Read The Games Plan Page 8

cops as they hand the poodle back to an anxious old lady.

  -- Leon takes a picture as Kidal holds the sleeping Edwin beside a shining red Ferrari...

  -- ...the three scarper away as the Ferrari owner starts after them with an umbrella.

  EXT. SIDEWALK – DAY

  Edwin crumples to the ground to finally catch his breath as Kidal and Leon catch up exhausted.

  LEON: You nasty fool, you want to get us all arrested?!

  Edwin just chuckles as Talita and her friends appear from around the corner.

  TALITA: There you are, thanks heaven you're all fine!

  KIDAL: Yeah, it's a miracle nobody shot us yet!

  Josefa and Arcelia shake their heads in disgust as they turn to the windows of a lingerie shop.

  JOSEFA: Come on, I can't wait to get me a big bag of tangas! (Shoots Leon a look as she moves for the door) You wait outside, I don't want you to peek into my dressing room.

  TALITA: Just wait us here, it's going to take a minute.

  As the girls walk in the store a tipsy Edwin keeps his 32-teeth smile on.

  EDWIN: This is crazy, guys, must be the best day of my life!

  KIDAL: I've been telling you for years, man, you should date girls more often!

  EDWIN: It's not just for the girls, you know, it's this city, this people.

  LEON: I's the rum!

  EDWIN: No, man, it is freedom!

  As he looks around at the city life surrounding them he spots a crowd before a giant screen. Eyes glued on it as it airs Daevon Gold's triumphant victory in the 200 meters race.

  KIDAL: Yeah, and that's our chance flying away.

  Leon and Edwin turn perplexed at him as the crowd keeps cheering in the background.

  KIDAL: The sauna. I heard he goes there for his cool-down after any race.

  LEON: Well, so what?

  KIDAL: He goes there to relax and he goes alone, we could have locked him in, got the temperature down to weaken him and bring him to our room while he was still dazed.

  Still dazed himself because of a pair of drops of alcohol, Edwin narrows his eyes trying to focus his attention.

  EDWIN: You mean get the temperature up?

  KIDAL: Heat wouldn't be a problem, he's from Jamaica, he's used to that! I'm sure cold must be his weak spot...

  Leon and Edwin just look at him for a beat.

  EDWIN: You know, that is so absurd it could actually work out fine in the end! And if we hurry up we could even get to the village in time.

  KIDAL: Well, what about the girls?

  Edwin narrows his eyes again, he completely forgot about them.

  JOSEFA (O.S.): Leon, hurry up in here, come on!

  LEON: Let's just get away, okay? Quick!

  INT. OLYMPIC VILLAGE – DUSK

  A relaxed Gold walks down the hallway with KESIA and ANIKA, two beautiful Swedish volleyball players, a big smile as he stops before the sauna door.

  GOLD: Alright girls, I'm going to wait you in here, can't wait to hear about your beach volley match!

  The girls walk away smiling as he steps INTO THE SAUNA, regulates the temperature and moves to a locker room. A beat and KIDAL'S HAND gets on the temperature knob, turns it all the way down. He grabs Edwin, still groggy, and sneaks inside another locker room.

  EXT. GARDEN – CONTINUOUS

  Lurking behind a bush of white roses Leon has his eyes on a big panoramic window, behind which Gold steps into the sauna wrapped in a bathrobe.

  A FEW SHRUBS BEHIND

  Wilson stops before a tool shed. Turns puzzled at the vibrating rose bush.

  INT. LOCKER ROOM – CONTINUOUS

  Edwin and Kidal look out a small window waiting for Leon's signal when they hear the door open. They jump into a shower and shut the curtain as Kesia and Anika step inside and start undressing.

  EXT. GARDEN

  Leon keeps staring at the sauna window, dodging flowers and thorns when his hands meet Wilson's green overalls.

  WILSON: So, you're preparing another tisane or what?

  LEON: (an awkward beat of embarrassment) I was, well, just trying to relax a little bit. Just, you know, being alone with myself.

  Wilson lifts his eyes, just as Gold takes off his bathrobe behind the window.

  WILSON: You nasty maniac!

  LEON: What?! No, wait, this is not what it seems! (As Wilson pops out his shears) I was just ruining your flowers, I swear!

  INT. LOCKER ROOM

  The Swedish girls keep changing to get in darn hot bikinis.

  BEHIND THE CURTAIN

  An hypnotized Kidal stares at them almost without breathing.

  KIDAL: (murmuring) I must be in paradise! We're dead and we've been called up to heaven!

  Edwin's head is still shaking, Kidal's whisper a wild scream in his ears as Anika takes off her top. Edwin turns lucid in a blink as Kidal drops senseless to the floor with a LOUD THUD.

  KESIA: What was that?

  A BIG FUSS is heard from the outside as she turns to the showers, spots Kidal's passed out face below the curtain.

