THE BAKER By Ronny Jon Paul Mouawad & Nicholas Lathouris DRAFT SIX - MARCH 2026 Imaginary Friend Pictures. ronny@ifpictures.com +61 410 434 484 1 1 EXT. LEBANON. PORT OF BYBLOS - PREDAWN A FISHING CAIQUE - THE ‘ELEFTHERIA’ SURGES through WHITE PEAKS leaving behind the ancient PORT of BYBLOS. OUD MUSIC OVER -Muted ripple of gunfire. Dull sound of an explosion. Black smoke from a building. Sirens - The ugly scar of the LEBANESE CIVIL WAR. A Dassault Mirage sears the edges of a cloud. Too fast to see. Maybe a glimpse. In the far distance, majestic snowcapped mountains. IN THE BOAT A mother grieves. Consoles her children. Looking back at her husband’s lifeless body abandoned ON THE PIER. Her sorrow-stricken eyes fleetingly meet those of FREDRIC BARAKAT. Young, robust, in a dishevelled bridegroom’s suit, similarly drowning in an eddy of unfathomable despair. ON THE PIER another body near the first - A WOMAN. Bereaved FREDRIC LOOKS BACK. Hope lost. His future receding in the mist. Next to the Old Greek at the helm, Fredric’s friend RAYMOND KARAM LOOKS AHEAD. Hope gained. Towards freedom as the Eleftheria cuts through the waves and the sun breaks over the horizon. From Fredric’s BLOODED hand A ‘CRUCIFIX PENDANT’ SLIPS into the sea. He reaches out -2 2 EXT. BENEATH THE SURFACE OF THE SEA - DAWN The ocean claims the prize. FOLLOW its graceful path as it threads its way into the DARK GREEN DEPTHS -FADE TO BLACK. 2. THE BAKER 3 INT. SYDNEY. AUSTRALIA. BARAKAT ESTATE - DAY 3 Seated in a Louis XIV red velvet chair. Hand resting on a bejewelled walking cane wearing the same GOLD RING we may have seen on his hand HALF A CENTURY AGO. FREDRIC BARAKAT. Older, frailer, weighed down by acts that raised him from peasantry to wealth swaps an efficient gesture of appreciation with 3. STEVEN KHALIL, haute couture designer, privately fitting his granddaughter ISABELLA TANNOUS for her first communion. This is THE BARAKAT ESTATE. LIVING ROOM. MAGDA BARAKAT -Fredric’s wife, and daughter NANCY fuss over their progeny parading the lavish garment to her grandfather’s sneer of approval. In hushed tones, Khalil instructs the seamstress to tuck and pin the dress to fit the young noviciate. Fredric’s austerity dissolves as Isabella runs to him and throws her arms around his neck. His eyes moisten with pride. 4 INT. A MERCEDES KLASSEN PEOPLE CARRIER - DAY 4 Isabella sits up front with her mother, Nancy, and father JOSEPH ‘JOEY’ TANNOUS. The child glows angelic in her crown of flowers and diaphanous veil. Behind them -Magda studies the Lebanese newspaper An-Nahar. Fredric on a call speaks barely above a whisper. (Note: Italics in Arabic) FREDRIC Miki, tell them no - forget what William wants. That’s it. I’m done. We’re finished. He ends the call as Magda slaps the newspaper with a backhand and discards it on the seat between them. Splashed across the front page a photo of the leading presidential candidate in the coming Lebanese elections -FADI ‘THE GENERAL’ MELHEM. Fredric dismisses it with a gesture of disgust -Pphff... Then -- FREDRIC 4. FREDRIC That was Miki. All they ever talk about is loyalty. What do they want us to christen their grandchildren?! Magda shrugs. FREDRIC We gotta be ready. We are. MAGDA FREDRIC We are, yeah, but... She searches for resolve. Finds enough. Takes his hand and presses it to her cheek. FREDRIC When the snow melts, the shit will show. FREDRIC turns his attention to -THE STREET. Diegetic sound drops out. The blur of passing traffic. In the glass shifting mosaic of chiaroscuro patterns wash across his face. 5 INT. KARAM HOUSE - DAY 5 A BLITZ OF IMAGES SPASM ACROSS THE SCREEN -Tablecloth dragged away. Pills scattering. Plates crashing to the floor. Shards of glass scattering. Man punching. Clothing ripped -Woman struggling. Door ajar at the end of a corridor. A shaft of light shutting on a child cowering from violence. The MUFFLED sound of a GUNSHOT morphing into the words -MAGDA (O.S.) Are you alright? 6 INT. MERCEDES KLASSEN - DAY BEADS OF SWEAT ON FREDRIC’S TEMPLES -Pressing a handkerchief to his brow he grunts... 6 5. Nmmggh... FREDRIC The Klassen pulls up in a leafy well-appointed street at the steps of SAINT CHARBEL MARONITE CHURCH. SMASH CUT TO: 7 INT. BILLY’S NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT 7 A PULSATING SEA OF SHIMMERING BODIES. A TRANCE-LIKE TECHNO GROOVE. The line between elegance and underground dance culture blurs as -CLUBBERS effortlessly garmented, chic, sartorially impeccable, glowing with vitality though not all with youth surrender to the rhythm. A single organic organism with singular intent -PLEASURE. 8 EXT. BILLY’S NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT 8 THE SAME MUSIC -- MUTED. A BLACK CADILLAC ESCALADE glides to a stop... OUTSIDE THE CLUB -A door with a naked neon hanging overhead. No signage. Blackened windows. From the outside, innocuous. Fourteen-year-old KHALID ‘CASH’ KASHKAYAN gets out of the Escalade with ALASKA and RUSH two gaudily dressed, maquillaged, and tragically wasted teenage goths, several years older than him. Around the corner from the entrance to the club the service entrance opens just a crack. A sliver of light spills into the alley as A RAT scurries into DARKNESS. 6. 9 9 INT. BILLY’S NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT QUINTESSENTIAL BOILER ROOM. The DJ’s fingers read the grooves. Gliding, twisting, sliding. Holding the vinyl, coaxing a dynamic break. Shifting the rhythm up a notch. Individuals dance alone. In pairs. In multiple combination. Unrestrained. Hands raised high. Flesh exposed traced with sweat. THE INCONGRUOUS TRIO -Slips through the crowd, vanishing amid bodies brushing against each other with unfiltered self-expression. BILLY’S NIGHTCLUB -But who and where is BILLY? We carve through the oceanic drift of human bodies ascend a scarlet-carpeted staircase to the mezzanine. And A PRIVATE ROOM -Entry contingent on the black-suited SAMOAN GENTLEMAN with shades and monaural headset knowing you personally. Otherwise, you won’t get in. And some don’t. A bunch of fawning interlopers remonstrate to no avail. The TECHNO MUSIC crossfades into the HAUNTING SOUND of a CHURCH ORGAN -CUT TO: 10 INT. BILLY’S NIGHTCLUB. PRIVATE ROOM - NIGHT 10 WILLIAM ‘BILLY’ BARAKAT The fifty-year-old club proprietor hosts a gathering of the elect. The elite. Luminaries of fashion, finance, politics and the dark arts. MONSIGNOR (V.O.) On this solemn occasion, we are gathered in this sacred place to celebrate a milestone in a spiritual journey for the purpose of completing a relationship with the divine. POP! 7. Champagne flows freely from the neck of another bottle of Billy’s private collection of Krug. His escort, CHANELLE, tops up the glasses of the rich and famous while NICHOLAS ‘NICKY’ REXHEPI, his consigliere, busts open a brick of WHITE. Beverages and drugs of the highest quality proliferate in extravagant abundance. A mound of Peruvian Coca, the WHITE TRUFFLE of illegal substances... ...vanishes up BILLY’S SNOOT. CUT TO: 11 INT. SAINT CHARBEL MARONITE CHURCH - DAY 11 A MARBLED PULPIT. A CEDAR ETCHING ON THE FRONT. The MONSIGNOR drones through a sermon at the First Communion of ISABELLA TANNOUS sitting to one side with a small group of noviciates. The only girl. The church is at capacity. CAMERA MOVES PAST -MONSIGNOR As Isabella approaches her First Communion, we honour her parents, Nancy and Joseph... Nancy and Joey beaming with pride. Joey’s phone vibrates. He dares a furtive look. Nancy eyeballs him. A withering reprimand. Don’t. PAST -The venerable figure of MAGDA, elegantly attired and charismatic to SETTLE ON -MONSIGNOR (O.S.) And grandparents Fredrick and Magda Barakat. Pillars of her spiritual upbringing... 8. The ageing patriarch -MONSIGNOR (O.S.) Through dedication and love, they nurtured Isabella to embrace this moment of commitment to her faith. Church music swells. Choral voices overtake the organ. FREDRIC -His rheumy eyes in a permanent state of lachrymose reflect the fragility brought on by the onslaught of his years -Fredric’s heart swells. God’s ubiquitous gaze shines through the stained-glass windows endowing His luminosity on his beloved grandchild -Now approaching the lectern in white communion dress, white gloves, floral tiara and veil -ISABELLA gazes over the heads of the congregation to a future filled with hope. A GOLDEN GLOW from the back of the church washes over her. Fredric turns to see - but there’s nothing. No transcendent emanation. Magda resets her husband with a reassuring touch on the arm. ISABELLA adjusts her shoulder strap and brushes a rogue strand of her frizzy, long black hair from her face. She speaks quietly directly to us. Her audience. ISABELLA We pray for peace in the world and especially for the people of the Middle East... SMASH CUT TO: 12 INT. BILLY’S NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT THE DANCE FLOOR throbs with cool hypnotic vibes. Two burly BOUNCERS have snared the teenage CASH plying his synthetic drugs in the corridor outside the restrooms. 