Play 178: Wrong Game

CHARACTERS
ANTHONY, late 20s
NICHOLAS, early 40s
GOONS

(They are standing in a dark, largely empty warehouse. Rays of sunlight come in through dirty windows, illuminating the large amounts of dust that hang in the air. Anthony stands on one side of the room, Nicholas on the other. Behind Nicholas are several goons, each with guns out and pointed at Anthony.)

NICHOLAS
Are you going to give it to me?

(He extends his arm towards Anthony.)

ANTHONY
I thought we had a deal.

NICHOLAS
Deals change.

ANTHONY
You broke your word.

NICHOLAS
I guess that makes me a liar, doesn’t it?

ANTHONY
Fuck you.

NICHOLAS
The money?

ANTHONY
Then what?

NICHOLAS
Then you leave.

ANTHONY
And if I don’t?

(Nicholas nods his head towards the goons.)

ANTHONY
I won’t forget this.

NICHOLAS
What’re you going to do, call the cops?

(He laughs.)

(Beat.)

So where is it?

ANTHONY
You think I’m dumb enough to have brought it with me?

NICHOLAS
No, but it never hurts to ask does it?

(Beat.)

Where is it then?

ANTHONY
Why should I tell you?

(Nicholas grins.)

NICHOLAS
Don’t make me repeat myself.

ANTHONY
What, you’ll shoot me?

NICHOLAS
If you want it to come to that.

ANTHONY
Bullshit.

NICHOLAS
Really?

ANTHONY
I die, you don’t get shit.

NICHOLAS
I’m giving you one last chance.

(Beat.)

Tell me where it is.

ANTHONY
Come on, shoot me!

(He points with both his hands to his chest.)

(Nicholas grins.)

NICHOLAS
Last chance.

(Beat.)

(Anthony grins.)

ANTHONY
If you’re not bluffing, then fucking shoot me!

(He taps his hands on his chest.)

(Beat.)

(Nicholas nods to the goons, one of them fires, hitting Anthony in the stomach. The sound reverberates throughout the room, and Anthony, with a look of shock, collapses to the ground. He starts screaming, his hands desperately holding the wound.)

(Nicholas gestures to one of the goons, who walks over to him and gives him his gun.)

(Nicholas walks up to him, and points the gun at him.)

(Anthony claws at the ground, desperately trying to drag himself away.)

NICHOLAS
You think you’re so smart huh?

(He laughs.)

ANTHONY
Please!

NICHOLAS
(Serious and business-like, not a trace of anger.)
You’re in the wrong game.

(He shoots him, Anthony’s body shudders from the impact, and he crumples, motionless and limp, on the ground.)

(Beat.)

(Nicholas shakes his head.)

NICHOLAS
Does he really think he has to tell us where it is for us to find it? Who does he think we are?

(He laughs.)

Amateur.

(He kicks Anthony’s body.)

(Blackout.)