Bobby rolls up the window and drives off.

		MIGUEL
	Pendeho jerk off.

Miguel pulls a pint of whiskey from his back pocket and takes a quick swallow.

A car approaches and Miguel shoots a thumb up to see if he can hitch a ride.  The car drives past and the thumb is replaced with the middle finger.

He pulls out a cigarette from a pack and lights it up.  He takes a deep drag and exhales a white puff of smoke.

		MIGUEL
	Oh man, I’ve gotta pee bad.

He swaggers into an orchard and unzips his pants.  He urinates loudly indicating he’s had a lot to drink.  After he finishes, he zips up.

		MIGUEL
	Damn.  That felt good.

He FARTS and then BELCHES.

		MIGUEL
	That felt better.

RUSTLING.  It grabs his attention.

		MIGUEL
	Whose there?

Silence.  Miguel makes his way back to the road, but instead walks deeper into the orchard.

		MIGUEL
	Where in the hell is the road?

RUSTLING again.  Miguel looks around and finds a branch the size of a baseball bat.  He tests the weight and swings it once.  Satisfied, he arches it back for action.

He walks toward the SOUNDS as if to satisfy a morbid curiosity.

Closer he gets, the tighter he grips the branch.

Then suddenly from behind the tree, a rabbit pops out and shows itself.  

Miguel SCREAMS.

It pauses to stare at Miguel who stares back.  

		MIGUEL
	Damn conejo.  Give me a freaken
	heart attack.

Miguel laughs and the rabbit shoot off towards the opposite direction.

He throws the branch down and then walks toward the direction where he thinks the road is. 

Then suddenly, his eye catches something unfamiliar.  He rubs his eyes and refocuses, showing a sincere attempt to figure out what it is.  Then his eyes grow saucer wide.  He turns but stumbles and falls to the ground.  He struggles to crawl away, but his fear freezes him still.  He breathes heavily and attempts to scream.  He’s able to release one loud blood-curdling SCREAM.

We pull back away from the orchard and only hear Miguel’s death cries become muffled and replaced by strange gurgling and slurping SOUNDS .  Within seconds, the screams stop and what’s left is silence, an eerie silence.

CUT TO:

INT. PHARMACY DAY

Komoto’s is one of those normal looking pharmacies with rows of retail goods and a wide counter.  It’s semi-populated when Sam enters and directs his attention to the clerk behind the counter.

		SAM
	Muscle cream and aspirin?

		CLERK
	Third aisle from your left.

		SAM
	Thanks.

He heads for the section as Jeff Lessley walks in.  He’s sporting a shiner on his left, a bruise on his cheek, and walks with a slight limp.

		JEFF
	Hey buddy.

		SAM
	You look like shit.

		JEFF
	Here to pick up some pain
	pills.  Small stash from the 
	hospital ran out.

		SAM
	Pain pills are for wusses.

		JEFF
	I still need em.  

		JEFF
	But I’m alive.  Thanks to you. 

He almost looks like he’s about to cry.

		SAM
	Alright.  You’re welcome.

		JEFF
	Funny don’t remember a thing.  

		SAM
	Were you drinking?

		JEFF
	Only on New Years Eve.
		(beat)
	Super bowl weekend.
		(beat)
	Fishing trips.
		(beat)
	Fights with the wife

		SAM
	I get the point.

		JEFF
	Must be something else.

		SAM
	Yep something else.

		JEFF
	Yep.  Something else.

Sam attempts to inch his way out of this non-productive conversation by walking away sideways.

		JEFF (Cont)
	Say?  You back in town visiting?

Silence.

		SAM
	How much you know?

		JEFF
	Pretty much everything.

		SAM
	Then you know I’m not here visiting.

		JEFF
	Find work yet?

		SAM
	Just got in town.  What do you
	think?

		JEFF
	Mean you’re not working?

		SAM
	Jesus.  Where are you going with
	this?

		JEFF
	Oh, I dunno.  You need work.  I
	need a book keeper.

		SAM
	What?

		JEFF
	Slave wages.  Hours are long and
	and the work’s hard.  You might
	have to.  No, I take that back.
	You WILL be asked to work either
	in the field pulling a pump, in 
	the machine shop threading a shaft,
	or in the office kicking out bills 
	and reconciling the check book.
	Our place isn’t the cleanest place
	to work, and the customers are pushy
	and demanding.  I’m a shit to work
	with and nine times out of ten when
	you’re out on the field, you’ll get
	bit by either a black widow or a
	snake or God knows what else.  In
	short, it’s probably the worst place
	in the world to work for.

		SAM
	In college, I graduated suma
	cum laud.  Do you know what that
	means?  I was pretty fucking smart.
	And you know why?  So that I
	can make so much money, I wouldn’t
	have to get my hands dirty,
	ever again.  For God sakes.  I 
made a seven figure income, wore
Italian made suits, drank the 
finest wines...

Silence.

		JEFF
	We start at seven

		SAM
	Shit.

They shake hands.

CUT TO:

INT. SAM’S HOME – NIGHT

Sam throws the bag with the liniment and pills on the living room coffee table.  He hits the remote and the t.v. turns on.

He walks to the kitchen and looks into the empty refrigerator.  He opens the cupboards and finds several cans of peas and corn occupying an otherwise empty space.

He grabs the keys and walks out the door.

Moments later, he walks back in and hits the remote turning the t.v. off.

INT. GROCERY STORE – NIGHT

Sam pushes the cart past the aisles and throws items in it.

INT. KITCHEN – NIGHT

Sam sits at the kitchen table, eating a homemade meal.  The audio from the t.v. provides companionship to his sad and quiet dinner.

Sam pushes the plate aside and pulls a deck of cards from on of the kitchen drawers.  He lays the cards out one by one on the table starting a game of solitaire.

Once ready, he sighs and flips a card over.

The phone RINGS.  He picks it up.

		SAM
	Hello?  Yes it is.  Uh, huh.  That’s
	interesting, but.  Yes, that could
	be true.  And.  No.  I understand.  Yes
	it is important.  But.  But.  Perhaps
	at another.  What?  Of course.  Yes.
	Yes.

He hangs up.  

		SAM
	Enough of that.  Telemarketers.

The phone RINGS.  He lets it ring.

A KNOCK on the door grabs his attention.

Sam walks to it and opens it.  It’s Bobby Brooks still dressed in his deputy uniform.

		SAM
	Bobby.  Came just in time.
	Made dinner.

		BOBBY
	Starving.  Maria’s working late
	and I was going to settle for
	a McDonald’s Big Mac.

		SAM
	Made plenty.  Rice.  Adobo.
	Steamed veggies.

He pulls out a plate from the cupboard, and helps himself to a heaping plateful.

He sits down and takes a bite.  His facial expression indicates that he is extremely pleased.

		BOBBY
	Love this stuff.  Maria cooks
	every once in a while.  No time.
	Schedules keep her till the wee hours.

		SAM
	Eat all if you like.

		BOBBY
	I will.

		SAM
	Got some wine.  How about a 
	beer?

		BOBBY
	On the clock man.

		SAM
	Okay.

Sam pulls out a diet coke and places it on the table next to Bobby’s plate.

While Bobby scarfs up, he pulls out an envelope from the back of his pants pocket.  It’s bent and relatively worn.
He hands it to Sam.

		SAM
	What’s this?

		BOBBY
	Your mom asked me to give this to
	you.

Bobby opens it up, and it’s a stack of $100 bills.

		BOBBY
	About $2000 worth in there.
	She said you may need it when
	you get out.

		SAM
	Tell you the truth.  All of my
	assets.  Homes, property, investments,
	cash were all confiscated by the 
	department of balls busters to 
	pay back everybody I owed.

		BOBBY
	If you didn’t pay them back, what
	then?

		SAM
	Don’t know.  But I do know one
	thing.  After my release, I had
	enough to buy a ride, and some
	extra for living expense.

		BOBBY
	After groceries, how much
	did it set you back?

		SAM
	You mean, how much do I have
	left?

		BOBBY
	Same thing.

Sam pulls out his wallet and opens it up.

		SAM
	$12.  No.  $17.

		BOBBY
	Now you’ve got $2017.

		SAM
	Cool.  I can go out for dinner.

		BOBBY
	Might want to buy a new set of
	clothes.  People here in Delano
	dress a little less.

		SAM
	What’s wrong with the way I dress?
	Listen.  I left this town so
	that I can get out of Wranglers,
	khaki shirts and shit kickers.

		BOBBY
	Uh, huh.

Uncomfortable pause.

		SAM
	Tell you Jeff Lessley offered
	me a job?

		BOBBY
	Least he could do after you
	saved his life.

		SAM
	I guess.  Roof over my head, job,
	money in the pocket.  Can’t really
get any better than this.

		BOBBY
	In this town.  That’s pretty much
	it.

CUT TO:

EXT. CRIME SCENE – NIGH

Emergency vehicles, several deputy cruisers, a farm pickup park outside an almond orchard.

Sheriff deputies, coroner, assistants and staff comb the area for clues.

Bobby stand above the deceased body.  What he sees is a skeleton with bits of flesh still stuck to parts of the bones, ligaments, and tendons.

Dr. Elizabeth Martinez, of the coroner’s office takes notes as she examines the body.  Investigators take camera shots of the body, creating sharp flashes at different intervals amidst CLICKS and WHIRRS of film advancing.

		BOBBY
	That’s not something you see
	everyday.

		ELIZABETH
	Appears the body was dipped in
	a vat of acid.  I have no idea
	what could have caused this.

		BOBBY
	If that’s the case, why are his
	clothes still on?

		ELIZABETH
	Your job to find out.

She signals the EMT crew to take the body away.

		BOBBY
	Any i.d.?

		ELIZABETH
	In a bag next to the body.  Want
	it?

		BOBBY
	Oh I don’t know.  I’ll take
	a look at it in a second.

		ELIZABETH
	Could be somebody you know.

		BOBBY
	Hope not. Any idea the cause of death?  
Stab wounds, bullet wounds.  Poison?

Dr. Martinez taps on her PDA and slips it into her coat.

		ELIZABETH
	I’ll need to examine it at the
	morgue.  Can’t say anymore, except
	to say that this was not a 
	death of natural causes.

		BOBBY
	Homicide?

		ELIZABETH
	Don’t know.  Probably.

		BOBBY
	Any clue as to when I’ll be notified?

		ELIZABETH
	Yeah.  When I find out, you’ll
be notified.

She walks away with her examination bag in her hand.

		BOBBY
	Anybody tell you, you do a bang
	up job?

She continues walking without responding.

The EMT crew lifts the body into the bag grabbing Bobby’s attention.  He notices a red bandana on the victim’s hand.  

		BOBBY
	Hey wait.

He takes a look at the hand.  Then he looks at the clothes.  

FLASHBACK SCENE:

		BOBBY
	Okay.  What’s that on your hand?

		MIGUEL
	A bandana, sir.  Accidentally
	hurt it on something.

		BOBBY
	Uh, huh.

		MIGUEL
	Not to worry.  No one’s hurt.  
We’re all fine.

BACK TO PRESENT:

		BOBBY
	I know this guy.  Where’s the bag
	with his id?

The EMT gives him a bag.

Bobby opens it up and takes the billfold out.  He examines the DMV picture and looks at the face of Miguel Sanchez, who he saw, just hours ago.

		BOBBY
	Can’t be.  No fucking way.

He signals to the EMT crew who zips up the body bag and carries it to the ambulance.

CUT TO:

INT. SAM’S BEDROOM – NIGHT

Sam empties out his one suitcase:  Three pairs of slacks, one pair of levis, four button shirts, two tee shirts, five underwear briefs, five pairs of socks, dress shoes, casual shoes, running shoes, and a pair of sandals. 