12 9. CASH wriggles to break free. With restrained force the bouncers steer him through the crowd toward the basement stairs. CHURCH MUSIC takes ascendancy. ISABELLA (V.O.) We pray for the displaced and dispossessed, the impoverished and beleaguered. The oppressed... Ignored by the revellers. ALASKA and RUSH -ISABELLA (V.O.) Watch over them and let them know we love them. We pray to you, dear Lord. Cash’s FEMALE COMPANIONS push back on security with a torrent of verbal abuse and lewd gesture while being escorted to the exit. 13 INT. SAINT CHARBEL MARONITE CHURCH - DAY 13 The entire congregation facing straight ahead -CONGREGATION Lord have mercy. CHURCH ORGAN MUSIC fades as we home in on -14 INT. BILLY’S NIGHTCLUB. BASEMENT - NIGHT 14 A STOREROOM -FRAMED by a DOORWAY at the end of a long dark corridor. PUSH IN SLOWLY -Two gorilla BOUNCERS rough-handling CASH. A strip-search reveals -GANG TATTOOS on his neck and entire body. A Baphomet. Inverted pentagram. Occult symbols. And A cache of DRUGS strapped to his person. ISABELLA (V.O.) We pray for Jesus to protect them from the hegemons whose voices of reason are struck dumb. We pray to you, O Lord. 10. BILLY -Glides into view. He tastes the synthetic powder and spits it out sharply in disgust. He screws a SUPPRESSOR to the muzzle of a PISTOL with remote indifference and points the weapon at this vermin that’s infested his establishment. The bag of drugs is emptied on the floor. Cash forced to his knees and with his boot in the kid’s back Billy pushes his face into the mound of white... GUN TO THE HEAD... ...prodding him to hoover it up -CONGREGATION (V.O.) Lord have mercy. 15 INT. SAINT CHARBEL MARONITE CHURCH - DAY 15 PUSH IN ON -ISABELLA delivering her acceptance prayer. ISABELLA We pray for all those traumatised sinners to turn back to you, O Lord, and find the righteous way. Many in the congregation are snivelling in tears. PUSHING IN ON -FREDRIC as he and the congregation respond. FREDRIC Lord have mercy. 16 CongreGATION (V.O.) CONGREGATION (O.S.) Lord have mercy. INT. BILLY’S NIGHTCLUB. BASEMENT - NIGHT 16 THE CHURCH ORGAN MUSIC CRESCENDOS -NIGHTCLUB BASEMENT. CAMERA PUSHES down the corridor through the doorway into the dimly lit room closing in on THE KID -- 11. His face smeared with white powder. His eyes popping, dilated and bouncing in their sockets like billiard balls. Froth seeping from the corners of his mouth -His body judders and convulses as if plugged into an electric socket. Brain zap. ISABELLA (V.O.) Forgive us for our sins and faults, and hold us in your warm embrace. We pray to you, oh Lord. BILLY shoves him with his boot to get the kid to stop. He gestures to the bouncers. Do something. They back off. This is outside their job description. Now -A violent seizure. The kid drowning in his vomit. Revulsed and perplexed... ...BILLY SHOOTS. PHUUUIT. CONGREGATION (V.O.) Lord have mercy. The music STOPS -SMASH CUT TO: THE FAMILY 17 EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE. FORECOURT - DAY 17 A CAR DOOR SLAMMING SHUT. FREDRIC BARAKAT -STORMS from the vehicle toward the house. His fixer, the formidable FRANCIS ‘UNCLE FRANK’ MORELLO close on his heels. Around them at a leisurely pace a cavalcade of vehicles are at different stages of arrival. EXTENDED FAMILY -Fumbling with keys. Car doors slamming. Juggling gifts. Bags. Coats. Children and the elderly. Ushering each other through the garden entrance. CAMERA goes airborne to reveal 12. THE BARAKAT ESTATE. A cloistered garden and manicured lawn around a two-storey mansion bathed in sunshine and colour. Tables with crisp white tablecloths and floral arrangements under the shade of dogwood trees to celebrate ISABELLA’S FIRST COMMUNION. 18 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. ENTRANCE - DAY 18 As he reaches the top of the grand staircase FREDRIC throws Frank final instructions... FREDRIC ...Everyone, Frank. Upstairs. Now! Boss. FRANK ...and continues striding down the corridor with grim resolve. CAMERA tracks ahead of him to -19 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. THE VATICAN ROOM - DAY 19 FREDRIC’S LAIR. THE FURNISHINGS VENETIAN PALAZZO and BAROQUE. TAKE A MOMENT. Study the DETAIL. The room heavy with CHRISTIAN ICONOGRAPHY. On the walls -A gilt-framed PAINTING of a cedar forest in the mist. snow-covered mountains in the distance. On the polished mahogany credenza -FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHS -Fredric’s father in a National Army uniform. 13. Fredric with a hunting rifle and Billy as a child holding a wheelbarrow laden with dead rabbits. WE HEAR the SOUND of the DOOR SHUTTING. FOOTSTEPS pass BEHIND us. Another photo discoloured by chemical decay and time -The five young CHALHOUB sisters. Two of them, LAYLA, Fredric’s deceased wife - it was her body on the pier all those years ago - and her younger sister MAGDA, arm in arm. A more recent gilt-framed photo of FREDRIC AND MAGDA’S WEDDING. Three Chalhoub sisters arrayed as bridesmaids with LAYLA conspicuously absent. Next to it an PHOTO ALBUM permanently on display open at a photograph with sepia tones, colour-tinted -Another wedding photo. During the Lebanese Civil War -Young FREDRIC and LAYLA with the four Chalhoub sisters. One unmistakably a younger version of MAGDA. NOW -At the French windows FREDRIC stands silhouetted against the sky -His attention drawn to the playful shrieks and laughter of adolescent fun around -20 EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE. SWIMMING POOL - DAY 20 Gawky adolescent males egging each other on to do something mischievous clash with a sisterhood of girls cautioning them not to. 21 EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE. SWIMMING POOL - DAY 21 FROM UNDERWATER. LOOKING UP -An INFLATABLE LOUNGE slides across the surface of THE POOL. Then -SPLOOSH! A CANNONBALL -- 14. The teenage bomber and the girl on the aqua-lounge, her headphones, book and all end up in a cauldron of bubbles before they swim back up -TO THE SURFACE WHERE -Rowdy teenage antics greet them. Lots of push and shove, shrieks and laughter. Until in a tangled knot of limbs they all fall in together. AN IMAGE FLASHES -THE ‘CRUCIFIX PENDANT’ SINKING. CUT TO: 22 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. VATICAN ROOM - DAY 22 A HAND ON FREDRIC’S SHOULDER -FRANK’S. IN THE VATICAN ROOM -FREDRIC shakes off the MEMORY. Still gazing down at THE TEENAGERS BY THE POOL. His attention momentarily drawn to a young bikini-clad women’s physical attributes. He TURNS away. Self-reproachful -Plants himself in a hardback chair. Frank, next to him in a leather club chair. MIKHAEL ‘MIKI’ LAHOUD actuary and adviser, sits in a matching leather button armchair on the other side -FREDRIC’S WINGMEN. Coat slung over the back of the chair. Tie off. Collar loosened. FREDRIC leans back. Glowers at HIS SON BILLY who lumbers into the room, trailed by his consiglieri NICKY REXHEPI. BILLY strolls past his rivals and jurors 15. VINCENT KARAM, younger than Billy, tertiary educated, entrepreneurial real estate developer and brother-in-law JOEY. The room has a TRIBAL COURTROOM atmosphere. Billy drops into one corner of the Chesterfield sofa as a nervous Nicky eases himself into the other. Billy spreads his arms across the back of the lounge defying censure... FREDRIC A kid! A teenager. How old?! A child -...which is quick to come -FREDRIC Who let him in?! BILLY A fucken cockroach that crawled out of the gutter -- FREDRIC FREDRIC No swearing in this house. Y’hear. BILLY Okay, okay. A RAP on the door. The ATTENTION turns to MAGDA and her youngest daughter, AIDA, bringing trays of drink and mezze. A juvenile German Shepherd, MALIK, bounds in between their legs. Sniffs Vincent. Licks his face. Growls at Joey settling at Fredric’s feet. The old man ruffles the canine’s fur -Drop. FREDRIC Malik drops. Magda leaves the mezze on a coffee table - Joey promptly digs in. She takes Billy’s face gently between her hands and kisses him on both cheeks. MAGDA Oh, Billy. I think about my own children. That poor mother. 