READ BEFORE CONTINUING: READ BEFORE CONTINUING: All screenplays are copyrighted and / or registered with The Writers Guild of America West. ANY rewriting, incorporating scenes or dialog into other works is STRICTLY PROHIBITED. AFTER READING THE SCREENPLAY - CLICK ON THE "BACK BUTTOM" TO RETURN TO THE PREVIOUS PAGE PLEASE DO NOT PRINT WITHOUT PERMISSION FORMATTING AND PAGE COUNT IS DIFFERENT THAN ORIGIANAL SCRIPT DEADLY GREED by Robert C. Johnson Contact Information: Robert C. Johnson www.WeWriteMovies.com EXT. NEW YORK CITY - NIGHT ANTHONY STEVEN MCGUIRE and BRENDA ANN MCGUIRE, 60's, an attractive couple, expensive clothes, leave a classy restaurant and walk toward a Mercedes Benz in the parking lot. MRS. MCGUIRE I wish Jeff were here. MR. MCGUIRE Well, he's a busy man. They quick-kiss, he unlocks the passenger door -- helps her enter. INT. MERCEDES - NIGHT A red rose rest on the dash. Mr. McGuire puts the key into the ignition. Mrs. McGuire picks up the rose and smiles -- she touches his arm. MRS. MCGUIRE You're such a romantic. MR. MCGUIRE Why, my dear? MRS. MCGUIRE (shows him the rose) It smells so wonderful. MR. MCGUIRE I didn't... (looks concerned) ...Do you smell gasoline? He glances around in confusion and sees a thin plastic tube wedged between the rear seats, emitting drops of gasoline. EXT. BUILDING ROOF - NIGHT Across the street from the parking lot. A black-gloved hand points a remote control at the Mercedes. The remote has three green lights and three switches. A finger flips the first switch and one green light turns red. INT. MERCEDES - NIGHT The door locks SNAP into a locked position. MR. MCGUIRE What the hell! He frantically pushes the door lock switch several times, but the doors remain locked. EXT. BUILDING ROOF - NIGHT A finger flips the second switch and the second green light turns red. INT. MERCEDES - NIGHT The McGuire's confusion turns to first-stage panic -- they try to unlock the doors, but to no avail. The plastic tube sputters and starts to spray gasoline, increasing in volume until it covers the McGuires, the windshield and the entire interior. Total panic! Terrified, the McGuires scream, beat the windows and jerk the door handles. EXT. RESTAURANT SIDEWALK - NIGHT A couple exit the restaurant. They saunter to the parking lot, SCREAMS, they see the terrified McGuires beating the Mercedes' windows and screaming. EXT. BUILDING ROOF - NIGHT A finger flips the third switch and the third green light turns red. The Mercedes EXPLODES in a terrible inferno. Metal and debris sprays the area and flame and smoke bursts into the sky. The couple on the sidewalk are blasted to the pavement. EXT. BUILDING ROOF - NIGHT The gloved hand sets the remote control on the roof edge, then gently places a YELLOW ROSE on the remote control. EXT. FOREST WILDERNESS - DAY The sun rises from behind a ridge. Mist fills the air. Butterflies feed on wildflowers in a small clearing. And nestled in the grass, a doe and a fawn. Suddenly, powerful ENGINES start with a ROAR. The startled doe bolts to her feet and bounds quickly into the forest. The fawn struggles to stand, wobbles on thin legs -- it tries to run, then falls to the earth; its huge eyes filled with terror. Powerful ENGINES resound and small trees fall through the swirling mist and CRASH to the ground in a spray of debris and dust. From out of the surreal madness, giant bulldozers rip through the forest; huge, steel blades GRIND into the earth and devour everything green and beautiful. Following the bulldozers, like soldiers advancing behind tanks, workmen wear helmets, goggles, gloves, and are armed with large chainsaws. A bulldozer rips into trees, and squirrels, deer and a bear run for their lives. Birds take flight. The frightened and quivering fawn lies on the rumbling earth. The helpless doe watches the fawn -- the forest is consumed with CRASHING trees, ENGINES and SHOUTS. The doe looks at workmen and a bulldozer advancing toward her and the fawn, then races for her life into the trees. OBERT