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Just One Last Robbery
by
Rick Regan
July 8, 2021
This is the story of a woman and her friends who want to make one
last big score. They all served in the USMC during the Iraq War
and the second Battle of Fallujah. They get the squad back
together for what they hope will be a simple, but lucrative, job.
But things are not always as they seem.
Characters:
Tanya, former Marine truck driver
Hank, her dump truck driver boyfriend
Samuelle, the former Battalion Commander
Nikki, former weapons specialist
Jade, former medical specialist
Rick Regan
PO Box 40039
Raleigh, NC 27629
Raleigh.rickregan@gmail.com
919-218-8834
INT. TANYA’S APARTMENT - MORNING
Tanya shares an apartment in Denver with her boyfriend Hank.
It is on the first floor of a converted Queen Anne-style
building, with tall windows, wood floors and painted brick.
There is a bed with a tie-dye cover, with a TV and a small
galley kitchen inside.
Tanya and Hank are asleep, with bright sunshine coming in on
the walls. Tanya is not very tall but very lean and strong,
due to her love of outdoor hiking and climbing. Hank has long
black hair, down between his shoulders in a ponytail. He is a
dump truck driver and is getting soft around the middle. They
are both in their mid-thirties.
Tanya’s alarm clock starts beeping. She reaches over and
switches it off.
TANYA
(softly)
I gotta get up.
HANK
(quietly)
We’ve got time.
TANYA
Time? For what?
HANK
Let’s do it. Right now. We’ve got time.
TANYA
Hank! You goof! I’ve got to get going. And we did it
last night.
HANK
(playfully)
Come on, woman. Satisfy me!
TANYA
I think I satisfied you last night!
HANK
Don’t make me pull your hair...
TANYA
You always pull my hair!
HANK
Come on, Tanny. I’m starting a new route today. I
won’t be back ‘til Friday next. Show me what love is.
2.
TANYA
(getting up)
You know what love is, and it’s not screwing at seven
in the morning. I’ve got a new gig today and I don’t
want to be late.
Tanya gets up and washes her face and starts to get dressed.
HANK
Oh, yeah, with your friend Sam.
TANYA
Yeah.
HANK
Say, this isn’t one of those security jobs again, is
it? I don’t like you putting yourself in danger for
some rich asshole.
TANYA
No, no, nothing like that. This is, uh... computers.
HANK
Oh, computers.
TANYA
Yeah. Um, you want some coffee? I could put some on
before I go.
HANK
Yes. Make me some coffee. Then come back here and sit
on my lap.
TANYA
In your dreams.
She continues to get her things together.
HANK
You need a ride? To the place with the computers?
TANYA
Nah, I’m going to walk. It’s downtown but I want to
clear my head. I haven’t seen these guys for a while
and I want to get my thinking straight.
HANK
Sam is the one from your unit, right? Fallujah?
TANYA
Combat Logistics, Battalion 23. US Marine Corps.
HANK
You drove a truck.
2.
3.
TANYA
You drive a truck.
HANK
What about Sam, did she drive a truck?
TANYA
She was the battalion commander! She didn’t drive a
truck. If you had served, you might understand.
HANK
Hey, I’ve served my country! I’ve hauled coal, iron,
even uranium. The whole world would come to a
grinding halt if it wasn’t for the men driving trucks
in this country.
TANYA
And women. Women carry loads too, you know.
HANK
Did she carry a gun?
TANYA
We’re Marines. Every soldier carries a gun.
HANK
Where’s yours? You’ve been out for eight years.
TANYA
You don’t need to know. If I told you, I’d have to
kill you. I might just kill you anyway - for that bad
attitude! You naughty boy.
HANK
You’re the one with the bad attitude. You won’t even
spend a few minutes to satisfy your man before he
goes.
TANYA
Satisfy yourself. I gotta go. See you in two weeks,
if you behave yourself.
HANK
You’d leave me here, in my current state, and just
walk out?
TANYA
Bye!
Tanya goes out the front door.
HANK
Dammit! She didn’t even make the coffee.
3.
4.
INT. OFFICE BUILDING, CONFERENCE ROOM - MORNING, LATER
Three women are sitting at a conference table. Big windows
behind them look out over the Denver downtown.