16. It’s a reprimand. Billy puffs out his chest taking in the room brazenly impenitent. She makes the sign of the cross while muttering a cursory prayer. Then to Fredric -MAGDA Yalla! Everyone is asking... Fredric reassures her with a glance -Aida gives Vincent a glass of Arak. Their hands brush. The hint of a BLUSH. Her veiled gaze smouldering with yearning. A frisson of interest back from Vincent. His gaze lingering too long. She’s the boss’s daughter. He’s like a brother! Another generation. MALIK! MAGDA (V.O.) The dog SNAPS to attention. So does VINCENT. Malik follows the women out -FREDRIC Aida, please, stay. She does. Fredric. Slow to his feet. Crosses to the lounge. Hovers over Billy. With relaxed authority -FREDRIC William. You, too, Nicky. The Netherlands shipment -- We’re not going anywhere near it... Nicky flicks an anxious look to Billy. Billy reassures him. Turns to Fredric -BILLY You’re not serious?! FREDRIC ...Not interested. BILLY It’s Columbian. Primo. Fish scale... FREDRIC I don’t care... 17. Fredric amps up. Animated -FREDRIC You’re not touching it. It’s a duck -- BILLY ...Being handed to us on a fucken platter. FREDRIC If it walks like a duck and quacks like a duck -- it’s a duck. JOEY (amused) -- a duck. Joey makes a hand gesture taunting Billy -- Quack, quack, quack. Fredric draws MIKHAEL LAHOUD into the conversation. FREDRIC You hear me, Miki? Boss. MIKHAEL Miki nods. Billy is confused -Fredric eases himself into the lounge between Billy and Nicky placing a settling hand on his son’s knee -FREDRIC From now on Miki’s running the business. BILLY Y‘bullshitting... MIKHAEL Be assured, Billy. No dramatic changes... BILLY ...The fuck he is. FREDRIC I’m finished. Done with it. MIKHAEL ...We just keep doing what we’re doing right -FREDRIC Initially. Yes. Pauses. Then -- 18. FREDRIC Until we sort things out in Lebanon. MIKHAEL We just keep doing what we’re doing. Billy’s on his feet -Fuuuck’n! BILLY FREDRIC We’re out. Permanently. BILLY You’ve lost your fucken mind -FREDRIC Don’t give me attitude. BILLY Okay. Okay. FREDRIC This is not the first time we’ve discussed it -Beat -FREDRIC Aida’s brought in the supermarkets. Bread?!! BILLY Fredric nods to Aida. Billy is dumbstruck -BILLY Y’fucken kidding! FREDRIC Everybody eats bread... BILLY What the... FREDRIC We’re negotiating acquisitions. Ablas. Maybe Yalla. ...fuck! BILLY 19. FREDRIC You did this. What you did to the kid BILLY -- He crossed the line. FREDRIC You crossed the line. You cross the line, they cross the line... BILLY Okay. Okay. FREDRIC And before you know you’re zipped up in a body bag. BILLY Don’t do this? FREDRIC It’s done. And -Fredric defers to Vincent -Vincent... FREDRIC BILLY -- Oh, fuck no! Fuck. Language! FREDRIC VINCENT C’mon, brother. We’ve been through this. We own the block. BILLY Not the club you don’t -FREDRIC I own the club. Not you. Not Vincent. The club is part of the block. Always has been. VINCENT We flip it now, we make - What? Three, four hundred mil, max. We build. We’ll make - who knows how much we’ll make. Billy cracks it. Had a gut full. 20. BILLY Who are you fucken Triguboff, you dumb shit! Yeah? Sure. And how long’s that gonna take? Right now, there’s a whole fucken city out there wants our shit. Our cocaine. FREDRIC FREDRIC William! Stop. William, I don’t want to hear it. No one wants to hear -- BILLY Listen to me, Dad. The Netherlands deal is on its way. Some big-time Magyar went down in Rotterdam -- Like dead. Like, heart attack or some dumb shit like that. He left a shipping container. A whole shipping container. Get that? A whole fucken container... Enough! FREDRIC BILLY Our people in Lebanon. The General. Fadi. They’re tracking it. FREDRIC FREDRIC I don’t wanna hear that name! BILLY We! We’re tracking it. It’s on a boat. Now. Coming here. I just need the cash. Appealing to Lahoud -Miki?! BILLY FREDRIC Don’t look at Miki... FREDRIC Who’s the idiot here? You think the fed don’t have the tracking number. Khallas! BILLY You’re gonna let some cashed-up Westie piece o’shit get their hands on it? FREDRIC Listen to you... BILLY Dad. Dad, please. It’s fucken gold. Gold! 21. FREDRIC Listen to yourself! Your wife won’t let your son, your own son, be part of this family. Why? BILLY ...the fuck! FREDRIC Ask yourself why -BILLY You! That’s why. FREDRIC He’s your son -BILLY -- And she’s his mother. FREDRIC She’s not welcome. I don’t want her here. Billy gestures to the SOUND of the festivities FILTERING through from outside. BILLY Well, she’s here now with your grandson. FREDRIC God help that little boy! She -She will never never be part of this family. BILLY Even if you got down on your knees and begged she wouldn’t want to be. To the room -FREDRIC Get out of here. Please. Everyone. Please. Go and eat. Enjoy yourselves. Don’t keep the others waiting... They leave. FREDRIC William! You stay. Fredric gestures for Frank to stay. 22. FREDRIC That beautiful little boy, William. He’s going to grow up - without knowing anything - about his Lebanese heritage. Fredric goes to the window. BILLY Because of you. FREDRIC Not me. That Anglo sharmouta. Looks down -CUT TO: 23 EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE. GARDEN - DAY 23 THE FAMILY GATHERED. ANGELIQUE “ANGEL” HAMMOND -Miss Sunshine Coast 2002. Dressed in black. Drugs and prostitution in the past she carries the experience with a quiet dignity. NOAH, Billy’s son, sits next to her in a highchair, clutching his soft toy -GRUFFALO. Abundant food. Clinking glasses. Laughter. Casual conversation. Children coming and going. Playing on the lawn. Teenagers taking munchies from the table back to the pool. Mikhael, Vincent, Joey and Nicky rejoin the gathering. A stream of dishes is shunted to and from the kitchen. The caterers try to stay ahead of the family but for them it’s a hangover from less affluent times. ANGEL’s gaze is momentarily drawn to THE VATICAN ROOM WINDOW. The SHADOWY OUTLINE of FREDRIC TURNS AWAY. 24 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. VATICAN ROOM - DAY Fredric turns to Billy -- 24 23. FREDRIC William. I made a terrible mistake, son - You wanna talk about The General?! - Thirty years ago, we listened to that - that -He stops himself swearing -FREDRIC We were doing well. We had the bakery - The shish was harmless. No one cared. No one bothered us. Then we started to import this... He snarls -FREDRIC ... this shit. BILLY Yeah that’s right! - And look around you. That shit has made you rich and -FREDRIC -- It’s been nothing but trouble. BILLY So give it to me. The business. Give it to me. I’m your son. Let me run the business. Hmmr... FREDRIC Fredric growls. It’s a familiar ‘no’ that cuts Billy to the heart. Why not -- BILLY FREDRIC Do not mistake my hesitancy for lack of love -- I love you, son. Then? BILLY Beat -FREDRIC The kid at the club. Who was he? BILLY Ohh... It’s done. Don’t go there. No one’s gonna know. No one fucken cares - 24. FREDRIC -- Someone knows. BILLY ...the fuck! The girls? Skanks. FREDRIC BILLY FREDRIC This is serious, William. BILLY Okay. Okay. Well? FREDRIC BILLY He’s a westie. Probably Syrian. FREDRIC How do you know? BILLY Gang tats. All over his body. Even his fucken face. FREDRIC Osman’s boy? I guess. BILLY FREDRIC What do you mean, you guess? Billy hesitates -BILLY Osman’s a mule -Beat -BILLY There’s gotta be someone further up. You sure? Billy shrugs. FREDRIC 25. FREDRIC Who further up? BILLY I dunno. I dunno, but... Silence. Fredric recalibrates -FREDRIC We give them something... Billy winces. More compromises. BILLY No. Shit. What... FREDRIC Even then who knows -But we give them something... BILLY Give them what? FREDRIC An olive branch. Fuck! Fuck! Fuck -BILLY They’re crack-heads! You giv’em something, they’ll just come back for more -- We know where they’re cooking up that shit. I say we blow their fucking houses up. William! What!! FREDRIC BILLY FREDRIC We’re getting out. Clean. Billy chuckles -Clean?... BILLY FREDRIC I’m not starting a fight with the cartels. BILLY They’re here to stay, Dad -- 26. FREDRIC Drive byes. Abductions. Gunfights in the street -- These people are lunatics. I can’t protect you anymore. I can’t protect the family! For the first time -Billy sees his father’s frailty. The infirmity of age. The exhaustion. Weakness -It worries him. BILLY Dad, listen... FREDRIC You killed a boy. A child -- Someone out there knows. Fredric droops. Thinks. Rubs his temples with his fingertips. Without looking up -FREDRIC Get out of here. Billy retreats. Split between duty and rebellion. FRANK’S there with a glass of water. Fredric sips -FREDRIC Tell Vincent to come back up, will you, Frank? Please? Boss. FRANK Frank leaves closing the door behind. FREDRIC goes to the window -25 EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE. SWIMMING POOL AREA - AFTERNOON 25 HIS ATTENTION IS DRAWN TO -A CLOSE-KNIT GROUP of youngsters in their late teens lounging in the shade of a flowering gum on the lawn nearby the pool. A FOIL unfurled. A block of HASHISH. Crumbled and spread generously into a cone. Someone lights a match -- 27. 