He hangs up his shirts and pants still leaving his closet virtually empty.  

He turns around and scans the small bedroom.  It still has the twin bed on the corner, dresser drawer, and computer desk with an outdated desktop computer.

He walks to it and turns it on.

		BOBBY
	Computer.  How quaint.

He points the mouse and clicks several times.

It prompts to his personal journal.  He reads briefly, then he prompts to a new pages.  He begins to type.

INSERT SCREEN:

Moved back today after an embarrassing and humiliating life changing experience.  The house greeted me without the fanfare of family love.  I remembered the house to be so crowded, so cluttered, almost to the point of being claustrophobic.  Father and mother continually bantered about the oddest of subjects usually about how they can collect and manage more junk, more excess baggage.  I left to escape the smothering cave I called home the first 19 years of my life.  This home now so empty and cold represents a new beginning.  I hope I can do something to bring back warmth and respect to the family name again.   

CUT TO:

INT. BEDROOM – LATER ON THAT NIGHT

Sam wakes up on his desk, his head resting on his crossed arms.

He looks at the radio clock.  It’s 2:30 a.m.

		SAM
	Ah, geese.

He gets up, sets the radio clock to 5:30.

INT. BEDROOM – 5:30 a.m. 

The alarms goes off.  He hits it, and pulls his body out of bed.

INT. KITCHEN

Sam eats a simple breakfast:  Oatmeal and coffee.  It’s lonely and quiet.

CUT TO:

INT. SHERIFF LEO FONTANELLA’S OFFICE – MORNING

Bobby walks into the Sheriff’s main office.  He shoots standard early morning banter with the guys as he walks to the department head, especially to DEPUTY JONES.

		JONES
	Heard about last night.  What
	was that about?

		BOBBY
	Still trying to figure that out
	myself.

		JONES
	You saw the body?

		BOBBY
	Yeah.  Not a pretty sight.  And don’t
	ask me anymore questions, coz I don’t	
	know nothing except that I may need
	the help of Fox Mulder and Dana Sculley.

		JONES
	So you think Fontanella may call 
	the FBI?

		BOBBY
	Hope so.  I want to go back to being a
	bailiff.  This field stuff is kicking
	my ass.  Hey?  What’s that?

Jones had a new digital camera on his desk.

		JONES
	Like this?  Just bought it.  It’s
	5 mega pixel digital camera.  Not
	bulky like the others.  Takes perfect 
shots and has great resolution.  And
the neat thing is that if fit right
in your wallet.  Cool huh?

		BOBBY
	Nice toy.  What are you going to do
	with it?

		JONES
	I don’t know.  Maybe take pictures?

		BOBBY
	Are you going to use it on a vacation?

		JONES
	Vacation?  Who takes vaction?

Bobby smiles at him obviously not getting his point across.

		BOBBY
	What?  What did I say?

INT. SHERIFF LEO FONTANELLA’S OFFICE

Leo sits behind the desk and just gets off the phone.  Bobby waits by the door.  Leo waives him in right before he hangs up.

		LEO
	That was Liz.  She doesn’t have
	any answers.

		BOBBY
	Didn’t expect her to.  At least
	from what I saw.

		LEO
	I saw the pictures.  Boy did they 
say a thousand words..

		BOBBY
	Leo.  I knew the guy.

		LEO
	That good or bad?

		BOBBY
	Let me tell you what I think.
	I expect the death to have occurred
	about 24 to 48 hours ago.  I mean
	the body was stripped clean of 
	it’s skin, fat and muscles.  I’m
	not an expert on such matters, but
	it’s consistent to it being dipped
	into an acid bath.  How long do you
	think something like that could
	happen?

		LEO
	I don’t read like I used to.  Why don’t
you tell me.

		BOBBY
	Well, the body still had the victim’s
	clothes on.  Like the perp had to
	have killed the victim, stripped the
	clothes from his body, dip him in the acid
	bath, wait for it to be reasonably
	safe to handle, put the clothes
	back on, and then drop the body in
	the middle of an almond orchard.

		LEO
	You’re point?

		BOBBY
	I almost arrested the man two hours
	before I was called to the scene.

		LEO
	What?

		BOBBY
	Miguel Sanchez was walking home drunk
	to Richgrove.  I gave him a hard
	time and threatened to arrest him.

		LEO
	On what charge.

		BOBBY
	For being a chump.  We have history.
	Went to school together since 
	first grade.  Didn’t like him then.
	Don’t like him now.

		LEO
	Alright.  How did you know it was him.

		BOBBY
	I.D. on the body.  The clothes.  I
	recognized the clothes on his body.

Bobby makes a motion with his hands.

		BOBBY (cont)
	He had a bandana wrapped around his
	hand.  He hurt it in a fight.  It was
	still on his hand.

Jones walks in.

		JONES
	Bobby.  Sanchez’ spouse here.

		BOBBY
	Why here?

		JONES
	Don’t know for sure.  She’s
	waiting in the lobby.

		BOBBY
	Take here into one of the empty
	offices.

		JONES
	Will do.

Jones leaves and Leo picks up the phone.

		LEO
	Dr. Martinez.  This is Leo.  Do me
	a favor and double verify through
	dental records and DNA that the deceased
	is Miguel Sanchez.  I need this information
	stat, and don’t care how much it cost.
	I’ll deal with brass regarding this.
	Let me know as soon as you know.

He hangs up.

		BOBBY
	Lucky the media hasn’t stuck
	their noses in this yet.

		LEO
	To them, it’s another unsolved murder
	on an unknown illegal.  That kind of
	news keeps viewer ship down.
		(beat)
	Listen.  Nobody knows nothing.  I’ll
	issue a memo.

		BOBBY
	Good idea.  That’ll work for at
	least five seconds.

SHIRLEY MASCARINAS, assistant, knocks on the door.

		SHIRLEY
	Leo.  Francis Lopez at Action News
	3 is on line one asking for you.

		BOBBY
	Here we go.

		LEO
	I’m in the bathroom.  Get her
	phone number and throw the note
	away.  Issue a memo that no
	one, not even the freaking 
	custodian, is to speak to media.
		
		SHIRLEY
	It’ll only make her worse.

		LEO
	Don’t care.  Just give me some
	time to think this out.

		SHIRLEY
	Aye Aye Capeetan.

She salutes and disappears.

		BOBBY
	Well.  Let’s see what Maricella
wants.

	LEO
Sanchez’ wife?

		BOBBY
	Yeah.

	LEO
Know her?

	BOBBY
	(big sigh)
Yeah.  Unfortunately.

		LEO
	Good luck.

Leo picks up a folder and throws it.

		LEO
	Write your report and include it
	in the file.

		BOBBY
	Know what.  I’m gonna go back to
	the scene.  Was dark last night.
	Might be able to find something.
	Something the crime lab missed.

		LEO
	Everything.  I want to know everything
	on this.

INT. OFFICE

MARICELLA SANCHEZ is with her teenage son, ARMANDO.  Her eyes are swollen from crying.

When Bobby enters, both Maricella and Armando stand.

		BOBBY
	It’s okay.  Sit down.  Want
	something to drink?  Coffee?
	Water?

Both of them nod their heads “no”.

		MARICELLA
	Bobby.  They said I can’t
	see my husband.  What’s going
	on?

		BOBBY
	I’m sorry.  He was.  He was mutilated
	pretty bad.

		MARICELLA
	Oh my God.  No.  No.  

		ARMANDO
	Are you sure it was him?  I was
	told you saw him.

		BOBBY
	I have his wallet.  He was 
	wearing the clothes I saw him
	in hours before he was attacked.

		MARICELLA
	You know how he died?

		BOBBY
	Sorry.  It’s under investigation.
	I can’t tell you that.

		ARMANDO
	That doesn’t mean nothin’.  It could 
be someone else, right man?

		BOBBY
	We’re checking dental records.  But
	I’m sure it’s him.

		MARICELLA
	You saw him?

		BOBBY
	He was walking home.  Said
	his ride was drunk, and he needed
	to go home.  To rest.  Said
	he needed to go to work.

		MARICELLA
	Got this good job, y’know.  Pays
	good, and Miguel.  He used all
	of it to take care of us. 
		(beat)
	C’mon mando.  Let’s let Bobby
	do his job.
		(to Bobby)
	You get that bastard who took
	away my Miguel, okay?

		BOBBY
	You got my word.

Bobby stays in the office and watches Maricella and Armando leave.

INT. PRECINCT

Bobby approaches Jones who is still playing with his camera.

		JONES
	Always tough, talking to the victim’s 
family.  Hate that, man.

		BOBBY
	Remember that favor you owe me?

		JONES
	What’s up?

		BOBBY
	Need to borrow your camera.

		JONES
Oh no.  No way.  Why can’t you requisition one from county?

		BOBBY
	Because I need it.

Uncomfortable silence

		JONES
	You know what, man.  You’re
killing me.  You’re killing me.

Bobby picks up the camera and plays with it.  

		BOBBY
	Now how does this thing work?

Bobby flips it in the air like a Frisbee and catches it behind his back.

		BOBBY
	Light as a feather.

		JONES
	That’s an $800 camera man.  Be
	careful

		BOBBY
	Listen, Jones.  I didn’t care
too much for Miguel.  But I’ve
known Maricella since kindergarten.
	She’s good people and breaks my 
heart to see her like that.  I gotta
	find out whose responsible.

		JONES
	Okay.  Let’s see about showing 
you how to use this camera without 
you destroying it.

CUT TO:

INT. IRRIGATION CONCEPTS – MORNING

Sam shows up at the counter.  RICH VALOV pulls out of the bathroom, tucking his shirt in his pants and zipping up his pants.

		RICH
	Been helped?

		SAM
	I’m new.  Jeff hired me.

		RICH
	Oh, yeah.  Mr. Savior.  Go through
	that door and turn left.  That’ll
	be your office.

		SAM
	Thanks.

		RICH
	Rich.

		SAM
	Alright Rich.  I’m Sam.

Sam walks into the office and Jeff is behind a desk moving the mouse.

		SAM
	Need help?

		JEFF
	Good.  Take over.  Here’s a folder
	and fill out your employee papers.
	Then weed through this pile and
	find a way to make it right.

		SAM
	Software programs?

		JEFF
	What?

		SAM
	Software programs.  You know.  
What software programs do you have?

		JEFF
	Hell’s bell do I know.  I got into
	the system using these passwords.
	Anything else is Greek to me.

He gives Sam a piece of paper with software names, user codes and passwords.

		JEFF (Cont)
	I’ve got a pump to pull and I’ll
	check up on you around lunch,
	maybe.

		SAM
	So I’m just supposed to just figure
	this out, just like that?

		JEFF
	Ed, the owner, will stick his
	head in and drop off a couple
	of tips here and there.

		SAM
	Operations manual?

		JEFF
	Funny.

		SAM
	Okay then.

		JEFF
	Chair’s adjustable.  I know
	that much.

INT. OFFICE – LATER ON

ED VALOV walks in the office and drops a stack of papers in a basked labeled “FILE BACKS”.  He looks at Sam who is pushing paper.

		ED
	Who’re you?

		SAM
	Sam.  Sam Mendoza.  Jeff hired 
	me.

		ED
	He did huh?  I’m the freaking owner
	of this company, and no one tells
	me shit.  Ain’t that a bitch.

		SAM
	Oh, oh.  You want me to leave.

		ED
	Naw.  Just bullshitting you.  You’re
	the guy who saved Jeff’s ass from
	being barbecued.