BOONE, 30's, a large man, rips into a towering tree with a chainsaw. Sawdust sprays the area as metal teeth devour the wood. He hears a loud CRACK, looks up and sees the tree starting to fall. The fawn lies on the ground and sees the tree falling toward it. It struggles, but can't get to its feet. Boone watches the tree slowly lean over, then sees the fawn, drops the chainsaw, races to the fawn and looks up. The tree is nearly on him. He dives toward the fawn and the tree CRASHES over him in a burst of dust and debris. A strange QUIETNESS settles over the forest -- dust clears the air. The tree has fallen over a downed tree. Lying face down, covered by branches, arms spread in protection over the fawn, Boone slowly, opens his eyes and looks into the fawn's terror. His fingers begin to open and close slowly, then his hand slides to the uninjured fawn's head and strokes it lovingly. BOONE We're okay, little fella. He struggles to his knees, carefully cradles the fawn to his chest, and struggles from out of the branches. He looks down at the fawn, then smiles tightly. BOONE Let's find your mother. Four workmen watch Boone carry the fawn from the devastated forest and disappear into beautiful old-growth trees. They shake their heads in wonderment, WORKER #1 spits tobacco juice onto the dirt. WORKER #1 Obert ain't got no lick of sense, riskin' his neck for table meat. Boone looks around and sees the doe in the distance. The doe starts to walk away, then turns and looks back -- he lays the fawn gently onto the ground. BOONE I didn't mean to scare you, little fella,... (strokes the fawn's head) ...but I got to work to survive. He stands up, looks at the doe, then walks into the mist toward the ROAR of chainsaws and bulldozer's ENGINES. He steps from the old-growth forest and into a clear-cut area. The ENGINE noise is horrendous. He looks around in despair at the surrounding devastation. BOONE Damn! We've gone mad! EXT. NEW YORK CITY - DAY New York City urban madness. Traffic tied up. Car HORNS. SIRENS. Wall to wall people. EXT. SKYSCRAPER - DAY Ultra modern building with a sign, "MCGUIRE INC." Men and women executives carry briefcases and enter and exit. INT. MCGUIRE INC. OFFICES - DAY ARNIE, 30, wears a suit and tie, carries folders and walks up to a female typist seated at a desk. ARNIE Mr. McGuire wants photocopies ASAP. He slams the folders on her cluttered desk and rushes into an office. INT. PRIVATE ELEVATOR - DAY JEFFREY "JEFF" STEVEN MCGUIRE III, 30's, drunk, handsome, tidies his hair, straightens his tie, burps and zaps breath spray into his mouth -- the elevator door opens. He wobbles into a plush, private lobby and finger-waves at a receptionist, MARY, 20's, seated at a glass topped desk. A vase with a yellow roses rest on the desk. MARY I hope you enjoyed your lunch, Mister McGuire. Jeff stumbles, catches his balance and grins. GORDON DAVIS, 30's, muscular and athletic, clutches a folder and strides up to Jeff. GORDON Mister McGuire. We need to talk. Jeff grins at Gordon. GORDON The matter is urgent! BARBARA ELLIS, 30's, attractive, but hard at the edges, rushes up to Jeff and glances at her watch. ELLIS You have a two o'clock with chief of security, Mister Bradford at two thirty, and Mister Winston at three. Gordon moves slightly behind Jeff and, looking upset, makes a drinking motion at Ellis. Jeff blinks at Ellis, then burps and grins. JEFF Right on, Barbara! You set everything up just like you always do. Let me know where to be and at what time. Jeff turns from Ellis and staggers to a door with a sign, "CEO Jeffrey Steven McGuire III." Ellis looks frustrated and watches Gordon follow Jeff into the office. ELLIS I just did! INT. JEFF'S OFFICE - DAY A large and luxurious room. A vase of yellow carnations sits on a coffee table. Hanging on a wall is sports memorabilia and photographs of Jeff. Jeff stumbles to a bar, sloshes Scotch into a tall glass, fumbles a match -- lights a cigarette, loosens his tie and gulps the drink. JEFF What's so