26 INT. KARAM HOUSE - NIGHT 26 A BOWL OF HASHISH GLOWS. FLASHBACK TO -Swirls of smoke. A dimly lit room. Figures at a table. Faces shielded from the light. Heads turn listlessly to pass the shish from one person to the next. Words dropped into a void. Slurred. Incoherent. A man. Could be RAYMOND. Roughly grabs a woman by the hair and raises her head. Could be -IS... NADINE KARAM. RAYMOND’S WIFE. She SLAPS away his hand. Takes the pipe. Her bruisy lips blow a plume of smoke at him. Dead eyes float up lost behind their lids. She passes the pipe to -Another man. Could be FREDRIC. He declines. Skols a glass of arak. The pipe goes from one stoner to the next. Ends up in the hands of a swarthy bearded male -WASSIM ‘WASS’ AL SHAMI. WASS inhales deeply. His steely gaze unaffected by the drugs. His fingers caressing the barrel of -A GOLD-PLATED BERETTA with a PEARL-INLAID handle resting in front of him. TWO WOMEN hover. The taller insufflates one of several rails of white lined up on the table. The other FLIRTS OPENLY with RAYMOND. Grazing his ear with her breath. Guiding his hand underneath her dress to touch her ample breasts. Nadine’s head floats back as she observes his infidelities. She’s indifferent. No. Anaesthetised. A KILO of HASHISH is passed across the table pushing aside the clutter of glasses and bottles of booze. WASS pushes back a WAD of rolled-up MONEY. And THE GUN. END FLASHBACK. 28. 27 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. VATICAN ROOM - AFTERNOON 27 NUMBERS KEYED INTO A WALL SAFE. It snaps open revealing a customised WOODEN CASE. FREDRIC places it on the credenza. Then -Goes to the window. The SUN hits his FACE. He shies away from the light. Steps back into the SHADOWS. 28 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. KITCHEN - AFTERNOON 28 MAGDA tends a grazed knee. A YOUNG BOY flinches from the sting of antiseptic. WOMEN prepare food. Lots of women. Lots of food. Lots of chatter. A latticework of chatter about -Food. Money and inflation. Children and how life changes after having them. Houses, refrigerators, bra sizes and men. HANDS TOSSING SALAD -The hands belong to RENEE KARAM. Vincent’s younger sister. Ethereal. She has a ballet dancer’s grace. The GLINT of RENEE’S ENGAGEMENT RING -Catches NANCY by surprise. She shrieks. Really?! NANCY Proudly, Renee thrusts her hand into the air for everyone to see. Squeals of delight. MAGDA He’s a doctor. A cluster forms around Renee. Hugs and kisses. Shared joy. Genuine excitement. Voices overlap. WOMEN Congratulations! Let’s see. Ooh! Nice. Lucky. Lucky you. Free health care. Not an ob-gyn, is he... 29. MAGDA He’s a real doctor. But... MAGDA sends the boy back out with a pat on the bottom. MAGDA What about your brother, Renee? In his forties -- Still single?! How can that be -AIDA Mum! Vincent’s not your son... MAGDA He’s like a son. I promised his mother... AIDA He can make up his own mind -- Raised eyebrows. RENEE signals to AIDA she suspects something brewing between her and her brother -MAGDA And you, Renee, like my own daughter. God bless, you’re all my children. CUT TO: 29 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. VATICAN ROOM - AFTERNOON 29 A YOUNG MARRIED COUPLE -Walks through the final shots of a VIRTUAL ARCHITECTURAL FLYTHROUGH promoting a luxury residential development that takes up an entire block. Fade to black. The LOGO appears -KADISHA. THE JEWEL OF THE CITY. 30 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. THE VATICAN ROOM - CONTINUOUS VINCENT KARAM... Supremely self-confident. Spilling into hubris. He has an unshakeable belief in his ability to succeed as a property developer. ...SHUTS DOWN THE COMPUTER SCREEN. Waits for FREDRIC to respond -Unimpressed. At best, ambivalent. But supportive -- 30 30. Hmmm... FREDRIC VINCENT Sixty-thousand dollars per square metre. You believe it?! Eh... FREDRIC Fredric shrugs -FREDRIC It’s criminal, in truth, is what it is. VINCENT It’s what people want. They want the best. They want quality. They’ll pay anything for quality. FREDRIC Okay, that’s what they want. And you? What do you want? VINCENT It’s a honey pot. FREDRIC Sure, but... Chipping away at the younger man’s brazenness. FREDRIC Where I come from, you leave some honey for the bees. Vincent doesn’t get metaphor. VINCENT People gotta live somewhere. FREDRIC So -- What’s holding it up? Council. Uh-huh. VINCENT FREDRIC VINCENT Dragging their heels. Stalling... Ah... FREDRIC 31. VINCENT And -- Local council. You know what they’re like... Vincent fishing -VINCENT I’m waiting. Waiting -FREDRIC You want me to make some calls? A rhetorical question. Vincent shrugs. Sure. 31 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. BAROQUE BATHROOM - AFTERNOON 31 BILLY in the mirror. Cold, dark-hooded eyes stare coldly back. His face. Rough. A permanent stubble beard. Troubled. Angry. Agitated -He chops a line and snorts it. And another. Slowly, for maximum effect. A functioning drug addict. 32 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. THE VATICAN ROOM - AFTERNOON 32 A PHOTOGRAPH of Fredric and Raymond in their youth. Vincent’s father in a hard hat and a worker’s singlet. Fredric in a baker’s apron. FREDRIC Your father shovelled concrete into swimming pools all day, and me -I shovelled dough into an oven all night. Fredric shows Vincent another photo: The same two men in suits. Leaning against the bonnet of a black Mercedes S600 -Fledgling gangsters. FREDRIC But he had big ideas. And... Faint chortle. FREDRIC ...I went along for the ride. 32. Not true! It was the other way around. Fredric had the big ideas. VINCENT is immersed in the photo of HIS FATHER -BEHIND HIM FREDRIC LAPSES -33 INT. KARAM HOUSE - DAY 33 A RAPID-FIRE BLITZ OF IMAGES. EACH SHORTER THAN A HEARTBEAT. A darkened hallway. A violent physical struggle. Light reflecting on the pearl handle of -A GUN. ITS BARREL SPITTING FLAMES -A background SOUND of Fredric stumbling and knocking into a table... 34 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. VATICAN ROOM - AFTERNOON 34 THE NEXT THING FREDRIC KNOWS -He is in a chair. A glass of water in his hand. VINCENT at his side. VINCENT Uncle? Uncle, are you okay? FREDRIC Still rattles me -- He was family. We accepted him. We accepted him as family VINCENT Wassim Al Shami, yeah, I know but you know... FREDRIC In Stockholm -VINCENT ...It was thirty-five years ago. FREDRIC We lost him. My God, we -VINCENT It doesn’t matter. 33. FREDRIC We had him. And then the Turk got wind and disappeared -VINCENT Please. You don’t have to -FREDRIC -- He killed your father! VINCENT I don’t think about it anymore. It’s in the past, it’s over -A beat -VINCENT Are you okay? Fredric nods. VINCENT I’m just grateful, you know -Grateful to you and aunty Magda. With Vincent’s help, Fredric gets to his feet and leads him to THE WOODEN CASE. Open it. FREDRIC Inside -THE BERETTA. A TWENTY-FOUR KARAT GOLD-PLATED SEMI-AUTOMATIC with PEARL INLAID HANDLE. FREDRIC Your father would’ve wanted you to have it. Vincent baulks. Take it. FREDRIC Vincent removes the Beretta from its velvet casing. Palms it. Folds his fingers around the handle -A perfectly balanced weapon. Vincent slips in the magazine. Holds it up with two hands. FREDRIC That’s live ammunition. Vincent stops. 34. He removes the magazine. Places the gun back into its case and gives it back. Fredric withdraws -FREDRIC It’s a gift. VINCENT I don’t want it. No disrespect but FREDRIC What’re you saying, my boy?... That’s a lot of power. Right there. VINCENT I prefer money. Fredric chuckles and... FREDRIC Fair enough -- Keep it anyway. A memento. ...forcing Vincent to accept. 