		SAM
	Was that good or bad?

		ED
	He’s a pain in the ass, but he does
	things right every once in a 
	while.

		SAM
	Jeff said that you have some
	tips to help me out.

		ED
	Don’t think so.

		SAM
	But Jeff said.

		ED
	Jeff says a lot.  By the way,
	don’t get too comfortable.

		SAM
	Beg your pardon?

		ED
	Don’t get too comfortable.  Jeff’s
	short handed and may need an
	extra hand.

He looks at Jeff’s clothes.

		ED
	You may want to bring something
	different to wear.  Something less.

		SAM
	Faggy?

		ED
	I was going to say, “dressy”.
	But you said it, I didn’t.

Ed walks out almost laughing.

		SAM
	Shit.

EXT. SHOP

Jeff, Ron and Ed congregate near a pickup.

		JEFF
	What do you think?

		ED
	Don’t feel comfortable with a
	felon doing the company books.

		RON
	He sold bad investments.  He
	didn’t kill anyone.

		ED
	Same thing.

		JEFF
	Give him a couple of days.

		ED
	I’ll give him a couple of years.
	Just don’t think he’ll last.  Had
	others with more country farm balls
	than he and they left.

		RON
	He grew up in Delano, worked in
	the fields, lived the simple hard
	life first hand.  My dollar says
	he’ll stay and help the company.

		ED
	Double or nothing he’s gone in
	two weeks.

		JEFF
	I’ll take that bet.

Sam walks out.

		SAM
	Someone called by the name of 
	Steve Milicic.  Said his pump’s
	not working and we promised someone
	by his place first thing this
	morning.

A pickup drives into the yard and hits a pothole full of water splashing a rooster tail on him.

Ed walks back inside already thinking he’s a winner.

CUT TO:

EXT. CRIME SCENE – MORNING

Bobby walks the area where Miguel was found.  He bends and examines the ground area.

		BOBBY
	Okay.  Report says there were no
	signs of a struggle.  No noticeable
	marks, no nothing.

He looks at the various pictures in the file.  It shows nothing.

He notices wet spots left by the irrigation system.

Something catches his eye.

A closer look shows strands of lines like a rake with fine teeth crosses the surface.  He follows the lines and it appears it was facing the same direction.

He pulls out his camera and takes pictures.

		BOBBY
	I don’t know what the heck this
	is, but I’m gonna find out.

INT. MACHINE SHOP

Sam bangs on a set of pump bowls with a brass knocker.  He bangs several more times before Jeff shows up.  Jeff takes the knocker and slams it harder against the pump.  Several more efforts and the pump bowls break loose.  He pulls the bowl apart and sets it on a pallet.  Same takes the next bowl and imitates Jeff’s move.  Unfortunately, the part was full of rusty, foul looking water that splashes against his body.

Jeff gives Sam a rag.

LATER THAT DAY

Jeff is on the engine lathe threading a shaft.  Sam stands next to him, taking instructions.

Sam takes his turn on the lathe and successfully completes the task.

LATER THAT DAY

Sam unloads pallets of irrigation parts from a diesel truck.

CUT TO:

EXT. FARM HOME – DAY

Bobby in his cruiser pulls into a driveway.  He walks out and JANE MONTGOMERY meets him halfway.

		BOBBY
	I got a call saying that someone
	attacked your livestock?

		JANE
	Something.

		BOBBY
	What are we talking about?

		JANE
	I don’t have much.  Chickens,
	couple goats, and a swine every
	once in awhile.

		BOBBY
	What was attacked?

		JANE
	A goat.  A large one that I had
	for years.  It was like family.

		BOBBY
	So you think it was attacked
	by dogs, coyote?

		JANE
	Don’t know.  First I’ve ever 
seen anything like it.

		BOBBY
	Still haven’t told me much.

		JANE
	Don’t know what to say.  Better
just to show you.  Think seeing 
is believing.

They reach the barn where the carcass lies.  

Bobby starts to walk faster when he sees something familiar.  

He opens the corral and walks towards the animal.  What he sees is a skeleton with bits of flesh stuck to the bones, ligaments and tendons.  

It’s an ugly sight but Bobby pulls out his camera and takes pictures.

		BOBBY
	When did you notice the carcass
	this way?

		JANE
	This morning.  Woke up at 
	the crack of dawn.  Found
	it laying there, bones and all,
	when I fed the chickens.  

		BOBBY
	When was the last time you saw
	it alive.

		JANE
	Last night.  After dinner, I go out
	and talk to the animals.  I’m kind
	of weird that way.  So when I wake
	up.  I see this.  Craziest
	sight I’ve ever saw.  Kind of like
	the poor thing was dipped in acid.
		(beat)
	Have any idea what could do a thing
like this?

		BOBBY
	No clue.

INT. CRUISER – DAY

Bobby talks in a cell phone.

		BOBBY
	Leo.  Found another victim, this
	time it’s an animal.  What?  Not
	too far from where Sanchez was found.
	I’ll let you know.

He hangs up and drives with a concerned look on his face.

CUT TO:

EXT. IRRIGATION CONCEPTS OFFICE – LATE AFTERNOON

Sam is in the office processing payables and receivables.

Jeff walks in with a folder.

		JEFF
	Bill this job and I guess you 
can call it a day.

		SAM
	It’s 7:30.  I just worked 12 ½
	hours.

		JEFF
	Well buddy.  So did I.  So did
	Ed.  So did Ron.

		SAM
	I don’t care.  It’s illegal, inhumane,
	and insane.

		JEFF
	Is there a word for that?

		SAM
	Assonance.

		JEFF
	You calling me an ass?

		SAM
	Assonance.  The use of repeating
	like consonants.

		JEFF
	What?

		SAM
	Nevermind.  You were right.  You’re
	ass.

		JEFF
	That’s better.  Tomorrow, we
	get to pull a pump.

		SAM
	Can’t wait.

		JEFF
	You might want to wear different 
clothes.

CUT TO:

INT. KMART – NIGHT

Sam walks up to a casher with five pairs of levis, five khaki shirts, a packet of work socks and a pair of work boots.

The cashier rings it up and Sam pays it with cash.

CUT TO:

EXT. FARM LOCATION – DAY

Irrigation Concepts pump rig is stationed near an orchard around a pump stand.  Next to it is a row of column pipe.  next it the column pipe is a row of tube and shaft.  The crew that consists of DOUG GEIVET, Jeff and Sam (who is wearing a new set of appropriate work clothes and boots), are positioned around the rig when they pull out the six stage deep well turbine.

They bring the pump to its side with Doug barking orders.  As they law it on it side, they notice the pump is badly oxidized.  They notice also strange looking worms attached to it.

		SAM
	I’m not an educated guy, but I
	think Mr. Nelson needs a new pump.

		DOUG
	We can repair it.

		SAM
	That?  No shit?

		JEFF
	He’s bullshitting you.  One thing for
	sure, I’ve never seen anything like
	this.  What do you think?

		DOUG
	It’s a water pump, not an acid pump.

		SAM
	There such an animal?

		DOUG
	You talking about these leeches?  Not
	leeches.  Leeches come from the phylum
	annelida, like earthworms.  These here
	are flatworms, phylum, platyhilmenthes.
	Relatively primitive in the animal kingdom.

		DOUG
	Damn.

		SAM
	Before I got my dream in business, I
	majored in biology.

		DOUG
	Got a degree, and you’re working
	here?  Ain’t that a bitch.

		JEFF
	And he’s a felon, go figure.

		SAM
	Well, just go ahead and tell everybody.

		DOUG
	You’re a felon?

		SAM
	Listen, when we have enough time and
	LIQUOR, I’ll tell you how to screw up an
	otherwise perfect life.  In the meantime
	I’m doing things I have absolutely no
	fucking idea what I’m doing.

SANDERS NELSON drives up in his pickup.

		SANDERS
	Well boys, what do we have here?

While Jeff talks, Sanders, takes a curious look at his pump.

		JEFF
	Geese, Sanders.  This doesn’t look
	too good.  Hell whatever caused this,
	bad weather, harsh minerals, sand,
	whatever, it did a number.  Deee-stroyed
	the whole pump.  Bad news is that you’re
	gonna need a new pump.  Good news is
	that I can get you a brand spanking
	new pump at half the cost you’d pay
	elsewhere.  Lucky you went to us.
	I can get a new pump in a couple of
	days, drop it in about six hours,
	get you back, no time flat.

All this while, Sanders stares at the funny looking flatworm.

		SANDERS
	Damn.  I thought I killed them all.

		JEFF
	Ah, Sanders.  What was that?

		SANDERS
	Oh.  Nothing.  Just an old man
	talking to himself.  What was that
	you asked?

		JEFF
	The pump.  You want us to replace
	it or what?

		SANDERS
	Yeah, sure.  Go ahead.
		(beat)
	Jeff, let me ask a question.

		JEFF
	Yeah sure.

		SANDERS
	You think Ed can design a system
	that can inject a pesticide directly
	into the soil?

		JEFF
	I’m pretty sure he can.  You’re going
	to have to ask him.  You want me
	to ask him for you, or would you rather
	stop by and talk about it yourself.

		SANDERS
	Why don’t you let him know that I’d
	like to talk to him about it when
	I see him.  Sounds good to you neighbor?

		JEFF
	I’ll let him know.

		SANDERS
	You do that.  Listen, I got to get.

Sanders then walks away with his thoughts elsewhere.  He enters his truck and then drives away without waiving.

		SAM
	What was that about?  I’d say
	that was weird.  Did you say
	he also raised earthworms?

		DOUG
	The only one in miles.  Good for
	soil, good for fishing.

		SAM
	Well no wonder he didn’t like the
	flatworms.  They’re the natural enemy
	of the earthworm.  I can see him wanting
	a system to spread a pesticide to kill
them, the flatworm, but whatever kills flatworms will kill his earthworms.  So
what’s all that about?

		JEFF
	You don’t know that.

		SAM
	You’re right.  I don’t know nothing.  
It just doesn’t make sense, but hey, I just
	get dirty, and you shits love every
	minute of it.

		JEFF
	Yeah, right.  So enough bullshit, let’s
	load er up.  We’ve got work t do.

INT. NELSON’S OFFICE – DAY

Sanders flips his rolodex file till he finds the card he’s looking for.  He picks up the phone and dials.

		SANDERS
	It’s me Sanders.  Need you to
	come here as soon as you possibly
	can.  We’ve got a problem here.
	A big problem.

CUT TO:

INT. IRRIGATION CONCEPTS OFFICE – DAY

Sam picks up the phone and dials.

		SAM
	Hi.  Francis?

INTERCUT:  SAM/FRANCIS

	`	FRANCIS
	Speaking.

		SAM
	It’s Sam.  How you doing?

		FRANCIS
	Sam?  Surprise to hear from you.

		SAM
	Think I have a good human interest
	story for you.  If you’re interested.

		FRANCIS
	I don’t know.  I’m working on a 
	hot Pulitzer Prize winning story
	about watching flowers grow.

		SAM
	Serious?

		FRANCIS
	No.  Not really.  What you got?

		SAM
	Earthworms.

		FRANCIS
	Wow.  I almost heard you say something
	like earthworms.

		SAM
	Weird huh?

		FRANCIS
	Sounds inviting?

		SAM
	There’s a farmer outside McFarland
	that grows grapes and almonds.  But
	he’s devoted about an acre or two to
	raising earthworms.  Primarily for
	fishing which he loves to do.  But he
	found out that dropping truckloads of these
	critters into farm land, the castings
	which is their term for earthworm shit,
	does wonders to the soil.

		FRANCIS
	So this is good, right?