Samuelle Stagg is walking around down the corridor and comes
in, closing the door. Samuelle is in her early forties, a
little older than the other three women. They are all lean
and strong, former US Marines, but each is in business casual
wear. Nikki has peroxide blonde hair. Jade is Asian.
SAMUELLE
Ladies, thank you for coming today. I appreciate you
making time, on short notice.
TANYA
When the Captain calls, we’re ready for duty.
SAMUELLE
Thanks, Tan.
NIKKI
I’m ready to make some real money. Is that why we’re
here, Cap?
SAMUELLE
Depends. What do you mean by real money?
NIKKI
I mean, better than part-time stripping, and teaching
housewives pole dancing lessons. I’m so bored!
TANYA
(sly)
You got the itch too?
NIKKI
Oh, yeah! I love the smell of gunpowder in the
morning.
JADE
About time too. What was it, three years ago we did
the last one?
NIKKI
What a crock that was! We made that guy so much
freaking money, and we got peanuts.
SAMUELLE
And he got whacked by the cartel we stole the money
from. They knew we were just a team for-hire so they
didn’t come after us. But him, he got whacked.
4.
5.
NIKKI
Did they get all the money, and the gold?
SAMUELLE
My contact said some of both. But not all of it.
JADE
Jeez, there must have been fifty-million dollars in
that truck.
SAMUELLE
More than that. But it didn’t matter. They got Big
Jay in the end.
NIKKI
How’d he get it?
TANYA
You’re creepy, want to know that!
NIKKI
It’s my business to know how it happened. What can I
say?
SAMUELLE
Well, since you asked, what they told me is that they
whacked all of his guys, beat up his mistress in
front of him, then cut off his johnson and shoved it
in his mouth. Then they stabbed him in the neck, let
him bleed out.
JADE
Sweet! Couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.
SAMUELLE
So, brass tacks.
TANYA
Let’s go.
SAMUELLE
The last operation, as you recall, was to intercept a
hand-off of gold for cash for Big Jay, to launder his
casino money. But Fat Tony didn’t like having his
trucks hijacked and the Salermo goombahs clawed it
all back, or most of it.
NIKKI
And all we got was peanuts.
5.
6.
SAMUELLE
We got what we agreed to. And because we played by
the rules, didn’t skim off the top or make a run for
it, the Salermos appreciated our professionalism. Now
they want us to make a job for them.
TANYA
Same, with the trucks?
SAMUELLE
But this time, we get a taste.
NIKKI
Oh yeah! Me likey!
JADE
Is this guns-blazing, or a run-silent, run-deep?
NIKKI
Guns blazing! Guns blazing! Come on, guns blazing.
JADE
Atom Bomb, you’re a nut!
TANYA
But she’s our nut. Right, gunner!
JADE
Just point and shoot, baby! Just point and shoot.
SAMUELLE
If all goes by the plan, we’ll be in and out, like a
shadow passing on the wall. But if there is a hiccup,
we’ll be strapped up, expecting their worst.
TANYA
What’s the game?
JADE
And when?
TANYA
This weekend. We’ve got five days to prep.
JADE
We going East?
SAMUELLE
West. Reno, Nevada. There is a transfer station where
the Mexican Sinaloa cartel pays for Columbian cocaine
from the Medellin syndicate.
NIKKI
Oh boy, those are some heavy dudes!
6.
7.
SAMUELLE
And the Salermos are mad that these guys are coming
in and taking all the drug business for themselves.
They want to strike a blow that let’s the Columbian’s
know that they’ve got to deal with the East Coast
boys if they want to play ball in the States.
JADE
So how do we fit in? Are we just going to go in and
rob the Mexicans, the Columbians AND the Mob?
NIKKI
I’m game. Let’s give it to ‘em.
TANYA
Is it just us? I mean we’re good but taking on three
cartels doesn’t sound like a fight we can win.
NIKKI
We can if we have overwhelming force. We’re a lean,
mean, killing machine.
JADE
Hoo-Rah!
TANYA
Hoo-rah. But better if we don’t have to fight our way
out.
SAMUELLE
Like I said, if it goes to plan, we’ll be gone like a
shadow.
JADE
So what’s the game?
SAMUELLE
The Salermos have sent a message to the big bosses
that they want a cut. The bad guys agreed, if they
sent somebody to come and pick up the cash. That’s
us.