35 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. THE KITCHEN - AFTERNOON 35 MAGDA holds a pillbox of prescription drugs. MAGDA You have to pay attention. He’s tricky. ISABELLA fidgets with anticipation. She bounces up and down. Clapping her hands with enthusiasm. The challenge. MAGDA Every last pill. Make sure he takes every last one. Here... She hands them over. Steadies her -FOLLOW ISABELLA OUT INTO -36 EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE. GARDEN - AFTERNOON 36 A CHEER goes up. Glasses raised for the arrival of the host. FREDRIC -- 35. Acknowledges the different family groups and takes a seat at the Barakat table. Isabella pounces. ISABELLA Teta says I have to watch you take them. Fredric takes the pillbox. Puts it down. Wiggles his fingers. Threatening to tickle her. ISABELLA Don’t, Jedor. Don’t. Teta said... He reaches for her. She backs off -Laughs, turns, and runs back towards the house. Triumphant. As far as she is concerned -Mission accomplished. Fredric empties the pillbox. Pockets the pills. He wears his protest against doctors like a badge of honour. A plate of food lands in front of him. From Magda. Heavy on vegetables. He sets it aside -He reaches for the spicy chargrilled meats from the barbecue, his eyes roving the crisscrossing conversations -Angel congratulating Renee and her fiancé, the doctor ZAHER BOUSTANY -Billy trying to draw Noah’s attention away from Gruffalo. Nicky’s wife, SAMRA, failing to persuade their daughter LILYANA to join the other children. JOEY on his phone to a bookie. Hand over his mouth. Mumbling inaudible instructions. NANCY SLAPS the table hard accidentally toppling Joey’s wine glass -JOEY Hey! Wha... Nancy soaking up the spill -NANCY Can you be here for one moment, just one moment without that phone? JOEY Huh? Why... 36. NANCY Jesus Joey! It’s your daughter’s Holy Communion! JOEY Yeah, and... Next to him, BILLY doesn’t hide his loathing for his sister’s husband -BILLY You’re a gronk. Billy! NANCY Joey flips him off. Leaves the table to complete the call. FREDRIC gets involved. FREDRIC What’s the matter with you people? Be nice to one another. He glances at ANGEL. A rare moment of mutual accord despite entrenched hostilities. BILLY reaches across the table -BILLY Hey, little man. Daddy. Come to Daddy. Angel hands him over. A storm of resistance. Noah flails, kicks, clinging to his mother. He becomes distressed and starts to cry. Billy resigns. Hands him back. Angel makes polite excuses. For Billy’s sake -ANGEL He’s tired. He usually has a nap... Fredric watches Noah settle in his mother’s arms. Cradling the child she leaves the table to walk him around the garden. Billy sensing his father’s disapproval... BILLY Bella? Come here, Bella! ...seizes the opportunity to reclaim some pride. Isabella runs and leaps into her uncle’s arms. Billy twirls her around 37. placing her down, facing Lilyana -BILLY You know Lilyana?! You wanna take her to play with the other kids? JOEY SLIDES back into a chair with his phone screen on the table facing up. Isabella leads Lilyana by the hand to play with the other children -Samra nods her thanks. Fredric chuckles -NANCY What’s funny, Dad? FREDRIC Your brother. Billy takes it as a criticism. Glares at his father. FREDRIC Not laughing at you son. You’re a good boy. You have a kind heart. JOEY’S PHONE goes off. He quickly answers -The intensity of the conversation suggests he’s on a losing streak. NANCY (exasperated) Jesus, Joey! How many times do I have to ask -FREDRIC Joey. Put down the phone. Be here. Sit. Talk to us, will ya? Joey does. Puts down the phone. And sits. But doesn’t talk. Instead, he hoes into the food. AROUND THE TABLE -Nancy tops up everybody’s glasses as an excuse to fill her own. The limerent couple, Renee and Zaher cosy up. Paroles d’amour exchanged. Aida throws a smile the way of Vincent. Hoping he will notice her -He does. 38. So does FREDRIC... ...who turns his attention to RENEE and ZAHER. FREDRIC Welcome to the family, Hakim. They toast. NANCY. Gazeboed on champagne -NANCY Hey Zaher! Whaddaya reckon? Huh? Sorry... ZAHER NANCY NANCY This family. You ready for it? FREDRIC Ah, Zaher, my daughter’s about to give you a grilling. Eyebrows raised, Zaher faces his inquisitor. ZAHER Family. I’m all in. Cool. Yeah, yeah, yeah... NANCY Yeeeaah?!... ZAHER Well yes, you know. Absolutely. Yes, of course! NANCY Awwgh -- You’re just being nice. Whaddaya really think? ZAHER Family’s everything. Nancy shoots a look to Joey using the distraction to get back on his phone. NANCY What? Whatever family does is cool? Joey downs the phone -JOEY Shuddup, Nancy. Arm around Renee, Zaher pulls her closer. She nestles in. Kisses him on the neck. 39. NANCY Whatever family does? Looking at his future bride -ZAHER It’s family. Sure, it’s cool. You bet. They’re all we have. Cool? NANCY Joey sends off a quick message on his phone. Nancy NOTICES. So does FREDRIC. So does BILLY. Nancy flushed with anger eyeballs Joey. NANCY Cool, huh -BILLY (to Joey) You’re such a fucken Gronk. Nancy turns on her brother -NANCY My brother getting around at his niece’s Holy Communion with a pistol stuck in the back of his pants. That’s cool? BILLY Fuck off, Sis. Billy on his feet so fast his chair falls backwards, raises his shirt and swivels around to show he’s not carrying. NANCY And her degenerate father gambling away his daughter’s future? That’s cool? Joey slams down his phone. Raises his arms in protest. Ugh! JOEY FREDRIC Well, Joey! How many times do you have to be asked?! Cool, huh? NANCY 40. ZAHER No. Well, maybe that’s not so cool. But you know -NANCY What? He’s family, huh? Nancy! AIDA ZAHER Yeah. Why not. I mean -NANCY Loyalty. Even when it’s wrong? JOEY Bingo!... Nancy-full-of-shit. FREDRIC You people...! Before he can weigh in -ISABELLA and her new friend Lilyana appear at his side. Albi! NANCY Nancy swaddles her up and gives her a kiss as Isabella wriggles out of her embrace. ISABELLA Teta says Jede has to come inside. Now. Fredric playful -FREDRIC She does, huh? ISABELLA She says you’ve had enough. FREDRIC Ooh. Enough what? Isabella tugs at one hand as Lilyana gingerly tugs at the other. FREDRIC Okay. Okay... Fredric acknowledges the table before turning the tug-of-war into a game he loses. 41. 37 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. BEDROOM SUITE - DUSK 37 Modern Rococo. A canopied bed with a quilted headboard. Pastel furnishings with gold edging. Gilded mirror. MAGDA pulls the drapes on the party down below. Still the wax and wane of voices. An OPEN SUITCASE on the bed. She’s packing for her husband. Hers is open on a luggage rack. Items folded neatly as they would be in her dresser. The HUM is coming from -A DIALYSIS MACHINE. FREDRIC. In an armchair. Tubes snaking underneath a blanket loosely covering his lower body. FREDRIC That woman has turned the boy against his father. MAGDA I see a good mother. Hmph. FREDRIC Silence. He moans softly. Studying his BARE FEET peeping from underneath the blanket. FREDRIC I can’t even cut my own toenails anymore. MAGDA Yes, you can. Fredric grunts. He studies her, packing. Curious -FREDRIC Where are you going? MAGDA We. We are going. To Lebanon. On Wednesday evening. How many times have I told you? FREDRIC Oh, yeah. I know... 42. Searching through Fredric’s clothes, she finds the MEDICATION he snuck into his pocket -MAGDA If you don’t take your health seriously, I’ll get a nurse to care for you. FREDRIC All right. All right. NOW -MAGDA enters from THE ENSUITE with a glass of water and his medication. He turns his head away. MAGDA Take them, or I’ll force’m down your throat. You ever think how your health affects your family? Do you care? Agh! FREDRIC MAGDA Then take them. He does. One by one -FREDRIC (curious) When are you leaving? MAGDA We. We are going on Wednesday. FREDRIC I have business. MAGDA Today is Sunday. Your business is tomorrow. Aida has your schedule. FREDRIC My beautiful Aida but for William I worry. And also -- you know for -for... Nancy?! MAGDA FREDRIC And -- and her husband... 43. Joey?! MAGDA FREDRIC Yeah, yeah, Nancy and Joey. I don’t need you to remind me of their names. I worry. I worry. MAGDA When you’re on the machine be quiet. Hmph. FREDRIC Moans. Groans -FREDRIC Who’s going to look after them... What? MAGDA FREDRIC When I’m gone? MAGDA We’re only going for a few weeks -FREDRIC -- No. When I’m -- gone. Gone! MAGDA My God, stop with the gloom. FREDRIC I’m trying to fix my mess so afterwards you don’t have to live in it. Magda can’t resist a subdued laugh. MAGDA Don’t worry about us. We’re adults -But if you really want to fix your mess -Her expression hardens -MAGDA You know what you have to do. Fredric... FREDRIC I’m doing it. I’m doing it... 44. ...retreating into a bubble of thought. CUT TO BLACK. 38 INT/EXT. ALI BABA. LEBANESE PATISSERIE AND BAKERY - DAY 38 THE FIRST ITEM OF BUSINESS ON THE AGENDA. The same Black Cadillac Escalade we saw pull up outside the club stops -In front of -THREE MEN step out. Met by UNCLE FRANK. He leads them through the shop. Past a long glass showcase of Lebanese and Middle Eastern sweets. Rows of golden pastries soaked in fragrant syrup and studded with nuts. Through the kitchen. Past a storeroom and across a narrow laneway. Into the adjacent BOULANGERIE. Bakers in flour-dusted aprons move with precision and efficiency. An apprentice kneads a large, elastic mound of dough in an industrial mixer. Baker’s hands section off pieces into perfect balls of pita. The SOFT THUD of rolling pins. The CLINK of metal trays. A batch of perfectly baked bread comes out of the oven. AT THE BACK OF THE WORKROOM. There we find -A table set up to receive the guests. FREDRIC and -AIDA by his side. Cautious handshakes. OSMAN THE SYRIAN sits in silence as coffee, iced water and knafeh are served. Fredric waits for him to taste the offering. Osman waves it away. The older and portlier of his enforcers. A whale of a man. Leans in -He takes a piece of knafeh. He munches on it slowly and deliberately... 