		SAM
	Absolutely.  But the story’s not there.

		FRANCIS
	Oh it isn’t.  Thank God.

		SAM
	It’s in the Phylum Plathelmintes, more
	specifically, Artioposthia Triangulata and
	Geoplan Sanguinea.

		FRANCIS
	I’m not even going to pretend to 
	understand that.

		SAM
	Flatworms indigenous to New Zealand
	and Australia.  Relatively primitive.
	Their primary food source is earthworms.
	How they do this is curl around their
	hosts, secrete digestive enzymes, and
	eat them from outside to in.

		FRANCIS
	Sounds appetizing.

		SAM
	Sorry.  But when I was out on the field
	pulling a pump, we found some of these
	flatworms on the pump.  So what do
	you think?  Wanna cover it?

		FRANCIS
	Pass.

		SAM
	Pass?  It’s the story of a lifetime.

		FRANCIS
	Not into worms.

		SAM
	Then how about dinner?

		FRANCIS
	Don’t eat worms either.

		SAM
	No.  How about dinner?  Me
	taking you out to eat.  Sit down,
	fancy food, wine, conversation?

		FRANCIS
	You asking me out to dinner.  

		SAM
	Sure why not?

		FRANCIS
	Okay.  When?

		SAM
	How ‘bout tonight?
		(beat)
	Eight o’clock okay?

		FRANCIS
	Okay.

		SAM
	Where can I pick you up?

		FRANCIS
	At the station.  

		SAM
	Kewl.

CUT TO:

INT.  NELSON FARMS – DAY

Sanders is at his desk with PALMER HYATT sitting across him.

		SANDERS
	This is not funny Palmer.  We’ve
	got to do something about this.

		PALMER
	Not to worry.  The contamination
	does not appear to have crossed
	the second stage.

		SANDERS
	So what?  I don’t care if it’s
	the tenth stage.  This is your
	problem and you’ve got to deal
	with it.

		PALMER
	How many times have I told you
	that this type of thing happens
	all the time.  As long as it
	doesn’t cross the second stage
	you’ll be fine.

		SANDERS
	Alright.  What’s the plan or
	as your federals would say “plan
	of action.”

		PALMER
	Eliminate them.  All of them.

		SANDERS
	Just like you did the last time?

		PALMER
	They were all killed.  They must’ve
	laid eggs.

		SANDERS
	How many times do I have to tell 
	you.  These things don’t lay eggs.

		PALMER
	That’s right.  They just split in
	two.

		SANDERS
	You and your stupid biological 
	weapons.  These worms once they’ve
	populated will kill everything in sight.
	And what’s even more dangerous is
	that there’s no way to control them.
	That’s why I had them killed.
	I am sorry I did this in the first
	place.  Jesus Christ.  I grow grapes
	and almonds.  Okay, I once worked for
	the government but now I’m a farmer.

		PALMER
	Thank the US Government you had a couple
	of bad years.

		SANDERS
	If I didn’t need the money, I would’ve
	told you to go to hell.

		PALMER
	But you needed the money.  And we needed
	the weapon.

		SANDERS
	Bastard.  It was you.  You didn’t kill
	them all like you said.  What did you
	do?  Plant them in the earthworm farm
	without me knowing?

		PALMER
	With Iraq and Afghanistan, I was ordered
to find ways.  Besides, I didn’t think 
the little bastards’d survive.

		SANDERS
	That’s all these animals do.  They
	don’t think.  They don’t plan.  They
	don’t do nothing except eat, replicate
	and survive.  

		PALMER
	Well good job Sanders.

Sanders picks up a stack of folders on his desk and slings them across the room and gets face to face with Palmer.

		SANDERS
	Okay, Mr. Government Man.  How
	do you plan to fix this?

		PALMER
	We just kill them.

		SANDERS
	Stupid man.  Didn’t you read the
	report?  Once they’ve populated, there
	is no killing them.  They multiply
	faster than they can be killed.
	As soon as you kill one, a hundred 
	will take its place.  The only way they
	die is when the food source is gone.
	No more food, no more worms.

		PALMER
	We can round them up like cattle
	and exterminate them.  That’s how.

		SANDERS
	They could be near or in the
	city limits.

		PALMER
	Well, I guess we’ll have casualties.

		SANDERS
	Damn you Sanders.  That means…

		PALMER
	Worse case scenario.  Complete
	quarantine.

		SANDERS
	Bastard.

		PALMER
	Relax.  They’re probably contained
	in your property.  I’ve already sent
	a crew to work on your problem.

		SANDERS
	My problem?  My problem?  Palmer, this
	is your problem.  Which makes it the
	problem of the United States of 
	America.

CUT TO:

INT. MOMA TOSCA RESTAURANT – NIGHT

Sam and Francis have already been served and have wine glasses full.

		FRANCIS
	Can’t believe you thought
	I’d cover a story about worms.

		SAM
	Why not?  Think it’s a pretty
	good human interest story.

		FRANCIS
	If I do that, what next?  Cockroaches?
	Dung beetles?  

		SAM
	Please.  Dinner?

		FRANCIS
	Oh.  Sorry.  Have to admit.  What
	could things like worms do to
	make headline news, anyway?

		SAM
	Crows did.

		FRANCIS
	They’ve been here for years

		SAM
	So?

		FRANCIS
	But worms?

		SAM
	Let me put it this way.  If
they do, I’m pretty sure
	you’d find a way of making it 
an award winning story.

		FRANCIS
	Yeah.  I guess so.  Thanks.

They eat quietly.

		FRANCIS
	Can I ask a question?  A personal
	question?

		SAM
	What in my history do you not
	know about me?

		FRANCIS
	Please.

		SAM
	Sure.  Ask away.

She takes a sip from her wine glass in preparation and Sam raises his eyebrow.

		FRANCIS
	When we were in high school, 
was I more than just a friend?

		SAM
	You might not want to know.

		FRANCIS
	Maybe not.
		(beat)
	But since we’re here.

		SAM
	I had a crush on you.

		FRANCIS
You had a crush on me?
I had a crush on you.
	
		FRANCIS
	Why didn’t you take me out, then?  

		SAM
Cause you were a good girl.  And
	I liked bad girls.  Very bad girls.
	If you know what I mean.

		FRANCIS
	That’s pretty stupid.

		SAM
	I had needs.

		FRANCIS
	Well.  So did I.

Sam raises his glass up.

		SAM
	Does that mean we get to do
	the nasty tonight?

		FRANCIS
	You’re a dog you know.

		SAM
	See what I mean?  You’re a good
	girl.

		FRANCIS
	That’s stupid.

		SAM
	Well then, to stupidity.

They click glasses and drink.

CUT TO:

EXT. FIELDS – DAY

Art drives at a job site.  It’s at the end of the day and two out of the three laborers wait for him.

(Though the following dialogue is in English, the laborers are speaking Spanish.)

		ART
	Where’s Isidro.

		ROSARIO
	He got into an argument with
	Jose about how to glue pipe.

		ART
	Why argue about something I told
	you how to do?

		ROSARIO
	Don’t ask me.  Jose and Isidro
	always fight.  If you tell me, you
	need to fire one of them before 
	someone gets hurt.

		ART
	Is this true?

		JOSE
	He comes up to me and tells me that
	I’m stupid, I tell him to go 
fuck himself.

		ART
	I don’t need this.  I’ve got 
work to be done and people to 
do it.  If you feel like talking 
more than working then you need 
to pick grapes instead.  Got it?

		JOSE
	Sure.

		ART
	Which way did he go?

		ROSARIO
	North.

		ART
	How long ago?

		ROSARIO
	Hour.  Two the most.

		ART
	We’re miles away from the shop.
	We’ll go find him and I’ll talk
	you both.  And it’ll be the last
	time I talk about it.  Got it?

		JOSE
	Yes.  Of course.

		ART
	In the pickup.  Let’s go find him.

Art picks up his radio.

		ART
	Ron.  This is Art.  Looks like
	Jose and Isidro got into another fight
	and he decided to walk home.  He
	went North to where you’re at.
	Seen him?

		RON (O.S.)
	Nope. I’m in the pick up.  I’ll back
	track and see if I can find him.  If
	I do, we’ll meet at the shop.

		ART
	Copy that.

Art and the guys follow a dirt road North and within minutes find Isidro sitting against a grape post.  He appears to be sleeping.

		ART
	Rosario.  Is that him?

		ROSARIO
	Looks like it.

He drives up close.

At the same time Ron drives up.

		ART
	Jose.  Go up and get him.  And
	no fighting.  Just tell him to
	get in the pickup.

Jose reluctantly jumps off pickup bed and walks toward Isidro who still doesn’t move.

		JOSE
	Mother of God.

Ron walks to Art whose still in the pickup.

		RON
	Think they’ll throw chingasos?

Jose is about a yard from Isidro who doesn’t move from his position.

		ART
	Jose.  What the hell is going on?
	You want to go home or what?

Jose doesn’t answer.

		ART
	I’m going to kick that guy’s ass.

		RON
	Forget it.  I’ll take care of this.

Ron walks toward Jose and Isidro and with each step he takes, he notices something wrong, quickening his stride.

From Art’s angle, he sees Ron pulling his phone out and making a call.

		ART
	What the hell is going on?

Both Art and Rosario jump out of the pickup.

They join the others and what they all see is Isidro’s remains, clothes still on the body with only the skeleton and small bits of flesh showing.

CUT TO:

INT. NELSON FARMS OFFICE 

Sanders is behind his desk when Jeff walks in.  Sanders appears to be agitated by his visit.

		JEFF
	Sanders, I was in the area and
	wanted to talk to you.

		SANDERS
	Couldn’t you have called?

		JEFF
	Tried.  Both your office and cell
	phone.  No answer.

		SANDERS
	I would’ve called you back.

		JEFF
	Got your pump.  Said you wanted it 
and I got it.  So when do I drop 
it back down the well?

		SANDERS
	Oh, wished you had called me.

		JEFF
	I’m not going through that again.

		SANDERS
	I’m going to abandon it.

		JEFF
	You’re what?  Why?

		SANDERS
	Cos I don’t need it no more, that’s
	why.

		JEFF
	You’re full of shit.  You need it and
	I know it.

		SANDERS
	Listen.  I’m kind of busy right now.
	Can we talk about this later?

		JEFF
	Damn straight we’re going to talk
	about this.  And I’m sending you a
	bill for the labor of pulling your
	old pump out and for the cost of the
	pump I ordered.

		SANDERS
	You do that.

		JEFF
	You can count on it.

Jeff leaves the office and storms to his pickup.  He looks west and finds something odd.

He gets on his pickup and drives along the dirt road to the main avenue.  What he sees are men dressed in what looks like anti-contamination suits with tanks and sprayers spraying the ground.

		JEFF
	Wonder what the heck is that all
	about.

CUT TO:

INT. IRRIGATION CONCEPTS OFFICE – DAY

Sam is on the phone.  

INTERCUT: SAM/BEN/FRANCIS

		SAM
	Channel 3 News?

		BEN
	Yeah.

		SAM
	Francis Lopez, please.

		BEN
	She’s in the bathroom.

		SAM
	Oh.  Who’s this?

		BEN
	Ben Kalani.  Her cameraman.

		SAM
	I thought her cameraman couldn’t
	speak English.

		BEN
	I don’t.  Hey.  Here she comes.
	It was nice talking with you.  Whose
	this?

		SAM
	Sam Mendoza.

		BEN
	Oh yeah.  The guy who got shitted
	on.

Francis picks up the phone.

		FRANCIS
	This is Francis.

		BEN
	I give up.  What’s up with the
	cameraman?