  KESIA: Aaaaaaahhhhhhh!!!

  INT. HALLWAY

  The girls run out the sauna screaming in their bathrobes. Edwin drags Kidal out by his ankles as Leon bursts running in the hallway.

  LEON: Abort! Abort!!

  They pull Kidal around the corner, Kesia and Anika keep shouting as they run the other way.

  DOWN THE HALLWAY

  Helga bolts out of her room.

  HELGA: What is happening here?

  ANIKA: A maniac! There's a maniac in the sauna!

  Helga looks over them to spot a stunned Gold poke from the sauna.

  HELGA: You nasty wretch! Security! Call security!

  Gold barricades back inside as Helga's wooden clog lands hard against the door.

  EXT. GARDEN – NIGHT

  A fuming Wilson keeps patrolling the garden with shears in his hand. CHESTER NORTON, the middle-aged, icy eyed security chief, catches up from the shadows.

  NORTON: I bet he's vanished into thin air, hasn't him?

  WILSON: Yeah, he's gone. You've got to do something, this place is filling up with maniacs!

  Norton lights up a cigarette, shakes his head.

  NORTON: I fear what we're dealing with here is more than just maniacs... (puts off the match with his fingers) and unfortunately for them I'm right on their heels.

  INT. THE GUYS' ROOM – THE NEXT MORNING

  The sun shines over the room and on Edwin's wasted, post-bender face. Massive eye-bags and bloodshot eyes, he keeps staring muzzy at a stairlift TV commercial when Kidal steps out the bathroom with a patch across his forehead.

  KIDAL: Man if it hurts! And I don't remember anything but a pink bathrobe and a damn cold.

  EDWIN: Come on, let's move it, we have to get breakfast until there's something left to eat. (To across the room) You got it, Leon? You've been at the mirror for two hours now.

  LEON: I'm not coming, I'll go by myself.

  He wears what remains of his shirt as he keeps picking thorns and splinters off his face.

  EDWIN: What do you mean you're not coming?

  LEON: I mean that for once in my life I'll do what I feel, so maybe I'll have a chance to get to lunch alive!

  He winces in pain as he picks a thorn off his nose.

  LEON: I'm tired of always doing what you say, of following you step by step without a murmur to get regularly in trouble, okay?

  KIDAL: Hey, we just wanted to have breakfast together.

  JOSEFA (O.S.): Will you move it, Leon, I'm starving out here!

  LEON: (toward the door) I'm coming, just give me a second.

  JOSEFA (O.S.): I already gave you five minutes, move that fat ass right now!

  EDWIN: Hey, if you wanted to go out with your lady friend you could have said that.

  LEON: She's not my lady friend!

  KIDAL: There's nothing wrong with that, you know?

  LEON: Listen, she's not --

  JOSEFA (O.S.): Leon!!


  LEON: (gets moving) See you later, I have to get going.

  INT. LONDON EXCEL – JUDO ARENA – DAY

  The crowd is cheering at the sight of Ricardo slamming his opponent like a doll all over the tatami.

  Edwin walks over to the stands, where Talita sits with a charming ESTONIAN JAVELIN THROWER.

  EDWIN: Hey, how are you?

  TALITA: (without even looking) Fine, and you?

  EDWIN: (sits down) Fine. How's the match going?

  TALITA: Fine.

  Edwin sighs, no need to ask what's wrong with her.

  EDWIN: Okay, listen, I'm so sorry about yesterday, I really mean it. I wasn't feeling well, I guess, maybe because of that cookie, and Leon got sick, too, and, you know, he just can't get to use the bathroom in a public place, so...

  TALITA: Obviously you are very close friends and you respect each other, you did good to escort him to a bathroom in the village. (Stands up) And now excuse me, I have a training session to attend and I guess I'll make a trip to the bathroom first.

  Her Estonian friend shoots Edwin a sarcastic look as they walk away together.

  EDWIN: Okay, see you later then.

  He heaves a dejected sigh as an OLD MAN smiles at him in sympathetic fashion.

  EDWIN: She's not really angry, you know how women are. I guess it's just her way to show she cares, right?

  The old man hints a nod while in the background Ricardo finally throws his rival out of the tatami.

  EDWIN: You know, I'm not a great expert on the subject, and maybe she doesn't know yet, but I really think me and her are just made for each other! And it doesn't matter that we come from different worlds, you know, sometimes it only takes a couple of hours to realize you finally found what you had always missed, the one thing you had been looking for all your life, something destiny had placed so far before having you just stumble over it.

  RICARDO (O.S.): Hey Ed, what are you doing?

  Ricardo is not even sweating as he catches up to him.

  EDWIN: Oh, just chatting about women!

  RICARDO: With Tito? You're chatting with yourself, dude, he's deaf as a stone!

  Edwin is taken aback as old Tito keeps smiling at him.

  EDWIN: Well, maybe he