45. ...and approves. Fredric indicates the knafeh. It’s a ritual. Osman would like to, but rejects the offer once again. Instead -OSMAN Where’s my boy, Barakat? FREDRIC Where you sent him. Silence. AIDA. A woman at the table?! Osman disapproves. OSMAN Your nurse? FREDRIC My daughter. She speaks for me. And Aida does -AIDA Mr Osman, let’s get straight to the point. We understand your reason for sending a minor to offload illegal drugs to my father’s club was a provocation designed to sabotage my brother’s business interests. Is that true? Osman scoffs. He doesn’t do business with women. He turns to his two enforcer -ARMAN. A lawyer. Young. Smartly dressed. Expensive eyeglasses. Osman’s proxy. Takes a half step forward. AIDA Okay. Fine. She addresses Arman. AIDA We are willing to overlook that infringement. And we would like to offer Mr Osman an incentive to abandon any aspiration he may have in further pursuing that dangerous line of intent. 46. ARMAN exchanges brief words in Kurdish with Osman. Then turns to Aida -Go on. ARMAN Aida moves her chair back leaving the details to her father. Fredric leans into the deal. Fixes Osman with stern countenance. FREDRIC I’ll supply you with our superior product at a good price -- Under one condition. You stay west of the bridge. Osman takes a moment to absorb what’s been offered. OSMAN And my boy? Fredric stabs the table with his finger. Then points it accusingly at his adversary. FREDRIC Your boy?! Listen. You sent that boy. You, yourself. You did that. What sort of person are you? You send a child to do your grubby business? That’s on you. Understand?!... Aida steps in to mediate -Dad? AIDA Fredric waves her aside. He’s on a roll -FREDRIC It’s a legitimate offer. Generous. Something you’ve been slobbering over to get your teeth into. Circling like a hungry shark. Well here it is. Take it. Don’t make me rethink it. Osman draws Arman into a discreet exchange in their Kurdish dialect. Then -We accept. ARMAN Osman stands. Thanks his host with a perfunctory nod as Frank shows them out. Leaving Fredric guarded. CUT TO: 47. 39 INT. ROCKPOOL BRASSERIE - DAY 39 THE SECOND ITEM OF BUSINESS ON THE AGENDA. Looking effortlessly cool in a tailored rust-coloured herringbone suit, shirt, no necktie, to announce his status SENATOR LACHLAN HOLMES follows the Head Waiter through an exclusive RESTAURANT. A private table partitioned from the other diners. AIDA stands. Greets him. Offers him a seat -FREDRIC remains seated. Once settled, Holmes reach across the table for a handshake as -The waiter cracks a bottle of vintage red. Pours three glasses. LATER. Halfway through their meal and another bottle of red. The Senator drains his glass to punctuate a stalemate in the conversation. Aida tops him up. HOLMES Freddy. I mean, This whole zoning thing is giving me a bellyache. What do you want me to do? Aida jumps in -AIDA Senator, we want the same as you. What Vincent Karam - Alpine Crossing is his company, not ours - What he’s proposing, will transform the area. Forever. Culturally, socially, and economically... HOLMES You don’t have to convince me. Freddy, it’s the minister. And -- With respect. There are legitimate concerns about how this looks -- The optics, Freddy. Optics. FREDRIC What optics? 48. HOLMES It’s politics. C’mon. The press. We’ve been through this... Aida taps something into her PHONE and presses SEND. Holmes. A little exasperated. A touch embarrassed. You don’t bite the hand that feeds you. HOLMES Freddy. Freddy, it’s -- It’s the Barakat Brand. Your name. Your fucking name. I shouldn’t have to be the one who says it but -- but they don’t want to be associated with -He raises his eyebrows. Raises his glass. Drinks. He’s not going to say it -HIS PHONE LIGHTS up with an ALERT. He ignores it. HOLMES The ministry is skittish. A SECOND ALERT. HOLMES They don’t want to be seen to -AIDA -- Senator. Senator, I think you have a message. Holmes checks his phone. Looks up at Aida. Fredric. Breathes a sigh of relief. He chuckles. HOLMES Ahhh... Okayee touché. This is good. This is really good. On his PHONE SCREEN is a copy of THE DEED giving Vincent Karam and Alpine Crossing ownership of the entire retail and residential block. AIDA Not a Barakat in sight, Senator. Vincent Karam has exclusive legal rights to the property. ‘No encumbrances, liens, or restrictions under the law to impede their full and sole ownership.’ FREDRIC There you go, Lachy. You can kick the winning goal, and we can all enjoy the benefits. 49. Fredric waves the Head Waiter over and indicates another bottle of wine. Holmes intervenes -HOLMES Wild Turkey -- A bottle. Then, he slaps the table -HOLMES Boy, do I have an appetite! Dessert? The Food Waiter is already handing out menus. CUT TO: 40 EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE. ENTRANCE - DAY 40 JOEY and FRANK are load suitcases into the Klassen. ISABELLA is sitting on the steps, playing with MALIK, who is bent on licking off her face. BILLY’S car scorches the driveway as he brakes. Throws open the door -Enters the house in a FIRESTORM. Frank with Joey on his heels. 41 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. VATICAN ROOM - DAY 41 MAGDA and NANCY are searching for Fredric’s phone. The one that he’s misplaced. MAGDA That man and his phone... Magda is calling it from her phone. We can hear a faint ringing. Aida opens the bar fridge. Here! AIDA THE PHONE. MAGDA Honestly! He needs a twenty-four hour nurse. 50. 42 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. BATHROOM - DAY 42 Fredric is grumbling unintelligibly. Clumsily changing a protective pad for his incontinence. He puts a spare in his pocket when we hear -BILLY YELLING... BILLY (O.S.) Fuck off. Vaffanculo, Morello... 43 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. HALLWAY - DAY 43 Billy warns Frank off. Fancy footwork. Fists up like a boxer ready to fight. Fuck off! BILLY Frank ignores him placing his hands over Billy’s fits and calmly eases them down -FRANK Hey. Hey. C’mon... No one messes with Frank. FRANK ...C’mon, Billy. Be cool. The COMMOTION has brought everyone together. Billy whips around to face -HIS FATHER. FREDRIC What’s this? BILLY The club. I made that club what it is. Not Karam - It was me. And you! You signed it over to him. FREDRIC It’s not your club. MAGDA Billy. Not now. Please... AIDA It’s just a document, Billy. Nothing’s changed... 51. BILLY (to Magda) When those fucking asslickers came to his door with a knife behind their backs... ...Please. MAGDA Billy, please. Please... MAGDA BILLY It was me - I was the one who protected him. Me... Arghh! FREDRIC BILLY ...I did that. FREDRIC You’re behaving like those junkies you sell to. BILLY (offended) I don’t sell to junkies! FREDRIC Then don’t behave like one... BILLY Are you calling me a junkie? Defusing the situation -MAGDA He’s not calling you anything. BILLY I’m not a fucking junkie -- Lawyers but that shit. Bankers. Politicians! Judges even... FREDRIC God help that little boy of yours. Fredric! MAGDA FREDRIC (to Magda) He knows the area is changing. The clubs are moving to the CBD. He’s the only one still there. 52. FREDRIC (CONT’D) Everything is changing. Sixty thousand dollars a square metre. AIDA Billy. Billy listen to Dad. He wants to help you -BILLY -- By giving everything to Karam! MAGDA We’re a family, Billy. Family. BILLY (to Magda) I’m not a junky... Fredric stops. Breathes. Resets -FREDRIC Look, I don’t know. I’m sorry. I don’t know, son -- All I see is your anger. Your moods. You’re scaring us. What am I supposed to think? I’m trying to do what’s best for everyone. You’re putting everything at risk. That’s why... BILLY I’m your family. Not him. FREDRIC Of course you are. But do you understand what’s happening here? The club’s become a liability. MAGDA MAGDA. Khallas! Both of you. Billy, he’s doing what’s best for you. For you. He loves you -- BILLY -- Fuck his love! 44 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. HALLWAY - DAY 44 ON HIS WAY OUT followed closely by NANCY, BILLY eyeballs JOEY who deliberately mouthes -Junky! JOEY NANCY Shut up, Joey! 53. BILLY What the fuck did you call me? Go on. Go on -- Say it to my face... y JOEY (to Nancy) He’s never gonna get his father’s approval, because... NANCY Joey. Drop it! JOEY (to Billy) ...You’re a selfish prick. Billy ignites. Swings at Joey. Catches him off balance. Joey careers into an antique china cabinet, BREAKING the glass doors, dislodging shelves, and sending its contents crashing to the floor. FRANK STEPS IN -Steers Billy away from further trouble. BILLY Okay. Okay... (to Joey) Piece of shit. The noise brings FREDRIC and MAGDA rushing from the kitchen. BILLY STORMS OUT -MAGDA Billy! Please... FREDRIC No. No. No. Leave him. Fredric taking in deep breaths sits to regain composure. Boss...? FRANK FREDRIC He’ll cool down once he -- Once he think it through. Magda crosses herself and mutters a prayer as WE HEAR -Billy’s engine REVVING. The SQUEAL of tyres. Joey clambers to his feet. 54. You idiot. NANCY Nancy smacks Joey hard in the chest with an open palm. So hard he falls back into the cabinet. Frank taps his watch signalling it’s time to leave as AIDA hands the MISLAID PHONE to Fredric. What... FREDRIC MAGDA Your phone. FREDRIC It’s like ice...? MAGDA It was in the fridge. 