urgent, Gordon? GORDON The Felmar Electronics takeover closes this afternoon. You need to co-sign the check and the final papers. Jeff fumbles off his coat, tries to hang it on a rack, but it falls to the floor. He flops into a chair behind a large desk. Gordon sits down in a chair facing the desk. JEFF You're the chief accountant. Sign my name. You've done it before. I don't need to be involved in all the minor details. GORDON Seventy-three million is a minor detail? Jeff belts some Scotch, takes a drag from the cigarette and grins. JEFF What's important, is you stop calling me mister. You never did that when we were in college. Do it again and you're fired! GORDON Sorry, sir. JEFF Hey... Jesus, I was just kidding. No mister, okay? And no sir, either. Jeff takes a gulp of Scotch and a cigarette drag. GORDON You'll be dead before forty if you keep up the booze and cigarettes. JEFF They're all I got, except for you, old friend, and Chuckie. GORDON You forgot Sally. Jeff downs the drink, then snuffs out the cigarette in an overfilled ashtray. JEFF Least she's not like my last gold digging fiance. GORDON Jeff. May I offer you a suggestion? JEFF Yeah, go ahead. GORDON You need a vacation. The last one you had was over three years ago. JEFF It's been that long? GORDON Yes. And might I suggest London this time of year. Or maybe Florida. JEFF (holds up his hand) Enough! No vacations. I don't like Florida. To hot, and London is to damned foggy and cold. The intercom BUZZES. ELLIS (V.O.) Mister McGuire. Mr. Richards is here. JEFF (leans toward intercom) Send him in. Gordon goes to the door and turns. JEFF Gordon. A vacation sounds good, but only after I appoint an acting president. You and Chuckie are running neck and neck. Gordon nods, then opens the door and leaves -- CHUCK RICHARDS, 40's, retired New York City cop, enters. He walks to a VCR and television. CHUCK I've been doing a little investigating. You'd better sit down for this one. JEFF I am sitting down. (a drunk glance at Chuck) Jesus, have you been working out, Chuckie? You look like a tree trunk. CHUCK My ex-wife says it's fat. Chuck inserts a cartridge into the VCR. Jeff wobbles from the desk and slumps onto a couch. Chuck rolls the tape. CHUCK I'm sorry, but I have to show you this. On the TV screen, SALLY, 20's, attractive, makes passionate love to a male in a swimming pool. Jeff stumbles to his feet and stares at the TV in disbelief. JEFF What the hell! That's my pool man for heavens sake! Jeff staggers to the bar, makes a Scotch on the rocks and gulps it down. The TV screen flickers. Sally makes passionate love to a male Oriental in the swimming pool. JEFF Shit! My gardener! (looks at Chuck) He's old enough to be her father. Jeff lights a cigarette, goes to the bar and makes another drink. The TV screen flickers. Sally lies on a chaise lounge by the swimming pool. DON NORTON, 30's, wears an expensive suit, walks up and gives Sally a thick envelope. JEFF (O.S.) Don Norton! Is she screwing every guy that works for me!? CHUCK Look, Jeff. I wouldn't be a friend if I didn't tell you this. I did a background check on Sally. (hands Jeff a report) Here, you'd better take a look for yourself. JEFF (scans the report) She's a hooker? CHUCK Sally Brown. Alias Linda Lee Turner. She has two bad check warrants and one for grand theft. JEFF (sad - looks down) Gordon's right! I need a vacation! CHUCK Like I said. I'm sorry. I wouldn't be your friend -- JEFF It's okay. I've always been able to count on you. CHUCK What about Sally? JEFF Kick her out, fire the pool man and the gardener! While your at it, drain the pool! I won't be using it. Jeff, despondent and drunk, wobbles to his desk, collapses on the chair, takes a cigarette drag and downs the Scotch. JEFF And fire Don! CHUCK I have an idea about Don. How about we wait and see what he's up to? JEFF Why? CHUCK Before this, we didn't even know Don knew Sally. Now, he's at your house handing her envelopes. JEFF (lays head on the desk) And probably other things too!