JADE
It’s obviously a trap.
NIKKI
Kobayashi-maru, sensei! If we know the game, we can
change the rules. We kill them first, right Cap?
TANYA
It’s cat and mouse. Are we the hunters or the hunted?
7.
8.
NIKKI
Let us prey on the weak! We can bag everybody in
sight, then just drive away with the money. Anybody
else see an easier way?
TANYA
Yeah, but then we’re the ones who get stabbed in the
neck.
NIKKI
Spoilsport!
TANYA
Just saying, how do we manage the risks?
SAMUELLE
We get paid if we pick up the money from the
Columbians and deliver it to the Salermos.
JADE
If the Columbians are playing a double-game,
expecting to kill a bunch of the Salermo team, we’ll
be sitting ducks.
SAMUELLE
Our job is to test whether the Columbians will honor
their word, to pay off the Salermo goons.
TANYA
Probably just the price of doing business. Like a
crime tax. Gotta pay the local capo and his henchmen.
SAMUELLE
So here’s the setup. You each get ten-grand, up
front. Get yourself to Reno by Thursday morning. On
Friday we’ll go over the positions, gear up, plot the
job for Saturday. The target is twenty-five million,
take away. We split half, four ways, of whatever we
get. Maybe they pay in-full, or maybe not. We’ll see.
Once we have the target, we off-load, then head to
Salt Lake, where we meet with the Salermos and hand
off the money.
JADE
It’s all logistics, just like last time.
TANYA
And if it all goes well, we’ll be in and out.
NIKKI
That’s all fine and dandy but how do we trust any of
these guys?
8.
9.
SAMUELLE
They’re trusting us with the payoff. The Columbians
want to expand their network to work with the East
coast mafia. The Mexicans don’t want to piss off
either of them.
NIKKI
If somebody’s got an itchy finger, it’s going to be a
long night.
SAMUELLE
Day. Routine daytime pick-up at ten in the morning.
NIKKI
Great. I gotta wear lipstick.
JADE
How about maybe tone it down with the blonde bob?
Maybe try brown, you know, to blend in?
NIKKI
Listen China Doll, you should be thanking me, for
drawing fire away from you. Who wants to kill a
geisha in this day and age?
JADE
Geisha? Cute. I’ll remember that when I’m patching
you up and pulling nine millimeter rounds out of your
chest.
SAMUELLE
Easy, company! Tanya, you and Jade will make the
approach in the truck. Nik will be at a sniper
lookout, covering you. I will be at an overlook
point, in touch with the contact. I make contact. You
go in, load up. Drive out.
TANYA
Got it.
JADE
Easy enough.
NIKKI
Ten-four, Cap.
SAMUELLE
I confirm the drop. Then we leave. Nikki, you take
off and meet us in Salt Lake.
NIKKI
Roger that.
9.
10.
TANYA
Do we go straight to Salt Lake?
SAMUELLE
No. We’ll meet at a storage facility outside of town.
We’ll load the money into a different vehicle,
probably a Town Car. Then Jade will drive to Salt
Lake.
TANYA
What about me?
SAMUELLE
Tanya, you bring the truck back here to Denver. Then
you’re done.
TANYA
What about my share?
SAMUELLE
You will get one-forth, just like the rest of us.
TANYA
If you say so, Cap.
SAMUELLE
Right. Then Jade will take the money to meet the
Salermos. Same again, Nikki, you take sniper-point.
I’ll make the contact.
NIKKI
I like it!
SAMUELLE
Then Jade gives them the car with the money and walks
out. I will be waiting to pick you up.
JADE
Town car? Is that because the mob guys like those?
SAMUELLE
Yeah, I know. No visibility. Hard to defend. But they
like ‘em.
JADE
And we head back?
SAMUELLE
I drop you off at a hotel downtown. You relax for a
couple of days, maybe a week. Lay low, then head back
to Denver. Nikki, you get back however you want.
10.
11.
NIKKI
Move like smoke. They won’t even know I’m there and
gone.
SAMUELLE
We’ll meet back here in two weeks for the split. We
all good?
NIKKI
Hoo-rah, Cap!
TANYA
A good job. I could use the cash.