45 EXT. MOTORWAY TUNNEL - DAY 45 Vehicle travelling. Moderate traffic. 46 INT. MERCEDES KLASSEN - DAY 46 THE WHOLE FAMILY is under a cloud of silence. ISABELLA Mummy. Why was Uncle Billy shouting? NANCY He was sad to see us go. Fredric stares out the window. A ROAD SIGN indicates the turnoff to the AIRPORT. They take it. His attention is fleetingly drawn to two young women wearing booty shorts. Tsk. FREDRIC (self-reproachful) What? Nothing. MAGDA FREDRIC 55. On from there. The outside blurs. He goes into a FUGUE STATE -47 EXT. INTERNATIONAL DEPARTURES - DAY 47 From outside the vehicle, looking in FREDRIC is ghosted by REFLECTIONS on the TINTED GLASS as The car door opens. MAGDA on the passenger’s side can be seen on a call reassuring Billy. We don’t hear the specifics of their conversation. FRANK offers Fredric an arm for stability -FRANK Are you okay? You’re pale. FREDRIC Yeah. Yeah, I’m okay. He hands Fredric a bottle of water... Drink. FRANK MAGDA ends the call -Well? FREDRIC She shrugs. MAGDA Are you all right?... FREDRIC (nodding) Hmmh. FRANK (hesitant) I’ll park the car - Are you sure? Fredric waves away concern. Frank gets behind the wheel as a PORTER opens the door for Magda. Before getting out MAGDA LEANS FORWARD and TAPS FRANK on the SHOULDER. 56. MAGDA Frank, find out who let that kid into the club. Frank NODS. MAGDA follows the Porter with the luggage trolley watching Frank drive off... FADE TO BLACK. LEBANON 48 EXT. LEBANON. MOUNTAIN VILLAGE - DAY 48 Nestled on the slopes of a plateau overlooking a breathtaking valley. PERCHED HIGH UP ON AN ESCARPMENT -THE CHURCH. In the FORECOURT. A CEREMONY. The CONSECRATION of a BELL. A HUMAN-SIZED BELL. A philanthropic gesture by the Barakats, who commissioned the restoration of the church. PRIEST In the name of the Most High God. I anoint this bell. Like so many broken souls now restored. Holding umbrellas to protect them from the sun, MAGDA and NANCY, FREDRIC, ISABELLA, and a sullen JOEY, are honoured guests. The BELL is being raised on a MASSIVE CRANE. INSIDE THE TOWER -Workers bolt the BELL into its housing. The restored BELL RINGS for the very first time. B-BONG. B-BONG... The congregation cheers. CLOSE ON FREDRIC. 57. PRIEST (V.O.) Those who hear it shall also be restored in body and soul through Christ our Lord. One by one, in little groups, the villagers ingratiate themselves to Fredric. He shakes their hands, giving them a cursory nod. Uneasy with attention. B-BONG. B-BONG. 49 EXT. LEBANON. MOUNTAIN VILLAGE - NIGHT 49 VILLAGE LIGHTS SHIMMER in at night. THE BARAKAT VILLA. A mountain sanctuary. Elevated. A beacon above the other homes. 50 INT. LEBANON. BARAKAT VILLA. ISABELLA’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 50 FREDRIC sits next to Isabella’s bed. Reading her a children’s story -TALES OF THE POISONOUS GARDEN FREDRIC Once upon a time, in a far-off kingdom, an ordinary man was wandering through a dark wood. He came across a forbidden garden. The plants that grew there were unlike any others. They were exotic, beautiful and fragrant... WE SEE KEY MOMENTS OF THE STORY BEING TOLD AS A 2D ANIMATION WITH CARTOON FIGURES -FREDRIC (V.O.) The man harvested and sold them as medicines and perfumes. The people loved him. His wealth grew beyond imagination. But the garden’s beauty was deceptive. While the man flourished, the kingdom suffered. The more the people used the plants, the sicker they became. Soon, the streets were littered with those too weak to stand... BACK TO FREDRIC -- 58. FREDRIC An oracle warned the man his plants were to blame but he told himself he was only giving people what they wanted, what they craved... Fredric draws the blankets around Isabella. Sleepily -ISABELLA Finish it Jeda... One day... FREDRIC ANIMATION -FREDRIC (V.O.) He stood in his magnificent castle, built on the riches of his trade as the vines of the plants crept into his home, wrapping around his walls, his furniture, and finally, his limbs. Fredric lowers his voice -FREDRIC (V.O.) The garden that had brought him everything had now taken him prisoner. As the vines tightened their grip the man realised... BACK TO FREDRIC -FREDRIC His own heart had long since been poisoned by the very beauty he thought that he controlled. Isabella yawns. Her eyes flutter under the weight of sleep. ISABELLA Is there a moral, Jede? FREDRIC There’s always a moral, sweetheart. Well? FREDRIC Almost all great men are bad men. Heh... ISABELLA 59. She doesn’t understand but smiles, shuts her eyes. And is already asleep. Fredrick draws the blanket around the sleeping girl and as he leaves the room he switches off the light. CUT TO BLACK: 51 INT/EXT. SYDNEY. THE REXHEPI APARTMENT - NIGHT 51 LIGHT SWITCHES ON THROUGH BINOCULARS we see into a second-storey window. NICKY REXHEPI on a call -A HARBOURSIDE APARTMENT. -- Being observed from a rental vehicle across the road. Inside the vehicle -FRANK -Stubs out another cigarette. With the butt hanging from his mouth, he raises the binoculars again. THROUGH THEM, WE SEE -Nicky kissing his wife and daughter - both in pyjamas goodnight. Lilyana cradled in Samra’s arms. Nicky ends the call. Peers out through the window -FROM NICKY’S POINT OF VIEW -We see a row of darkened cars parked up and down the street. FROM FRANK’S -Nicky pulls the curtains. The house plunged into darkness. Nothing stirring. A dog barking. Frank lowers the binoculars. Relights his cigarette, sucks in a lungful of smoke, then stubs it out in an unfinished takeaway coffee cup. He’s about to start the engine when -The familiar BLACK CADILLAC ESCALADE glides into view pulling up outside Nicky’s place. The passenger door opens. 60. Nicky emerges from the house and gets in. The Escalade moves off. UNCLE FRANK FOLLOWS. CUT TO: 52 52 INT. SYDNEY. VINCENT’S APARTMENT - NIGHT AIDA BARAKAT Watches the LIGHTED CONSOLE of an ELEVATOR speeding to the top floor of an apartment block. She walks down the corridor checking her reflection in the wall of windows that look out to a city backdrop. She checks up and down the hallway. Slips off her underwear from beneath her dress and shoves it in her bag. An apartment door opens. A nervous VINCENT KARAM greets her. He stumbles over language. He is no poet. Klutzy with words. Emotional intimacy is awkward for him. Not for her. She initiates -They fall upon each other hungrily. Against the wall. In the hallway. Through a door. Over furniture. You’d think they were on a ship pitching in a storm. They don’t make it to the bedroom. CUT TO: 53 EXT. SYDNEY. SUBURBAN SPORTING COMPLEX - NIGHT 53 THROUGH BINOCULARS WE SEE -THE BLACK ESCALADE parked at a SPORTS OVAL under floodlights. A junior football training session ending. Further off -NICKY standing in the spectator pavilion in an animated dialogue with WASSIM ‘WASS’ AL SHAMI that ends in a solidarity handshake. 61. WASS crouches to embrace his son and unlace his footy boots. NOW -FRANK WATCHES -Nicky cross the field towards the waiting Escalade. When Frank looks back -WASS is NOWHERE to be seen. CUT TO: 54 EXT. LEBANON. MOUNTAINS - PREDAWN 54 THE CREPUSCULE OF THE APPROACHING DAY -LEBANON. Beyond, the sleeping village the mountains rise like sentinels. Snowy peaks pierce the clouds like weathered wrinkled spires. Stony ridges hung with tapestries of verdant green. Specked with the colours of an array of herbs and wildflowers. An eerie silence. Silhouetted against a leaden sky, a cabal of HUNTERS creeps across the semi-arid landscape. Here and there, tracts of thick white snow. The men exhale plumes of vapour breaths. They carry hunting rifles. Their boots crunch on the coarse ground underfoot. FREDRIC and MIKHAEL are being hosted by their Lebanese syndicate partners who move the cocaine from South America to Australia -The elders GEORGE AYOUB and ALI YAHYA. George’s son ANTON is flanked by two partisans -One of them is Anton’s son, YOUSSEF, shouldering a Kalashnikov. The other, GEBRAN, an M16 -Both high on drugs. They start messing with a faulty electronic bird caller. Trying to make it work. 55 EXT. LEBANON. MOUNTAINS - DAYBREAK A sprawling hedge of wild rose geranium catches the first rays of sun. 55 62. The men crouch in waiting... YAHYA has partnered up into MIKHAEL who responds to something said -MIKHAEL C’mon, Ali. I’m not saying shit. Not now... When then? YAHYA MIKHAEL ...not ever. Talk to the Boss. YAHYA It was sitting on the docks! And -MIKHAEL Without consulting us?! YAHYA We assumed -MIKHAEL A fucking container! Too risky -And for what? Money. YAHYA MIKHAEL Jesus Ali. You’ve forgotten where you come from... YAHYA C’mon. Miki... MIKHAEL ...Is this you talking? Am I hearing you talking? YAHYA What do you want me to say, Miki? MIKHAEL Who’s talking, Ali? A beat -MIKHAEL The General? YAHYA shrugs -- 63. MIKHAEL Of course. The General. So why isn’t he here? YAHYA He’s a presidential fucking candidate. MIKHAEL That makes him better than us?! YAHYA He’s not here. We are. MIKHAEL You got shish, Ali. It’s a decent living. YAHYA Fuck Miki, just this once. Then we can talk about the shish -MIKHAEL Agh! What is it? Money? The General? You getting greedy? Is that it -YAHYA What’s wrong with money -MIKHAEL Speak to the Boss. YAHYA He’s getting old, Miki. He should step down. Hand over to his son? MIKHAEL Do not get involved in his family affairs. YAHYA No. Of course. No. No... MIKHAEL You’re a liar, Ali. And a fool... YAHYA Your loyalties are misplaced, my friend -MIKHAEL -- And you’ve forgotten who you are. A mustering of migratory birds approaches. WHITE STORKS. 