Calamity EP10 Deadwood

EXT. DEADWOOD - DAY

JANE (V.O.): You know that feeling when you return to a place you been, but it’s not like what you imagined?

SHERIFF (V.O.): All too well.

JANE (V.O.): That’s what returning to Deadwood felt like to me.

JANE: It’s...changed.

ELICK: Happens all the time these days. You can thank war & the gold rush.

JANE: Look.

ELICK:That who I think it is?

JANE (V.O.): Danger was tied up front with the rest. O’Rourke’s red saddle and gear all there. I’ve never been happier to see a horse.

SHERIFF (V.O.): What about the cavalry from Ft. Pierre? Any sign of them?

JANE (V.O.): We didn’t see them as we approached the horses near the saloon.

JANE: Hey there, big fella. How you been?

ELICK: He’s empty. Just carrying boots and clothes.

JANE: She can’t be far now, keep your eyes peeled.

ELICK: Jane...what happens next, you don’t gotta stay for that. You found the horse and that’s all I needed.

JANE: I made it this far, can’t let you have all the fun. Wouldn’t do well for my legend.

ELICK: You sure you’re okay?

JANE: I’m fine. Whatever the hell Violet burned’s giving me a headache that’s all.

INT. SALOON #10 - DAY

JANE (V.O.): Saloon was bigger than I remembered, probably burned down a fair number of times while I was gone. It was packed to the brim, but I could still pick her out in the crowd.

JANE (V.O. CONT'D): Keema kept her worldly possessions close, a double saddlebag slung over her shoulder. She seemed different now, not the loud & carefree scout I remembered, just a lone imposing figure at the bar. The worn leather coat clung to her shoulders as if she’d battled an army for that drink. Elick and I came to sit on either side.

BARKEEP: Hiya folks, what can I get you?

JANE & ELICK: Bourbon.

BARKEEP: Coming right up.

KEEMA: Took ya’ll long enough. I knew the moment that pretty blonde rode into town looking for help every soldier in the west would be on my tail.

ELICK: We can take this outside.

KEEMA: I quite like it in here. Thanks.

JANE: Keem...what the hell happened to you?

KEEMA: Same thing happens to all of us touched by war. Started putting myself first.

JANE (V.O.): I was close enough to see the edge of a minting plate in one of her bags. I assumed the rolled up paper in the other was the war plans. The bags hung loose on her shoulder, as if daring one of us to lose an arm reaching for it.

JANE: This ain’t the way...

KEEMA: Forget the way!

KEEMA (CONT’D): How many nights we been across enemy lines? Marking villages for burning, ruining lives and for what? Barely enough coin for a decent meal.

ELICK: You knew what you signed up for.

KEEMA: I signed up to guide you, not help you burn another village.

JANE: What?

ELICK: Jane, you should go.

JANE: What’s she talking about Elick? The Nomads put those people to the stake. Not you.

KEEMA: Is that all you told her?

ELICK: Just give me the plans, Keema.

KEEMA: Do you know what your pal, the Captain and the squad did to those folks? They killed the sheriff, his two deputies then tortured the mayor of Yankton.

SHERIFF (V.O.): You didn’t seriously believe that, did you?

JANE (V.O.): Actually I did. You get intel from suspected traitors by any means necessary. I just couldn’t believe he didn’t tell me.

JANE: Is...is that true?

ELICK: They were helping the enemy.

JANE: The Nomads?

ELICK: No, not them the other enemy. Look, this ain’t important right now. I need those war plans, Keema. Good men will die if I don’t get them. So put that scout’s honor to good use and give me the plans.

KEEMA: Save me the righteousness, solder-boy. You ain’t got no clue what the scout’s honor means.

JANE: But I do. Listen to me, I can help you. Just give me the plans and-­

KEEMA: So that another innocent village gets burned? No Janie, that won’t be on my conscience.

ELICK: De-railing trains and sacrificing innocents to the lightning gods is your idea of salvation?