		FRANCIS
	Oh that.  Didn’t want him to 
	make a play on you.  He’s gay.

		BEN (O.S.)
	Bullshit.  I’m not gay.

		SAM
	Girl.  You play me too much.

		FRANCIS
	I like having fun.  Don’t you?

		SAM
	Alright.  Enough of that.  Get 
in your van and bring your cameraman 
whoever he is.  Think I got your story.

		FRANCIS
	Not about worms, is it?

		SAM
	Body was found in the fields.  Fresh
	too.

		FRANCIS
	I’m on it.

CUT TO:

EXT. CRIME SCENE – LATER

Bobby is the first to show up.  The ambulance and the coroner follow seconds later.  Within minutes, the area is covered with enforcement personnel.

Rosario, Isidro and Art are taken aside for questioning by several deputies.

Bobby walks to the body, where Ron stands.

		BOBBY
	Anybody touch the body?

		RON
	If you’re asking if anyone of
	us touched it, the answer is no.

		BOBBY
	When did you find it?

		RON
	About 4:30.

		BOBBY
	Shit.

Bobby looks around.

		BOBBY
	Where’s the other witnesses,
your employees?

		RON
	Gone.  Sent them home.  They’ve
	seen enough.

		BOBBY
	Now why’d go and do something like
that.  Don’t you know it’s a crime
scene.  I needed to get their
statements.

		RON
	Well then, you’re gonna have to 
ask them at home.  That is if they
	stuck around.

		BOBBY
	What do you mean?

		RON
	They’re freaked.  They saw 
what happened to their buddy, 
and it freaked them out.  
Which by the way, is the 
grossest thing I’ve ever seen.
(beat)
Oh, and another thing.  They
	heard about Sanchez.
		(beat)
	They think the place is cursed
with acid spitting, meat eating
monsters.

	BOBBY
	I think what’s doing this.
(beat)
You know what.  I have no idea
	what’s doing this.  I just don’t
	know.

		RON
	Art told me.  He’s our foreman.
	That the guys have asked for a
	temporary leave of absence.  So
	if you need to talk to them, I
	suggest you do it now, coz in about
	an hour or so, they’ll be gone.

		BOBBY
	Have their addresses?

		RON
	They work for a labor contractor.
	Here’s the card.

Ron pulls it out of his wallet and hands it to him.

From the side, Sanders Nelson drives up in his pick up.  Palmer Hyatt is with him.

		RON
	Looks like we’ve got visitors.

INT. PICKUP

		SANDERS
	This doesn’t look good.

		PALMER
	Relax.  You don’t know what’s
	this all about.

		SANDERS
	I think your secret weapon is
	running loose, that’s what I think.

		PALMER
	Looks like we’re going to find
	out, aren’t we?

Sanders and Palmer exit the pickup and head straight for Bobby and Ron.

		SANDERS
	Bobby.  What seems to be the problem?

		BOBBY
	Sanders, this your property?

		SANDERS
	Yes it is.

He looks at the body, but from his vantage point, he’s not able to see the full extent of the damage.

		BOBBY
	Appears we have a homicide.

		SANDERS
	No.  You know who the victim is?

		RON
	It’s one of mine.  Jose.

		SANDERS
	Jose.

He walks to the victim to get a better look.

		BOBBY
	May not want to.  It’s not a 
	pretty sight.

Sanders and Palmer take a good look at the remains and Sanders steps aside to throw up.

		SANDERS
	God almighty.

		PALMER
	Deputy.  Have any idea what
	could’ve caused this?

		BOBBY
	Right now.  I’m going to process
	this as fast as possible and 
	figure it out at the station.
		(beat)
	Excuse me.

Bobby walks to the Coroner.

		DR. MARTINEZ
	You’re a lucky man.

		BOBBY
	Lucky?

		DR. MARTINEZ
	When it comes to homicides, yes.

		BOBBY
	How similar is this with Sanchez?

		DR. MARTINEZ
	Exactly the same.

		BOBBY
	Not good.  I’m going to need
	some help on this.

		DR. MARTINEZ
	The report you asked me to provide
	you?  Regarding anything else I find?
	Well, it’s being delivered to my office
	today, and I’ll have it sent to you
	immediately.

Sanders and Palmer walk to their pickup.  As soon as they get in, a news van drives up.

		PALMER
	Sanders.  Better do something about
	this.

Francis and Ben jump out of the van and head for the body.  Sanders intercepted both of them on their tracks.

		SANDERS
	I’m sorry.  This is private property.
	You’re not allowed to enter, and
	I’m going to have to ask you to leave.

		FRANCIS
	We’re here to cover a crime.  We’d
	like to at least ask some questions.

		SANDERS
	You can do this outside property
	limits.

		FRANCIS
	Since you’re the owner, what’s your
	name.

		SANDERS
	You can find that out at the county
	recorder’s office.  Please leave.

Bobby shows up.

		FRANCIS
	Deputy.  We’re here to cover the
	story.

The cameraman lifts up his camera and attempts to take shots but Sanders preempts him.
	
SANDERS
	Bobby.  Will you do your job and
	get these people out of here.

		BOBBY
	He’s right.  I’m going to have 
to ask you to leave.

		FRANCIS
	This isn’t right.  
		(to Sanders)
	Listen you.  This isn’t that last
	you’ve seen or heard from me.

		SANDERS
	Is that a threat?

		FRANCIS
	By the time I get through with you
	you’re going to wish it was.

Ben and Francis load up and leave.  Francis takes her digital camera and takes shots of the body from her angle.

		BOBBY
		(to Sanders)
	Looks like you’ve got a bit of a
problem here.

		SANDERS
	If only you knew.

INT. PICKUP

		SANDERS
	We’ve got to do something.  And
	we’ve got to do it now.

		PALMER
	Did you see that?

		SANDERS
	See?  See what?

		PALMER
	Did you see how efficient your
	weapon neutralized its target?

		SANDERS
	You nuts?  There’s no target.
	Only a dead person.  Someone I
	didn’t know, whose only mistake
	was that he woke up today.  I don’t
	want to be responsible for people’s
	deaths.  It wasn’t supposed to be this
	way.

		PALMER
	Relax, will you?  I’ve got the agents
	on it as we speak.

		SANDERS
	What, the spacemen in white suits?
	You’ve got to be kidding.  What do
	you expect their little spraying
	is supposed to do?  

		PALMER
	Neutralize of course.

		SANDERS
	I’m not that stupid.  You’re spraying
	chemicals into the ground which only
	sends our worms elsewhere.  What do
	you have in mind?
		(beat)
	Oh, no.  Damn it.  You want the worms
	to spread.  You want to see how they
	work.  You fuck.  Don’t you realize that
	there is no way to control them? 

		PALMER
	This is where you’re wrong.  You see,
	the best way in dealing with a crisis
	is when the crisis exists.  You, me
	created this mess, and we will work
together in controlling it.  Imagine
us finding a way in controlling
this weapon.  We would become famous.
We’d be set for life.

	SANDERS
You have no idea what you’ve started.
	
		PALMER
	This is where you’re wrong.  I know
	exactly what we’ve started.  

CUT TO:

INT. SHERIFF’S OFFICE – LATER

Bobby walks to his desk and puls out the camera.  He goes to Jones’ desk and opens up drawers till he pulls out the USB cable that connects to the digital camera.

He attaches the cable and then downloads the picture he took of the Sanchez homicide.

He opens the pictures and reviews them briefly before saving them to his hard drive.

INT. LEO’S OFFICE

		LEO
	This doesn’t look good, and I
	don’t have answers.

		BOBBY
	Anything from the file that
	helped?

		LEO
	Of course not.  Crime lab takes time
	to process their report.

		BOBBY
	Liz said she got results that 
she’s forwarding to me.

		LEO
	Good.  I need to know everything.
	Francis has called about five times
	today and I’m running out of lies.

		BOBBY
	Don’t worry about Francis.  I’ll
	take care of her.  You in the
	meantime find me some help.  I
	can’t do this by myself.  This is
	way too big for me.

		LEO
	Too big for you.  This is 
	election year.  I can’t afford
	the bad press.

		BOBBY
	What does that mean?

		LEO
	I’ll make some calls.  But I
	can’t promise you anything without
	something solid.

		BOBBY
	If our victims were shot or 
stabbed, I know what to do. 
Where to go.  Who to talk to.  
But dammit Leo.  I’m clueless
	as to where to start.  

The phone RINGS.  Leo picks it up.

		LEO
	Sheriff Fontanella.  Yeah, George.
	How’s the golf game.  Great.  Sarah’s
	fine.  Yeah.  Couldn’t be better.

He turns his back to Bobby and continues to talk, ignoring.

		BOBBY
	Ain’t that a bitch.

Bobby walks to his desk and finds an envelope from the Coroner’s office.  He pulls out the report and reads it immediately.

He picks up the phone and makes a call.

		BOBBY
	Dr. Martinez.  I’m not sure
	I’m reading this right.  You
	said in your notes, that the
	cause of the decomposition is
	consistent with digestive enzymes?
		(beat)
	Uh, huh.  Thanks.

He pulls out the file and high lights the remarks, “Eaten and digested outside to in.”

CUT TO:

EXT. SAM’S HOME - NIGHT

Francis strides quickly to the door and hits the doorbell.

INT. SAM’S HOME

Sam is dressed in a pair of jeans and tee shirt, his hair wet from a recent shower.

He walks to the window, takes a peak through the blinds and opens the door.

		SAM
	What a surprise, come in.

She appears keyed-up and energized.

		SAM
	You okay?

		FRANCIS
	No.  

Sam shrugs.

		FRANCIS
	I want the story, and I got
cheated.

She plops on the sofa, and Sam offers her a can of coke.  She pops it open and takes a gulp.

		SAM
	Oh.  Did you get to see the body?
		(beat)
	Oh, of course not.  Hmm.

He pauses to think.

		SAM
	You know what?  There’s a story
	out there and it’s begging
	to be told.  Why not just
	you and I get in our car 
	and find it.

		FRANCIS
	You would do that?

		SAM
	Look at the worse that could
	happen?

		FRANCIS
	You mean, getting fired and
	working the rest of my life as
	a retail clerk at dollar discount
	store?

		SAM
	No.  Getting eaten alive by an 
acid spitting flesh eating monster?

CUT TO:

EXT. NELSON PROPERTIES – NIGHT

It’s pitch black, difficult to see not even with distant lights illuminating from Delano, which though is about seven miles away, appears to be at arms reach.  

Francis grabs her video camera from the trunk of the car.

		SAM
	Don’t they make those things
	smaller?

		FRANCIS
	You could be gentleman and help?

		SAM
	Course.  

He grabs the camera and both of them delve deep into the orchard.

		SAM
	According to scuttle butt,
	one of the victim’s was found
	around this area.  We can 
	start here.

		FRANCIS
	You know.  This is kind of
		(beat)
	romantic, in a kind of sort
	of way.

		SAM
	You know.  I was thinking the
	same thing.

		FRANCIS
	Really?

		SAM
	Are you nuts?  

RUSTLING.  It grabs their attention.  They hide behind a couple of trees, and Francis turns on her camera.  Various leds come to life bringing immediate attention to her.  She turns it off immediately.

Silence.  Sam signals her to stay put while he disappears into the night.

More RUSTLING.  

		FRANCIS
		(scared whisper)
	Sam?  Sam?

She waits impatiently.  No word.  No movement.  No nothing.

She fidgets several more times before taking the plunge into the cold, dark, and ominous rows.

Her movements are slow, despite her trembling.  She is thoroughly scared.