JADE
You have the upfront money?
Samuelle puts three envelopes on the table.
SAMUELLE
Cash. Get to Reno and I will be in contact about
where to meet.
Each one picks up their envelope.
JADE
Got it!
TANYA
I’m in.
NIKKI
Guns up, Cap!
SAMUELLE
I will see you ladies in Reno.
Samuelle exits down the hall.
JADE
Tanny, you think it’s worth it?
TANYA
I just need one good score. One final job. But this
has to be my last one. I’m done after this.
NIKKI
Give it two years and you’ll be calling Sam, looking
for the next one.
11.
12.
JADE
I don’t need the money, but I could use the cushion.
It’s just all the bullshit I don’t want to deal with
anymore. Jobs, taxes, insurance, my idiot boss. Fuck
him!
NIKKI
Yeah, fuck that guy!
TANYA
Yeah, fuck him, sideways!
JADE
Ha! You guys. It’s great to see you, you know. Seems
like the-sandbox was somebody else’s life. You feel
that?
NIKKI
All the time. When I had a uniform and a gun, nobody
would give me any shit. Now every John-fromaccounting wants to see my tits.
TANYA
I feel like I’m sliding backwards. The temp jobs keep
getting churned up, one to the next. And the bills
and credit cards don’t let up. I’m living with my
boyfriend because he pays the rent steady. You know
what he does? He drives a truck! And I can’t get a
CDL because of my PTSD. The system is crushing me.
NIKKI
Hey, this your shot. Your shot. Let’s do the job,
take the money and get the hell out of here.
JADE
What time is it? Oh, god, I gotta go.
Jade gets up. The others get up too.
NIKKI
Alright, Battalion twenty-three. See you in Reno.
Through a scope.
TANYA
Ha! Alright, I won’t see you in Reno. Jade, see you
there.
JADE
Let’s go, Marine Corp. Follow me!
They all exit.
12.
13.
INT. TANYA'S APARTMENT - EVENING
Tanya has packed and is ready to go in the morning. Right now
she is finishing a joint, looking at a map of Reno on her
phone. She closes her eyes and exhales.
In front of her is a large mirror, with a few candles
flickering and figures, like a small shrine. She opens her
eyes and the room fills with light. In the mirror, Mary, the
mother of Jesus, appears, filling the mirror.
TANYA
Oh my! Blessed Mother, you’re here!
MARY
Yes. I am here.
TANYA
I can’t believe it, you’re here.
MARY
Believe in me. I am here, dear girl.
TANYA
But I have so many questions. I don’t know where to
begin.
MARY
I have come to say that I have sent an angel to look
out for you, to protect you from danger.
TANYA
An angel?
MARY
Though a storm will rage above your head, you will
not be harmed. Hold onto your faith.
TANYA
Mother Mary, am I a good person? Will I go to heaven?
MARY
I am not the judge. I do not decide.
TANYA
So I am going to hell?
MARY
No. There is no hell.
TANYA
No hell?
13.
14.
MARY
No.
TANYA
But, did Jesus rise from the dead? Is all of that
true?
MARY
Come, girl, do not worry the details. It doesn’t
matter. What is important is you, sweet child.
TANYA
Um, OK, will I ever have children? Will they love me?
MARY
No.
TANYA
No?
MARY
Look at your life now. If you had wanted children,
don’t you think you would have made room in your
heart for them? Think sensibly.
TANYA
So I won’t be a grandmother?
MARY
Being a mother is to love and protect children. You
can do that any time you like. Even tomorrow.
TANYA
I can’t tomorrow. I have this thing I have to do, in
Reno. You know, Nevada?
MARY
And if you wanted to love and protect children, would
you go to Nevada?
TANYA
No, I guess not. Does that mean I am wicked? Am I a
bad person? For all the things I saw in the-sandbox?
Am I going to go to hell?
MARY
No. There is no hell. When you die, that is the end.
TANYA
But what about you? Didn’t you die?
MARY
No. I am still alive. I am here to help you.
14.
15.
TANYA
But how can you help me? I feel so alone.
MARY
Let your heart be filled with love, my child. Do not
be troubled by the past. It was not by your hand. You
did not cause the suffering of others. Be at peace,
lifted by the joy of your faith. You will survive and
your task is to make the world a better, peaceful
place.
