The Comandment: Episode 3: It's Never Too Late

By Jim Silver

1962, Leesville, Louisiana. Four white deputies come across an elderly black couple in a small diner. The couple are local champions of the civil rights movement. It is no chance encounter. Words are exchanged, their deadly intent clear, but they can't stop the truth from being confirmed before gunfire ends it. For fifty years the three surviving killers maintain the cover up. But truth has a way of coming out. A small life is saved, an older one lost, and the why of it is revealed to one of the shooters. God's hard truth shatters a lifetime of prejudice and the old man is changed forever. He has a new mission to make things right, to account for his terrible wrong on the long ago afternoon. He reaches out to Alex and challenges him to hear the truth about his grandparents. After that, the old man will turn himself in to face judgment. Alex had best come quick, though, because there are others who don't want the truth exposed. And they'll kill to make certain of it.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Jim Silver
• Release date: Nov 16, 2013
• ISBN: 9781310227332

Jim Silver

Author published with Simon & Schuster, titles: ASSUMPTION OF RISK and KILL ZONE. Partnered with director, producer and two-time Emmy winner Joe Ann Fogle (Doogie Howser, NYPD BLue, Murder One). Together we created and complete the first season of THE COMMANDMENT, an original dramatic television series set in Savannah, GA. We are releasing THE COMMANDMENT episodes in screenplay format, beginning with the pilot. In addition we have created five feature length screenplays, all involving dramatic fiction. Additional projects are in development.

Book preview

THE COMMANDMENT

EPISODE THREE: IT’S NEVER TOO LATE

Screenplay by Joe Ann Fogle and Jim Silver

Story by Jim Silver

The Commandment Episode Three: It’s Never Too Late

by Joe Ann Fogle and Jim Silver

Copyright © 2013

This book is a work of fiction. Names, characters, places and incidents are either products of the author’s imagination or used fictitiously. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental. All rights reserved. No part of this publication can be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, without permission in writing from the author or publisher.

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Contents

OPENING ACT

ACT ONE

ACT TWO

ACT THREE

ACT FOUR

EXCERPT FROM EPISODE FOUR: SECRETS

ACT ONE: SECRETS

FADE IN OPENING

SCENE 1 FLASHBACK-EXT. 1962-OCTOBER-LEESVILLE, LOUISIANA

A small roadside luncheonette-across the highway is a bayou swamp-Spanish moss hanging from ancient live oaks. In a small dirt lot are a 1950s Ford sedan-faded paint-and a rusty CHEVY pickup.

Two POLICE CRUISERS pull off the two-lane blacktop-come to a stop-road dust swirls around them. Two OFFICERS exit each vehicle-the OFFICERS are white-they are BUCK WAYNE, JAMES BURSE, CULLY SNELL AND GARY HAYES. They enter the luncheonette.

Inside we see a SINGLE WHITE CUSTOMER-he sits at the counter-an elderly BLACK COUPLE sit at a table. The BLACK MAN is SAMUEL CRAWFORD; the BLACK WOMAN is ADELLE CRAWFORD-they are dressed in their Sunday best. A WHITE MAN is behind the counter; he wears a dirty apron-he is RUFUS TRIMBLE-owner of the diner.

The OFFICERS each remove their sunglasses-the WHITE CUSTOMER eyes them-he finishes-pays his tab-leaves the building. We hear the pickup truck start up-drive away. JAMES BURSE speaks up.

BURSE

Just like ya said they’d be, Gary.

(to Rufus)

Rufus, why don’t y’all find somethin’ ta do out back, heah?

RUFUS looks at the four OFFICERS-pauses

BURSE

Somethin’ wrong with y’all’s hearin’, son?

RUFUS

No sir, they ain’t. If y’all’ll excuse me.

RUFUS leaves-the OFFICERS approach SAMUEL and ADELLE-they spread out facing the COUPLE. CULLY SNELL speaks up.

SNELL

Y’all can’t read, I guess.

SAMUEL

Excuse me. What is it we’re supposed to have read, officer?

SNELL

Don’t gimme no goddamn lip, boy! That damn sign outside the door!

SNELL jerks a thumb over his shoulder.

SAMUEL

Don’t believe there is a sign by the door. As a matter of fact, I don’t recall there being any sign a’tall.

OFFICER GARY HAYES jumps in.

HAYES

Gonna let this coon talk t’ya like that?

SAMUEL starts to rise-ADELLE holds his arm.

ADELLE

Samuel, no, not here. Let them say what they want. We don’t want any trouble.

BURSE

Too late for that. Trouble’s done come y’all’s way. You two were at Ol’ Miss last week, with them other agitators. We seen it on television. Think y’all big celebrities now.

SAMUEL

Yes, we were there. What about it?

BUCK WAYNE steps into the discussion.

WAYNE

Stand up when he ta…

WAYNE breaks off in a harsh coughing jag, his hand to his mouth-he stops coughing-pulls his hand away-we see blood in his palm.

WAYNE

Christ. See what y’all did to me?

WAYNE steps over to SAMUEL-wipes his bloody palm across SAMUEL’S shoulder. SAMUEL’S face tightens up in rage-he pushes to his feet.

All four officers draw their service revolvers.

BURSE

Hold it right there, boy. Now that’s attempted assault, sure as hell. You can’t go ‘round assaultin’ sworn police officers. Maybe that sorta thing works with them Mississippi boys, but it don’t carry no weight around heah. Law don’t allow black folks to conspire to riot, go burnin’ and lootin’. We’re just tryin’ to do our duty here, keep the streets safe from troublemakers like you.

SAMUEL

Don’t know what y’all are lookin’ for, but we haven’t done anything wrong. We aren’t causin’ anyone any trouble, and don’t intend to. We have a right to be here.

HAYES

(enraged)

Listen to this! You have a goddamn right! That’s what all you black sons of