She hears something and stops behind a tree rummaging for cover.
		FRANCIS
	Sam?  Sam?  Shit.  Where are you?

THEN

A figure appears from nowhere, a large hulking figure.

She gasps, frozen in her tracks.

		BOBBY
	What the hell are you doing?  
Don’t you know you guys
	are trespassing?

Sam appears next to him.  

		SAM
	Sorry Fran.  Looks like the
gig’s up..

		FRANCIS
		(almost crying)
	Don’t do that?  You scared the
	shit out of me.  Damn you guys.

		SAM
	What did we do?

		BOBBY
	Shush.  I hear something.

The three hide in the bushes.

The orchard is dark and difficult to make out.  But the noise gets closer.  And closer.  And closer.

What’s revealed are two boys walking their bicycles between the orchard’s rows.

		BOBBY
		(whispering)
	Two kids.

		SAM
	They could be in danger.

		FRANCIS
	Shusssh.

		ARNIE
	You sure this is a short cut?

		COLIN
	What do you want to do?  Take the
	main road.  That’s like another
	half an hour.  Want to chance
	that?

		ARNIE
	We’re already in trouble.  Dad’s
	gonna whip are asses when we get
	home.

		COLIN
	Earlier we get home, better
	our chances in talking our way
	out of it.

		ARNIE
	Quiet.  What’s that noise?

Bobby looks at Sam.  Sam shrugs.  They look at Francis who signals the same.

Then Bobby, Sam and Francis hears the same thing.

What they all hear is a RUSTLING sound.  A HEAVY RUSTLING sound.  The sound gets louder and louder.

		COLIN
	D’ja hear that?

		ARNIE
	Wind.  Just the wind.

		COLIN
	You nuts?  There’s no wind?

A large black mass moves in unison towards the boys.

		COLIN
	Arnie.  What’s that coming at us?

		ARNIE
	Oh man. Run, Colin run!

Colin tries to run with his bike but decides to let it go when the worms approaches closer. 

Francis takes the video camera and starts shooting, its strobe discharging a swath of light blanketing the whole area with luminescence.

		FRANCIS
	Damn.  Not enough light.

		SAM
	Bright enough for me to see
	stars.

Francis shoots the light towards the worms and it’s the first time we get a clear look at the moving mass that now changes its course from the two boys who are running for their lives to the trio who now don’t know what to do next as thousands if not millions slithering toward them, as if directed by a central thinking unit.

		BOBBY
	Will you look at that?

		SAM
	Worms man.  Millions of them.

Sam disappears.

		FRANCIS
	Hey where’d Sam go?

		BOBBY
	Sam.  Sam?

He’s nowhere to be found, but Francis keeps her camera strobe trained on them.

		BOBBY
	Damn.

But for some reason, they stop.

		FRANCIS
	Bobby?  What are they doing?

		BOBBY
	Think this is a good time to
	disappear.

Bobby and Francis turn and head toward the car.

The mass attacks quickly, and Bobby and Francis break into a sprint.

The camera impedes Francis’ running form as she trips and falls.

Bobby falls back to help her up but the mass seems to have gained significant ground.  The mass takes this opportunity to pounce.  Sensing doom, the pair embrace tightly and close their eyes.  

THEN

a white spray comes out from nowhere, hitting the mass of worms and freezing them at their tracks.  Sam, with a fire extinguisher taken from Bobby’s cruiser, saves the day, but then as quick as he arrives, the extinguisher sputters and quits.  

		SAM
	What the.  As if I have
	enough challenges in my
	life.

He drops the extinguisher and helps his partners up.

		SAM
	Shall we?

The worms resume its pursuit, but Sam’s intervention gives them enough time to escape.

INT. CAR

		SAM
	Hoooh hoooh, what a rush.  
	Thank you Francis for opening
	up my eyes.

She glares at him.

		BOBBY
	Those kids.  Hope they got away?

		SAM
	Let’s go back and check.  
		(beat)
	What?  I’m game.

They approach an intersection that leads them from the dirt road into a major roadway.

But as soon as they reach the intersection, two large SUV’s block their way.

		BOBBY
	Now what?

From his rear view mirror, Bobby notices another car behind him, blocking his way.

Within moments, his car is surrounded by men dressed in anti-contamination suits, guns drawn and trained at them.

They’re motioned to get out.

		SAM
	Bobby.  I trust your judgment.
	What do we do?

Francis records all of this.

		BOBBY
	Put that away.

		FRANCIS
	Can’t.  This is way too good.

As they exit, one of the suits attempts to take the camera from Francis.

They are led into a van where the two boys are already detained.

Once in, the door is closed shut.

CUT TO:

INT. WAREHOUSE – NIGHT

The group is led into a secured area, Nelson’s warehouse that’s converted into a surveillance center, complete with sophisticated computers, electronic equipment, and an army of personnel.  The area is a beehive of activity and the group is moved to a secured room.

Once in, a heavy door shuts behind them.

		FRANCIS
	Wish I had my camera.

		SAM
	You can kiss your camera good bye.

The door opens and Palmer Hyatt and Sanders walks in.

		PALMER
	Deputy, Sam, Newscaster.

		FRANCIS
	Francis.  Name is Francis.

		PALMER
	Francis.  An unexpected pleasure.

		BOBBY
	Sanders.  What’s going on?

		SANDERS
	What the heck were you doing on 
my property?

		BOBBY
	Investigating a crime.

		PALMER
		(to Sam)
	And you?

		SAM
	Have no idea.

		PALMER
	It appears you saw the contagion.

		SAM
	Why are you here?  I don’t know what
	department of whatever you represent,
	but you guys must be responsible for
	this mess somehow.

		PALMER
	Not me.  Him.

He points to Sanders.

		SANDERS
	Please.  I’m a zoologist.

		BOBBY
	Really?  I thought you were a farmer.

		SANDERS
	Yeah, well.  So did I until Mr.
G man did not kill all of the
	worms.

		FRANCIS
	What are we talking about here?

		SAM
	Contagion hell.  This is some sort
	of weapon they created.

		SANDERS
	Can I tell them, please what is
	going on?

Palmer gives him the okay sign.

		SANDERS
	When we attacked Afghanistan and
	then Iraq, I was commissioned to
	find a biological weapon that would
	neutralize the enemy.  I made the 
	mistake of suggesting using an
	infestation of insects, like locust.

		PALMER
	I told him that locust do not have
	a weapon characteristic that would
	prove useful.  I suggested using
	bees, but because they had wings,
	it would be nearly impossible to
	control the attack after the offensive.

		SANDERS
	Then I suggested using a flat worm that
	not only populates at an incredible speed,
	but also has a taste for animal flesh,
	more specifically.
		(beat)
	Human flesh.

		FRANCIS
	I don’t understand.  How do they kill?
	Do they have teeth, stingers?

		BOBBY
	The coroner’s notes said the victims
	were eaten from outside to in.  It
	mentioned digestive enzymes.

		SAM
	The New Zealand Killer Flat Worms
	eat their prey from outside to in.
		(beat)
	By secreting a powerful digestive
	enzymes.

		FRANCIS
	Hey.  We talked about that on the
	phone.

		SAM
	Yeah.  But then, I was just trying
	to impress you.

		FRANCIS
	Good job.

		PALMER
	Imagine a thousand.  No a million
	of these worms secreting these
	enzymes all at once.

No need to imagine as they have already seen the results.

EXT. EARTHWORM FARM 

Something odd begins to occur.  The worms slowly burrow out of the ground starting with a few, but then increasing numbers proportionately until they turn into 

ONE GIGANTIC SCARY MASS

that heads straight for the warehouse.

INT. WAREHOUSE OFFICE

		SANDERS
	At which time, the defense department
	felt the contagion was not necessary
	to utilize, and so the mutated worm
	or worms were put out of commission.
	Unfortunately.

		SAM
	Palmer, you did not kill them all,
	did you?

		PALMER
	Sanders did not complete his
	experiment.  We needed to see his
	project through.  Several months
	ago we planted some of the worms in
	his earthworm farm.  I think we 
	dropped about 2 of them in the farm.
	Just to see if they’d multiply.  Tell
	you the truth, I didn’t think the
	experiment would work.

		SANDERS
	Flatworms thrive on earthworms.

		SAM
	And your farm had millions of them
	in that forty acre farm next to your
	orchard.

		SANDERS
	More than that.  Try billions.

		FRANCIS
	My god.

EXT. WAREHOUSE

Several of the guards in anti-contamination suits walk the area with flashlights.

The worm mass makes its way to the warehouse perimeter but then wait when they come near the guards.

INT. WAREHOUSE OFFICE

		SAM
	When they attacked.  They attacked like
	a group of army ants.

		PALMER
	Yes.  Nice isn’t it?

		SAM
	Flatworms aren’t like that.  They’re
	way too primitive of an animal.
	It’s not possible.

		PALMER
	Of course.  But our zoologist
	here found a way of advancing
	its life form.

		SANDERS
	It’s not supposed to evolve that
	way.

		PALMER
	But it did, and we now have an
	effective weapon.

		SANDERS
	A weapon we can’t control.

		PALMER
	But you yourself said that once
	all the food source is gone,
	they just simply die.

		BOBBY
	What food source?

EXT. WAREHOUSE

A group of worms break off and set up strategic point.  They push off a barrel to it’s side creating a diversion.  One of the guards checks it out.

The guard uses his flashlight to see what’s going on.  After he sees the barrel on its side, he takes a sigh of relief and turns around.

Once he turns around, his eyes go saucer wide.  The mass of worms attack him quickly immersing him.  He is able to shoot off insecticide that disperses the mass enough for him to escape and create a commotion.  The worms, however, take him down.

The other guard reacts to the sound and rushes to the scene spraying insecticide all around him and the other guard.

The mass disperses and the guard checks to see how his downed partner is.  What he sees through the suit are thousands of worms attached to the guards body, killing and eating him alive.

INT.  WAREHOUSE OFFICE

		SANDERS
	Palmer has plans of quarantining
	Delano.

		FRANCIS
	Wait a minute.  You can’t do that.

		PALMER
	We can do anything.

		SAM
	Bullshit.  Why can’t you just round 
up the worms and then kill it with insecticide or worm-icide.

		SANDERS
	Tried.  We’ve barely had enough
time to set up this observation point.
Tomorrow, we have plans on setting
	up cameras to keep tabs on the worms’
	progress.

		BOBBY
	What’s that supposed to do?

		SAM
	They get front seats.

Palmer smiles in acknowledgement.

		FRANCIS
	How’d you find us?

		PALMER
	Pure luck.  When you drove up, one
	of our employees wasn’t too far behind
	you, when he saw you drive into the
	avenue.  He drove to the warehouse with
	his lights off, and notified us of
	your trespassing.

		BOBBY
	People in the city.

		PALMER
	Our goal is to contain our contagion
and then be on our way off.  But if
we don’t then I guess.

SAM
Guess what?

		PALMER
	Casualty of war.

		SAM
	Who did you say you worked for?

		PALMER
	Well, I’m afraid I’ve got a schedule
	to make.  So if you excuse me.  Your
	needs will be taken care of.  You’ll
	be quite comfortable.

Palmer and Sanders take their leave.

		BOBBY
	Sanders.  Do something about this.

Sanders pauses before exiting the door.

EXT. WAREHOUSE

The remaining guard rushes to his post which is now being over come by the mass.

He shoots his spray at the entrance, and then hits the red button activating the alarm.

INT. WAREHOUSE OFFICE

Alarm RINGS.

		FRANCIS
	What now?

Sanders opens the door.

		SANDERS
	Time to leave.

		BOBBY
	Leave?