TANYA
How am I going to do that when we have to rob the
Columbian cartel?
MARY
That is your choice, your decision. If you chose to
go, you make your own path. But there is another way,
to turn and work for love and peace. But you are the
one who decides. Now rest. Sleep in peace.
Mary raises her hand, then lowers it, causing Tanya’s eyes to
close. The room darkens again and Mary disappears in the
mirror.
EXT. ROUGH TRAIL ABOVE THE MEETING POINT IN RENO - LATE
AFTERNOON
It is the day before the meeting. Nikki is in full camouflage
covering, making her way through some brush, on a hillside
above the meeting point. She finds a sheltered spot and
arranges herself for the night. She sets up her sniper rifle
and watches the activities below through her scope.
Through the scope we see various cars and trucks arriving and
driving away. Men get out, talk, load bundles, then drive
away. There are three men who seem to live at the place,
which is a gravel parking lot with a large shelter over a
concrete slab where boxes and bundles are stacked and
unstacked. There is a small shed at the back, but the men
sleep on cots under the shelter.
Nikki sets a timer on her watch, keeping an eye on things
until it is dark and the men sleep on the cots. Nikki goes to
sleep under the camouflaged netting. She is invisible on the
hillside.
EXT. NIKKI’S HILLSIDE HIDEOUT - MORNING
Nikki’s watch vibrates, waking her up. The watch displays
6:00am. She looks through the scope and the quiet scene
below.
15.
16.
Nikki sees the men still sleeping. She checks her weapon, the
bullets and safety. At seven a.m. the men start to get up,
make coffee and one of them makes tortillas with some eggs,
which they share.
The sun is coming up and the day is getting warmer but Nikki
remains still, watching. At nine a.m. a black SUV pulls up.
NIKKI
(quietly to herself)
It’s only nine o’clock. They aren’t supposed to be
here for another hour.
Through the scope she watches two men in Black-suits get out
of the vehicle.
They talk to the boss-type guy in a White shirt. She sees
them agree on something then the peasant-guy in a Red-shirt
put a silver briefcase in a wheelbarrow and push it over to
the middle-level guy in a Blue-shirt. The Blue-shirt guy
picks up the case and sets it on the ground. One of the Blacksuit guys picks up the case and turn to go back to the SUV.
White-shirt signals to Blue-shirt, and Blue-shirt pulls out a
pistol and shoots the Black-suit guy in the back of the head.
Then Blue-shirt shoots the other Black-suit guy.
The White-shirt signals Red-shirt and Red-shirt loads the two
men onto the wheelbarrow.
Nikki watches through the scope as Red-shirt pushes the
wheelbarrow to the back of the shelter, and into the scrubby
desert. He has a shovel and digs shallow graves for them. He
pushes the bodies into the graves but takes the time to check
their pockets, pulling out rolls of cash which he pockets,
then covers the Black-suits with dirt.
NIKKI (CONT'D)
(quietly)
Oh, my. Mine eyes have seen the glory of the coming
of the Lord.
Well fellas, as you sow, so shall you reap. As you
have killed, so shall you be killed. For I am the
angel of vengeance, sent here to bring my fury and
damnation upon your head. My justice is final and my
punishment is quick. For the Lord has loosed the
bright lightning of His terrible swift sword: glory
and hallelujah.
16.
17.
EXT. NIKKI’S HILLSIDE HIDEOUT - 1 HOUR LATER
Through the scope we see Nikki keep the crosshairs on Blueshirt.
Another black SUV pulls up. Through the scope we see Tanya
and Jade get out. They approach, talk to the men. Red-shirt
wheels over the silver case. Blue-shirt puts it on the
ground. Tanya picks up the case. They say something, nod and
she turns around to go back to the vehicle.
White-shirt signals Blue-shirt. Blue-shirt pulls out a pistol
and aims at the back of Tanya’s head.
BLAM! Through the scope we see Blue-shirt blasted by Nikki.
Tanya and Jade hit the deck. Next Nikki pivots to Whiteshirt. BLAM! White-shirt goes down. Red-shirt stands with his
hands up, looking up at the hillside. BLAM! Nikki kills Redshirt.