KEEMA: Hmph, I see you’ve met my old friends. I knew the only way I’d survive is if I’d give them what the captain promised them.

JANE: What did he promise them?

KEEMA: You see, what your boy here won’t tell you is that the Captain lied to both of us. Told us the whole city was full of traitors and made his squad torture the four people who could do anything about it while he stole the minting plates from the post office.

JANE (V.O.): I had a lot of questions but right then and there I just needed all of us out of there before things escalated.

SHERIFF (V.O.): Let me guess, escalate they did?

JANE (V.O.): They always do.

ELICK: I’m done with this. Give me the bags.

KEEMA: Back the hell up, soldier-boy!

JANE: Keema, please just wait. You kill a cavalry-man and the army will come for your head. You don’t want that.

KEEMA: You even know what I want anymore Jane?

JANE: What?

KEEMA: Freedom. To be free of all this.

JANE (V.O.): I could see it in her eye, she was exhausted, jumpy but serious. I knew if I couldn’t get her to work with us, she’d shoot her way out.

SHERIFF (V.O.): Sounds like it’s right up your alley.

JANE (V.O.): Then you ain’t paying attention Sheriff. Last thing I needed was to swim in anymore blood.

BARKEEP: That’ll be...

BARKEEP (CONT’D): Ah...I’ll return for the coin after, your talks...

ELICK: Much obliged.

JANE: Hey, Keem come on. Don’t do this. Lower your weapon and we can talk, drink. Just like old times. I want to help.

JANE (V.O.): For a minute I thought she’d pull the trigger & spill his guts. But then she...

Sounds: Keema laughs.

KEEMA: Relax. I need the bullets.

JANE (V.O.): She holstered her weapon, took a swig of my drink and glanced back at the door.

ELICK: Expecting company?

KEEMA: Besides you two? Yeah, I am.

JANE: You got a buyer for the minting plates.

KEEMA: Ding ding ding! You always were a smart one, Janie. Never understood why you let people think otherwise.

JANE: And the battle plans?

KEEMA: Got another buyer for those. Maybe it’s time the cavalry tasted some revenge.

ELICK: Where are they? You’ll give me those plans or I’ll take em from your dead body.

JANE (V.O.): I had to drag Elick off’ her. He ripped the bags from Keema’s shoulder. One contained a slab of metal not a minting plate. The other just a stack of blank paper and graphite. She was smart, always had a plan B.

KEEMA: You think I’d be running around with them on my person?

JANE: Keem, you sell military secrets and it’s all over. They’ll hunt you from dusk till dawn.

KEEMA: They can do whatever they like. I’m leaving this rock & headed for Paris once the deal’s done.

JANE: Paris?

KEEMA: Come with me. Let’s start fresh, away from all this death.

ELICK: Keema I ain’t walking out empty-handed.

KEEMA: Planning to shoot me?

ELICK: Where did you hide the plans? Lives depend on it.

KEEMA: Lives. You hear that Jane? When it’s soldiers it’s lives. Wonder what they called us when we were left for dead? just a bunch of lowly scouts.

JANE: Keema...

JANE (V.O.): I could tell Elick was done listening. His sights were set. He was gonna kill Keema if she didn’t give us those battle plans.

KEEMA: You know it’s funny, lieutenant. You didn’t seem so confident when you shot the Captain.

JANE: What?

ELICK: Jane, it ain’t how it is. She’s trying to deflect so she can escape.

KEEMA: You see me running, soldier-boy? I’m right where I’m meant to be.

JANE: You told me, Keema shot the Captain.

KEEMA: Oh man, the tales you tell. I took the horse and ran out the crossfire. Your boy was too busy trying to get what he wanted from the Captain, caught a bullet from the Nomads before he could get his revenge.

ELICK: He lied to us, Jane. We spent the whole day fighting to protect O’Rourke and he...he just wanted the minting plates.

JANE Why didn’t you just tell me?

JANE (V.O.): I didn’t need an answer. Could see it in his eye as he lowered his gun. He was ashamed.