		SANDERS
	The worms.  They’re attacking.

		SAM
	Attacking?  Shit.  Don’t these
	things take a break?

As they enter the main hall, all of the staff and personnel are seen rushing out.

Those with the anti-contamination suits don on tank harnesses with sprayers.

Sanders leads the group out to a nearby exit.

		SANDERS
	We’re going to shoot the perimeter
	with an agent that will kill and
	repel the worms.  Not enough
	to stop them, but hopefully enough
	to help us escape.

Francis notices her camera on a table and rushes to pick it up.

		SAM
	Francis, what the heck?

	FRANCIS
	My camera.

She shrugs and catches up.

EXT. SANDERS WAREHOUSE – NIGHT

The guards with sprayers shoot a swath that creates a path to the parking lot.  Some of the staff is taken one by one by the worms.

Palmer is one of them as he rushes out following one of the guards with a sprayer.  Unfortunately, the guard’s sprayer jams and a mass of worms overcome both of them quickly.  Their screams as with the others are muffled quickly as the worms enter through the ears, nose and mouth.

Bobby takes out his 9 mm and fires several shots killing the guard.

		SAM
	That was honorable of you.  Why
	didn’t you kill Palmer?

		BOBBY
	Felt sorry for the soldier.  The
least I can do is put him out of
his misery.  Palmer.  Hell he can
die a slow death.

		SAM
	Nice touch.

Sam, Francis, Bobby and Sanders rush to Bobby’s cruiser.

As they reach the cruiser, some of the worms were able to leap and attach to Sam’s arms.  The digestive enzymes creates his skin to smoke.  

Sam screams.

		SAM
	Get these things off me.

Sanders, Francis, and Bobby pull them off with their hands and squish them with their feet when they throw them down.

The four find their way into the cruiser that Bobby turns on immediately.

All around them, they see the worms overtaking the fleeing staff and soldier with the sprayers.  Cars are even engulfed.  

Some of the cars aren’t able to start because the worms make their way into the engine causing it to malfunction.  The terrified passengers make the mistake of leaving their vehicle only to be overtaken by the worms.

		SANDERS
	My God.

When the worms finish with their victims, all that remains are skeletons.

		BOBBY
	We’ve got to get to Delano.

		SAM
	And then what?

		FRANCIS
	Yeah.  Good question.  What?

		SANDERS
	We’ve got to make a stand somehow.

		BOBBY
	This is wrong.  All wrong.

		FRANCIS
	Why, Sanders, are they attacking
	now of all times?

		SANDERS
	Because that’s what they do.

		FRANCIS
	What?

		SANDERS
	That’s what they do.  They eat,
	duplicate, and survive.  And now
	that they’ve eaten all of the 
	earthworms, they’re on the prowl.
	What makes them more dangerous is
	that as a group, they have this
	oneness, this ability.

		SAM
	As if they, or it, can think.

		BOBBY
	Great, that’s great.  We’re going
	to have a fight in the okay corral
	with flesh eating worms that can
	think.  What else.

CUT TO:

EXT. SANDERS WAREHOUSE

Palmer’s body though covered with worms is intact.  They have not killed him.

The worms transport him to a clear area and leave him alone.

He’s scared and surprised that he’s alive.

The worms surround him but don’t attack him.  He moves up and they keep a sound perimeter around him.

		PALMER
	What?  What do you want from me?

The worms vibrate, hum and make circular movements as if they understand him.

Palmer stands up and walks toward them.  The worms make a path for him.

		PALMER
	What’s going on?

The worms vibrate, hum, and make the circular movements again.

		PALMER
	I’m alive and you want me that
	way.  You need me don’t you?

The worms, vibrate, hum and make circular movements.

		PALMER
	You want me as your leader.
	You want me to lead you?

The worms, vibrate, hum and make circular movements.

Palmer raises his hands and accepts their offer.

EXT. DELANO – EARLY MORNING

Bobby, Francis, Sam and Sanders exit their car.  Several of the worms still stuck on them.  Sam pulls them off and squishes them with his feet.

		SAM
	Take that.  And take that.  Try to
	eat me will you?
	
She pulls out her cell phone and dials.

		FRANCIS
	Ben.  I need you in Delano by
	City Hall.  And get here in record
	time.  I’ve got the story of a life
	time and make sure that the remotes
	working.  Yeah.  Don’t worry.  You’ll
	know when you get here.

		BOBBY
	We’re going to need the video on 
	that camera to help us evacuate
	the city.

		FRANCIS
	See.  Now aren’t you happy
	I brought my camera?

		BOBBY
	Happy?

		SAM
	Well could be dead.  I guess I’m
	happy about that.

	INT. POLICE STATION

Bobby and Francis run into the precinct.  NATE JOHNSON, the dispatcher pretends to ignore them as they enter.

		BOBBY
	Hey.  I’m Deputy Brooks.  Ah
	hell, you know who I am.  I 
	need you to call an emergency
	meeting with the Chief of Police,
	Mayor and City Manager right now.
	It’s an emergency.

		NATE
	There ain’t no such emergency.

Francis shows him portion of the video where worms eat up a guard at the warehouse.

		FRANCIS
	Emergency enough?

CUT TO:

EXT. POLICE STATION

A helicopter with News emblazoned on it lands on a parking lot.

Ben jumps out and waives to Francis.  Francis runs to him with the camera.

		FRANCIS
	Listen.  I’ve already called the
	station.  They’re giving us code
	red top priority to get this out.

She gives him the video.

Ben sticks it into the player and presses play.  It shows the worms at full attack.

		BEN
	Damn.  This real?

		FRANCIS
	As real as it gets.  We need to
	get this story out and use it
	to warn people in the area to
	vacate.  And of course, as well as.

		BEN
	Yeah?

		FRANCIS
	Reporting the most important news
	story in the freaking decade.

		BEN
	Bitchin’.  C’mon let’s see how 
	fast we can edit this baby.

CUT TO:

Ed, Jeff and Ron are at the counter, having their first cup of coffee when Sanders and Sam rush in.

		SAM
	Hey guys.  You all know
	Sanders.

Ed attempts to walk out the side door.

		SAM
	Relax Ed.  He ain’t here about
	a system.

		JEFF
	I ordered that pump, and I’m going
	to drop that son of a bitch whether
	you okay it or not.

		SAM
	Will you shut up?  I’m here because
	we need to kill a bunch of killer
	worms.

		RON
	Bullshit.  I’m no killer of killer
	worms.  Hell no.  I ain’t gonna do
	it.

		SANDERS
	Think he’s bullshitting?  You
	guys have a television here?

		JEFF
	In the trailer.

Sam and Sanders walk out the room.  Ed, Jeff, and Ron stay.
Sam walks back in.

		SAM
	Will you guys get over here.
	I’m serious.

Ed, Jeff and Ron reluctantly follow.

When they get to the trailer, Sanders already has the station set to Francis’ station.

INSERT TV:

Francis stands in front of the City of Delano Police Station.

		FRANCIS
	I’m here in Delano with breaking
	but disturbing news.  The city is
	soon to be infested by a dangerous
	contagion that this reporter personally
	witnessed only hours ago.  To prove
	the magnitude of this menace, I have
	taken video of this danger.  I have to
	warn you, the following scenes are
	graphic and disturbing.  But this station
	believes that it is necessary to demonstrate
	the true danger, and the need for
	Delano residents to vacate not as soon
	as possible, but right now. 

The screen switches to a scene where worms have engulfed a guard in his anti-contamination suit.  It shows the guard flailing his arms and legs finally falling to the ground.  The shot then close ups to the face that after the worms have left shows the skeletal remains.

		FRANCIS (V.O)
	These shots were taken at Nelson
	Farms about 7 miles West of 
	Delano just about two hours ago.
	What you see is a mutated strain
	of flat worms that prey mostly on
	earthworms.  However, as part of 
	an experiment to create a biological
	weapon, the worms were modified to 
	prey on animal flesh.  More specifically
	human flesh.

Back to the video showing people screaming and running for their lives with hordes of worms chasing and overcoming them.

ON Ed, Ron and Jeff who are dazed, their mouths open.

INT. CITY HALL – DAY

Bobby, MAYOR MAX BACERRA, POLICE CHIEF GEORGE DONATO, FIRE CHIEF HENRY SMITH AND CITY MANAGER, SYLVIA BERMUDEZ have the a map of the city stretched across a conference table.

		MAX
The news report has already 
got the city in a panic.  Thank
	you very much.

		BOBBY
	Tough.  These things are about
	a half hour away and we have no
	time to bullshit our way through
	this.  People are leaving the city
	and that’s all that matters.

		GEORGE
	My officers and Henry’s firemen
	have already set barricades to 
	prevent drivers from going the wrong
	direction and have set up corner
	points steer the others toward 
	the right.  

		SYLVIA
	I’ve got my staff knocking on all
	the residents’ doors making sure
	everyone at the east side are first
	notified.

		HENRY
	What are we going to do to neutralize
	the contagion?

		BOBBY
	I’ve got Sanders going to Irrigation
	Concepts to set up a helicopter to
	spread an insecticide over the moving
	mass.  It’ll take them time to set up
	the rig, so we’re going to have provide
	support.

		MAX
	What kind of support?

		BOBBY
	Flamethrowers.

		GEORGE
	Now where in heck are we going
to get flamethrowers?

		BOBBY
	The National Guard Armory has some
	old devices stashed in their weapon’s
	vault.

		SYLVIA
	Now how did you know that?

		BOBBY
	We broke a major gun running
	operation about a month ago and
	stored the cache at the armory
	for safe keeping.  For some reason,
the cache included flamethrower and
rocket propelled grenades and launchers.  Thank God we hadn’t processed and transported them.

		MAX
	You sure we don’t have time to
	call the National Guard?

		BOBBY
	I’ve already called the Sheriff’s
	office, the Highway Patrol, FBI,
	National Guard.  And so far I haven’t
	heard any response from any of them.
	No doubt we’ll get support, but
	they’re bureaucratic nightmares.  By
	the time they respond, it’ll be all
	over.

		GEORGE
	That’s good.  Twenty-five years in
	the force and I get to fight flesh
	eating worms with flamethrowers.

		SYLVIA
	Don’t forget we’re supposed to do
	this until we get support from
	an irrigation company.

		BOBBY
	Yeah.  That about sums it right.

		MAX
	God help us.  God help us all.

		HENRY
	You know what?  I’m hungry.  I hate
	handling a crisis without feeding
	my self.  Breakfast.  Most important
	meal of the day.

		BOBBY
	I think the worms know that well.

EXT. COUNTRYSIDE – DAY

Palmer is sitting on a chair that is carried by the mass of worms.  He leads a huge mass of black that inch their way to the city.

EXT. IRRIGATION CONCEPTS

Ed primes up his helicopter while Sam, Sanders, Ron and Jeff roll barrels of insecticide into loading bins.

EXT. DELANO CITY STREETS

Cars en masses cause traffic jams.

People rush to their cars with luggage and small belongings.

Busses take children from their schools.

Police officers direct traffic.

Francis is covering the mass exodus.

She is standing in front of Ben who trains his stead-cam on her.

		FRANCIS
	The city is responding to the
	code red emergency and surprisingly
	doing it in an orderly manner
	I’ve talked with city officials
	and they have developed a plan
	to meet the contagion which is
	slowly inching its way to the 
	city.  In a couple of minutes,
	we will be flying overhead to
	monitor this development.

As she signs off, several news helicopters from competing news stations fly overhead.

		FRANCIS
	Shit, Ben.  Let’s go.

Francis and Ben load up and their news helicopter takes off.