Tanya and Jade wait for a moment until the gunshot sounds
recede. They get up and run to the car. Tanya tosses the case
to Jade. They jump in and speed away.
Nikki remains, hidden.
EXT. NIKKI’S HILLSIDE HIDEOUT - NOON
Another SUV pulls up and two Mexican Cartel guys get out.
They look around at the dead bodies. They stand and yell at
each other.
BLAM! BLAM! Nikki shoots both men. They fall dead.
For good measure, she fires at the back of the SUV. BLAM! A
man in a fancy suit jumps out of the vehicle. In a moment the
SUV is engulfed in flames. BLAM! Nikki shoots the fancy suit
guy.
Nikki waits in the silence.
EXT. NIKKI’S HILLSIDE HIDEOUT - LATER
Another SUV pulls up. Two Columbian Cartel men jump out,
looking at the burned vehicle and dead bodies everywhere.
BLAM! BLAM! Nikki shoots both men. They fall dead.
For good measure, she fires at the back of the SUV. BLAM! A
man in a fancy suit jumps out of the vehicle. In a moment the
SUV is engulfed in flames. BLAM! Nikki shoots the fancy suit
guy. All is quiet.
17.
18.
When the coast is clear Nikki gracefully gets up, packs her
gear and heads back down the hill.
NIKKI
(quietly, to herself)
I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and
furious anger those who would attempt to destroy my
sisters. And you will know my name is the Lord when I
lay my vengeance upon thee.
Nikki walks to a vehicle under a tree, draped in camouflage
netting.
INT. OFFICE BUILDING, CONFERENCE ROOM
Tanya is the only one inside, waiting.
Jade comes down the hall carrying the silver case. She comes
in, closes the door and puts the case on the table.
TANYA
Jade.
JADE
Tanny.
TANYA
Good to see you.
JADE
It’s just us.
TANYA
Just you and me? What happened?
JADE
After we split up?
TANYA
Yeah, what happened?
JADE
I drove the Lincoln to Salt Lake with Sam. She was in
touch with the Salermo goon.
TANYA
Yeah.
JADE
We made the meeting. But the Salermos had their own
sniper. He shot Sam.
18.
19.
TANYA
Christ!
JADE
I hit the deck and scrambled behind the car. And I
watched Nikki shoot the goon, from god-knows-where.
Then Nikki and the Salermo guy start exchanging
rounds, a real god-damned sniper fight.
TANYA
Did Nikki make it out?
JADE
I don’t know. I haven’t heard from her. And today is
split day.
TANYA
But you made it.
JADE
When the shooting stopped, I jumped in the car with
the money and took off. Nobody shot at me so I guess
Nikki got him. But I never heard from her.
TANYA
Should we wait?
JADE
Maybe a few minutes.
TANYA
Uh... how much is there?
JADE
Ten.
TANYA
Million?
JADE
Million. Five each.
TANYA
What about the cartels and the mob?
JADE
What I know is that the only people who saw you and
me, died in Reno. Nobody knows you or me. So I say,
we take the money and go. They won’t even miss it.
TANYA
I still can’t believe she killed those three guys!
19.
20.
JADE
That was just the first three. Then there were six
more. Mexicans, Columbians, who knows. Nine dead
total in Reno. That’s what Nikki reported to Sam on
the way to Salt Lake.
TANYA
Jesus, what a mess! I’m through with this. I don’t
want those guys looking over my shoulder the rest of
my life. Let’s just do this.
JADE
All right.
Jade opens the case. It is packed with cash, wrapped hundreddollar bills. She counts them out into two equal piles. Tanya
slides her pile into a canvas tote bag. Jade puts hers back
in the case.
TANYA
Well, this is it.
JADE
This is it. Goodbye and good luck, soldier.
TANYA
You too, China Doll.
They shake hands and walk down the hallway, going different
ways at the door.
INT. TANYA'S APARTMENT - DAY
Tanya has packed everything up and the apartment is empty.
She is walking around, making sure she didn’t forget
anything.
Tanya takes a small brick of cash, wrapped in aluminum foil
and places it in the middle of the floor. She writes on the
brick with a marker.
TANYA
(reading as she writes)
Hank, thanks for all the good times. Here’s something
to make the hurt go away. Goodbye and good luck. -T
Tanya turns and walks out.
END
20.