SHERIFF (V.O.): Why’d he shoot the Captain?

ELICK: O’Rourke went mad. Started making deals with counterfeiting rings & smugglers. Hoping to build his empire after the war.

JANE: He wouldn’t do that.

KEEMA: Oh trust me, he would & was gonna.

ELICK: On that, we agree. Every night he’d disappear off with town folk to play cards. Started off simple, then began losing money. He was so desperate to win big that one night he did. By stealing the minting plates.

ELICK (CONT’D): I still remember that night. The Captain comes running, says we’re under attack. Kicked off a firefight that lasted long into the night.

ELICK (CONT’D): Next sunrise we realize we killed the sheriff & his deputies. O’Rourke gave us a story of how they were corrupt and working with some outlaws but I think we all began to have doubts.

KEEMA: Yet none of ya’ll would do anything about it. Was exhausting guiding you through the hills after that, wondering which of you’d betray me.

ELICK: I was the one who confronted the Captain. But then we were ambushed by the Nomads.

JANE: So you decided to shoot him?

ELICK: No, yes. He turned tail and ran! I was only meaning to wing him but Nomad shot me in the arm, bullet got him in the back.

ELICK (CONT’D): Keema turned around and shot him dead.

KEEMA: I was far up ahead when I heard them closing in. I didn’t know it was the captain behind me, so I shot back. Hit him in the skull.

SHERIFF (V.O.): You’re telling me a lieutenant of the cavalry shot his own Captain?

JANE (V.O.): Yeah but that ain’t the bizarre part.

JANE: You lied to me? The both of you.

ELICK & KEEMA: It was an accident!

JANE: Accident or not I deserved to know the truth.

KEEMA: I told you the damn truth, whatever the hell good it does you.

JANE: Keema, a man’s dead ‘cause of paper and coin. You can’t tell me that sits right with you.

KEEMA: Look, you ain’t gotta like it but that’s the way it is. Now if ya’ll excuse me, I’ve got to--

KEEMA (CONT’D): Hmph, soldier-boy if you don’t get that gun outta my face it’ll be the last thing you see.

ELICK: You said it yourself, you’re the only one who knows where those plans are kept. No you, no risk of them getting out.

JANE: Would you quit the dramatics? You two are worse than a theatre troupe. All stakes and no payoff.

KEEMA: Oh there’ll be payoff.

PATRON: Hey! You three, take it outside. Sick of your whining and gunning.

ELICK: Mind your business, friend. This here don’t concern you.

PATRON: Ohhhh, you hear that fellas? Big cavalry man’s gonna tell us what to do.

KEEMA: They got you there.

JANE: That’s far enough, boys.

PATRON: Oooooh, well yes ma’am of course we’ll list-­

Sound: Crack of a whip.

PATRON: *yelps*

JANE: My my, you got the lungs of an angel.

PATRON: Why you-­

JANE: Move it along! Get.

BARKEEP: Ah, you...you can’t do that...those were paying customers.

JANE: You too. Move it or lose it.

BARKEEP: Me? But...but I work here...

JANE: We need a moment. Saloon’s closed.

KEEMA: Dayum, girl. Where’d you learn to bullwhip like that?

JANE: My girlfriend Faith taught me.

KEEMA: Faith? the actor playing you?

JANE That very one. Whom I’d like to get back to so let’s finish up here.

KEEMA: Hmph, never took her for a wrangler.

JANE: There, I’m unarmed. Now both of you, ditch the guns. Three of us ain’t leaving till we make a deal.

KEEMA: Did Calamity Jane just go put her gun down?

ELICK: You sure you’re feeling okay Janie?

SHERIFF (V.O.): I’ve heard the legend of Calamity Jane. But I ain’t never heard of Jane the peaceful negotiator.

JANE (V.O.): That’s cause you keep interrupting. Stop pacing, Sheriff. You’ll burn a hole in the wood.

SHERIFF (V.O.): If you & your friends were so level headed, explain why I came to find that saloon in ash?

JANE (V.O.): I’m getting to it.