Within minutes they’re up in the air.  They head east but their competitors are way ahead of them.

Below them, Ben notices a van heading east directly toward the mass.

		BEN
	That van’s heading straight for
	them.  Don’t they know?

		FRANCIS
	Apparently not.  

She signals to the pilot.

The pilot flies low and attempts to get close enough for Francis to flag them down.

CUT TO:

EXT. ARMORY

Chief George Donato heads a team of officers and empties out the vault with the grenade launchers and flamethrowers and load them into a SWAT van.

He walks into the vault and looks around to see what else he can take.

		GEORGE
	What’s in this box?

The police officer pries open the box and the officer pulls out respirator gas masks.

		GEORGE
	This could be useful.  Take these
	with us.

The boxes of respirator gas masks are included with the others as they are loaded into the truck.

BACK TO HELICOPTER

The van is full of farm laborers and instead of slowing down or stopping, they speed up.

		BEN
	Why aren’t they stopping?

		FRANCIS
	They think we’re the Border
	Patrol. They’re scared of us.
	Let’s hope they stop in time.

She signals the pilot up.

When they hit optimum level the pilot hits the after burners.

As they come near the mass, they notice that the two news helicopters ahead of them fly low so that they can take closer shots.

Ben takes his camera out and starts shooting not to miss anything.

		FRANCIS
	They sure are close to the worms.
	Oh my God!

What they see is the mass forming several vortex.

At first it appears that the helicopter blades cause the vortex.  But it all changes quickly when the vortex takes a more sinister shape that sucks the two helicopters down.  Both helicopters attempt to escape, but the worms’ bodies jam mechanical parts rendering them useless.  The helicopters and their passengers crash below.  The mass engulfs its prize and the pilots, cameramen, and newscasters die terrible deaths.

The speeding van full of laborers finally notices what’s ahead of them and screeches to a halt.

Unfortunately, the van stalls and the mass concentrates its effort on it.

The occupants jump out quickly and in horror begin to run, but the mass moves in too quickly and takes each of the laborers down.

CUT TO:

EXT. IRRIGATION CONCEPTS

Ed pilots the controls while Ron rides shotgun.

Sanders rushes to Ed’s side and yells.

		SANDERS
	Coverage shows that the worms
	took down several helicopters.

		ED
	They did what?

		SANDERS
	It appears that the helicopters
	got too low and the worm mass
	were able to take shape and 
	take them down.

		ED
	That’s a good thing to know.

		RON
	Aren’t you glad he told us 
	that now than later.

		SANDERS
	They’re approaching on Cecil
	Avenue, en mass.

		ED
	That’s about five minutes away.

		SANDERS
	How strong is this agent?

		ED
	Usually we need to dilute it.
	I have it at full strength.  I’m
	sure it’ll do the job if I get it
	on them.

		SANDERS
	Looks like weather’s cooperating.
	Good luck.

		RON
	You mean, don’t die, right?

		SANDERS
	We really need this to happen
	you know?

		ED
	Step aside.  I’ve got work to do.

Ed lifts the controls and the crop duster takes off.

		JEFF
	Hope that’s enough.

		SANDERS
	What do you mean enough?

		JEFF
	Because that’s all we’ve got.  He’s
	got the full load.  If he doesn’t
	kill them with this load, we don’t
	have any more.  We ordered this from
	Sacramento.

Sam is seen driving away.

		JEFF
	Hey, where you going?

		SAM
	Join the action man.

BACK TO FRANCIS’ HELICOPTER

Francis’s helicopter pilot doesn’t need prompting as he shoots upwards to avoid an attack from the worm mass.

As they reach the mass below, the worms attempt a vortex but the helicopter is way out of reach to make their attempt ineffective.

The mass, not able to take down Francis’ newscopter, resumes its trek towards the city.

Francis looks downward notices an anomaly.  She notices blemish on the mass.  She pulls out a pair of binoculars and trains it on the oddity.  What she sees is Palmer sitting on a chair being carried by the mass.

		FRANCIS
	Ben.  Aim at that man in
	the middle of the mass.

		BEN
	Who is that?

		FRANCIS
	It’s Palmer Hyatt.  I met him
	last night at the observation
	warehouse.  But he died?

		BEN
	Well, he’s alive now.  And
	I’ve got him on video.  What
	that means, I don’t know.  I
	still don’t know what this
	all means.  But one thing, I
	do know is that I don’t want 
to get eaten.  So can you make
	a freaking report so that we can
	get the hell out of here?

EXT. PATH OF APPROACHING MASS

An army of police officers and deputies are armed with grenade launchers and fire extinguisher.  They spread themselves out and hold a line.

The mass reaches a hundred feet away from the defense line.  Bobby looks through a pair of binocular and notices Palmer heading the mass.

Sam drives up and joins the defense perimeter by donning on one of the flame throwers.

Bobby pulls out a bullhorn.

		BOBBY
	Palmer.  What the hell are you
	doing?
		PALMER
	It appears I’ve been delegated leader.

		BOBBY
	You know being on the wrong side of
the road, I’m going to have to kill
	you and
(beat)
…your friends.

		PALMER
	I don’t think so.

The worms vibrate and hum.

		GEORGE
	What the hell was that?

Palmer points with his hands, and the mass attacks.

		SAM
	Holy mother of God.  Here they
	come!

The defense line braces for the attack as they come from various directions: high, low, and around, creating utter pandemonium. 

The defense team responds with flamethrowers and grenade launchers.

Sam with several officers takes his flamethrower and directs his attack on the left, while George and Bobby concentrate on the opposite perimeter.

		SAM
	I’ll take this side.  You
	take the rest.

		BOBBY
	Thanks.

The grenades explode causing huge holes in the mass, while the flamethrowers destroy the worms on the edge.

Their perimeter defense holds despite a huge lunge by the massive worm force.

Palmer makes hand signals and then the mass breaks into thirty different groups.

		BOBBY
	What the hell?

		GEORGE
	They’re breaking up.

The defensive team has no choice but to respond to the various angle attacks.

The new offensive maneuver works as several officers are taken down.

		SAM
	Get them.

Sam breaks ranks and chases after a group of worms that have broken their line.

		BOBBY
	Hey.  Man your post.  Don’t
	break up.

		SAM
	What?

And he takes off.

George signals to his officers to fill in the gap.

ON HELICOPTER

Francis captures this on remote and transfers the battle to live television.

		FRANCIS
	As you can see, the battle down
	below is ferocious.  The city
	police force is taking casualties
	but they are holding ground.

ON PERIMETER

		BOBBY
	Any news on reinforcements?

		GEORGE
	Last I heard was that the mayor
	was trying to convince neighboring
	agencies that he’s not nuts.  Let’s hope
	t.v. coverage changes their minds.
		(beat)
	Watch out!

A group of worms fly into action and spread over Bobby.

Bobby responds by spraying his flamethrower upwards melting the mass into a smoldering heap.

		GEORGE
	Good shot.

		BOBBY
	So what you’re telling me is that
	we don’t know when help will arrive?

		GEORGE
	Not to worry.  Help will come in one
	way or another.

Immediately above another helicopter shows up.  It’s Ed and Ron in their crop duster.

		GEORGE
	What in Sam Hill is that gonna do?

		BOBBY
	Alright.  Reinforcements.
		(beat)
Remember the gas masks we passed out
	to everyone?

		GEORGE
	Yeah?

		BOBBY
	Tell the boys to put them on.

He signals to one of his men to break open the boxes and pass them out to his team.

Overhead, Ron releases the chemical agent with one first pass.

The agent works immediately as the worms die on contact.

This gives the officers time to don on their masks as they continue their defense.

Palmer is seen retreating into the grape vineyards and orchards.

Ed overhead makes another pass.  The chemical agents kill once again the worms as they stand.

Several officers fire grenades into the area where Palmer and a group of worms hide.  The resultant explosions decimate a huge area creating a gigantic fireball.

Within minutes, the contagion is destroyed and neutralized.

The defense team roars in victory.

Francis overhead makes a final comment.

ON FRANCIS

		FRANCIS
	This is incredible.  The City of
	Delano and its residents have averted
	a major catastrophe in what is considered
	a bizarre circumstance of events.
	Killer worms with the ability to wipe
	out major communities have been destroyed
	with the help of local law enforcement and
	and Irrigation Concepts.

VIEW OF DESTRUCTION

FADE IN:

INT. PIONEER CAFÉ – MORNING

Bobby and Sam share a cup of coffee.  Several of the patrons stop by and pat the boys in the back for a job well done.

		SAM
	Damn.  That was one heck of a
	morning.

		BOBBY
	Glad that thing is over with.

		SAM
	Hear the Department of Agriculture
	and Health and Human Services with
	a bunch of other agencies are combing
	the area, looking for samples, stuff
	like that.

		BOBBY
	They can look to their heart’s desires.
	As far as I’m concerned, it’s not
	my problem anymore.

		SAM
	Neither is mine.  Betcha Francis is
	going to ride this wave as long as
	she can.

		BOBBY
	She’ll probably get an offer to work
	for a major network.

		SAM
	Damn.  Don’t say that.

		BOBBY
	Better hurry up.  Look like she’s
	going places.

They get up and throw money on the table.

		BOBBY
	What you doing tonight?

		SAM
	Think I’ll just watch t.v. and see
	Francis in action.

		BOBBY
	You just do that.

His radio beeps.  

		RADIO
	D39 Code red.  Incident at
	Ceasar Chavez High School.  Respond.

		BOBBY
	Copy and responding.
		(beat)
	What’s the nature of incident.
	School is not in my jurisdiction.

		RADIO
	Worms attacking high school.

		BOBBY
	Sam.

Sam’s ready to enter his car  when Bobby calls for him.

		BOBBY (Cont)
	Worms are back!

		SAM
	What?

		BOBBY
	Get in the car.

EXT. CEASAR CHAVEZ HIGH SCHOOL

The worms are in full attack, killing high school students who attempt to fend them off with baseball bats, binders, books, anything.

Teachers use water hoses and fire extinguishers to fight the worms.

Palmer is in a corner leading the advance.  Parts of his body are mangled from the grenades lobbed at him earlier but he still functions as their point and leader.

Bobby rushes into the yard and screeches to a stop nearest the biggest mass.

They go to the trunk and pull out several flamethrowers.  

		BOBBY
	Thank God, I kept these handy.

		SAM
	I’m not going to ask why.

They get immediately to work on the attacking worms.

Their defense is helpful as most of the students escape imminent danger.

Palmer signals another offensive that separates the duo.

Bobby’s flamethrower begins to sputter.  He is almost overcome by a mass of worms, but Sam covers for him but briefly.

Bobby, his flamethrower now empty and useless, takes his service revolver and trains it on Palmer who signals more commands.

He aims and fires taking Palmer down.  The mass of worms circle him in defense, but Bobby’s shot is true as his bullet burrows through Palmer’s head, killing him instantly.

The worms then concentrate a massive attack at Bobby.

It appears the worms this time will take them down.

Then all of a sudden, the sky is darkened as if a large cloud suddenly hangs overhead.

But the cloud takes the shapes of small dots with wings as thousands of crows, the Delano crows, begin to swoop down on the worms.

The worms attempt to retreat and fight back.  

But the crows are too massive in numbers as they gobble up the grub.

The feeding frenzy is an awesome sight to see as the crows swoop and attach with such precision and grace.

Once done, the crows fly away, and the school is quiet and safe.

Sam checks Bobby who appears to be fine.

In the distance, sirens can be heard approaching the area.

Sam notices a small worm crawling away to safety.

He looks at it briefly before squashing it with his foot.

			FADE OUT

		THE END