64. YAHYA pats Mikhael on the back and slips a 6mm cartridge into his semi-automatic hunting rifle. 56 EXT. LEBANON. MOUNTAINS - MORNING 56 FLOCKS OF BIRDS FILL THE SKY Thousands of them in majestic flight. THEN -BOOM... BOOM... The resonating sound of GUNFIRE. FREDRIC cranes his neck to see -The graceful soaring of storks shattered by the cavernous ripple of gunfire echoing through the valley. The SHOCK of a stork’s sudden dip in flight. An awkward drop -CLOSE ON FREDRIC. 57 EXT. LEBANON. PORT OF BYBLOS. PIER - DAWN 57 YOUNGER FREDRIC AND A WOMAN RUNNING -FLASHBACK LAYLA CHALHOUB. A gunshot ECHOES. BOOOOM... EVERYTHING SLOWS. Layla’s legs give way. Arms go limp. Her red hair flails. BOOM... The next shot slams into her back -END FLASHBACK 58 THE FALLING BIRD -STRIKES Fredric HARD. Nearly knocks him over. Feathers explode around him. 58 65. THUD. BOOM... BOOM... BOOM... Erratic flapping of wings. Birds. Helpless spiralling. Plummeting ungainly in an eruption of feathers under the weight of gravity. Raining birds. YOUSSEF and GEBRAN scuttle through the undergrowth to collect the bounty -Wearing earphones. Listening to ARAB RAP. WE HEAR IT TOO. Fredric watches the carnage carrying the shame of what he sees around him. 59 EXT. LEBANON. MOUNTAINS - DAY 59 A PAUSE IN THE SLAUGHTER -The older men have paused to rest on fold-out chairs. A small table is unfolded. ANTON pours sweet black coffee from a thermos. He takes out a bottle of L'Arack De Musar. Five small glasses. GEORGE pours and hands a glass to each of his companions. Then to -MIKHAEL and -YAHYA What’s the matter Fredric? You haven’t raised your gun -- not once... FREDRIC. Feeling the chill. With a trace of ennui he waves away the Arack -FREDRIC Just water. Anton is already there with a bottle. FREDRIC We’re sitting in this fucking cold shooting at these poor creatures -He drinks -- 66. FREDRIC They’ve flown thousands of kilometres. They’re not even gonna end up on your table. What a fucking waste -GEORGE Think it over, Freddy. C’mon. Please. Freddy... FREDRIC -- Thousands of kilometres. For what? For this... He indicates Youssef and Gebran -FREDRIC ...running around like idiots. GEORGE Freddy...?! FREDRIC Why aren’t you at home with your family, George? With your wife and kids? GEORGE We can’t do it without you. Freddy... FREDRIC Listen to me. Fifty years ago, I made a deal with the devil. GEORGE Better the devil you know than the one across the border -FREDRIC What are you talking about? GEORGE He’s a strong leader to lead the country -FREDRIC It’s the same devil, George -- He chased us out of our homes and took what was ours... GEORGE We need this, Freddy. 67. FREDRIC ...and then. And then he sold it back to us. GEORGE And it’s made you a wealthy man. FREDRIC And that, my friend, is why I can walk away. The others are back in the hunt. 60 EXT. LEBANON. MOUNTAINS - DAY 60 BOOM. BOOM -More BIRDS FALL from the sky. THUD. THUD. THUD -CUT TO: 61 INT. SYDNEY. INDUSTRIAL SHED - NIGHT 61 NICKY’S HEAD YANKED OUT OF A DRUM OF OIL -Inside a large INDUSTRIAL MACHINERY and storage shed NICKY slumps back in a chair. Hands tied. His head dripping with sump oil. He struggles to draw breath. FRANK stands over him. The intention is clear. The outcome is being negotiated -Frank takes Nicky by the hair. Thrusts his head into the drum. CUT TO: 62 EXT. LEBANON. MOUNTAINS - DAY 62 YOUSSEF and GEBRAN huff white from an open bag. Making snuffling noises while rhapsodising the experience -- whoa, whew, tsss -Frustrated by the faulty bird caller, Youssef kicks it, then slips the Kalashnikov from his shoulder and blasts it to bits then -YOUSSEF Fuck this shit! 68. Pointing the weapon skyward, he sprays the sky with automatic fire, missing everything. As -The MIGRATION VEERS in another direction. The old men unleash a torrent of abuse -YAHYA You stupid fucking moron!... Anthony ANTON Hey! Y’fucking donkeys!... The young men laugh and BRAY. Anton smacks his son across the ears, takes the gun, and pushes him hard in a humiliating heap on the ground. 63 EXT. LEBANON. MOUNTAINS - CONTINUOUS FURTHER OFF -GEORGE We’re family. We’ve known each other since... FREDRIC Who’s we, Georgie? You mean The General. No, no, no...he’s not family... GEORGE Families look out for each other. FREDRIC We should’ve stayed with the shish. We had some control, not like this fucking white powder. We were dragged into it, Georgie. Karam was weak. I was greedy -GEORGE What you’ve done has helped our village. Freddy. It’s earned you a place forever in our hearts. Fredric laughs. FREDRIC Not me, George. The money. Not your hearts. Your pockets. People with money can do whatever they want and those fools without it will betray everything they believe in to help them get whatever they want... George takes it personally -- 63 69. FREDRIC That’s not family looking out for each other! George shrugs. GEORGE Sorry you feel like that, but he’s The General -- and the Netherlands deal is not up for discussion. FREDRIC Are you threatening me?! George raises his hands. Stalemate. FREDRIC You know, I see what he’s done to you. This village. That stupid grandson of yours. GEORGE You’re blaming the wrong person. FREDRIC I know who to blame, George. Lucky it’s not you. 64 64 EXT. LEBANON. MOUNTAINS - DAY PIANO MUSIC -FÜNF KLAVIERSTÜCKE. OPUS 3. ANDANTE. BY RICHARD STRAUSS. The two partisans, high on drugs, engage in buffoonery around the obscene number of avian carcasses. GEBRAN, with M16 slung over his shoulder, PRESSES -RECORD. On his SMARTPHONE. We see the video -YOUSSEF fooling around with a dead bird, animating its wings, pretending to fly -CUT TO: 65 INT. LEBANON. BARAKAT VILLA - LATE AFTERNOON MUSIC CONTINUES OVER -- 65 70. A LARGE ELEGANT ROOM. The MOUNTAINS FRAMED by a wall of glass. FREDRIC sits with... ISABELLA, playing the SAME PIANO PIECE. She’s good but occasionally, aiming for perfection, she stumbles and repeats the notes. Through the door in Fredric’s bedroom workmen are installing his dialysis machine. Fredric kisses Isabella on top of her head and goes out -66 EXT. LEBANON. BARAKAT VILLA - LATE AFTERNOON 66 -- ONTO THE VERANDAH. He gazes across the valley. His beloved MOUNTAINS. MIKHAEL is leaning against the balustrade. On a call -MIKHAEL Listen. George -- What? Are you kidding me! George, listen... FREDRIC flicks his fingers to steer the conversation elsewhere. Without missing a beat, Mikhael moves inside -Lose the phone conversation. In the streets below CHILDREN PLAY and ADULTS go about their daily routines. CLOSE ON FREDRIC. 67 INT. KARAM HOUSE - DAY 67 A JUMBLE OF BRIEF DARK FRAGMENTED IMAGES Flashes before Fredric’s eyes -A man’s BODY. Maybe Raymond. BLOOD. FREDRIC with a GUN dangling by his side. At the end of the corridor, a DOOR ajar. The image fractures -68 EXT. LEBANON. BARAKAT VILLA - LATE AFTERNOON A HAND STIRS FREDRIC FROM HIS REVERIE -- 68 71. MAGDA -With his medication. She sits next to him and doles it out. One at a time... We knew... MAGDA Fredric pops a capsule. Sips water from a glass... MAGDA ...We knew this would not be easy. Hmmph. FREDRIC MIKHAEL comes back out as Magda takes the glass. Fredric grumbles... But takes another tablet... So -- MAGDA MIKHAEL -- He’s threatening. Hmph!... FREDRIC MIKHAEL Apparently, it’s up to us - the future of this village. MAGDA What do you mean -Pphff... FREDRIC MIKHAEL He can hurt them financially -- even without winning... MAGDA Fredric, my sister’s life was cut too short. By him -A beat -FREDRIC This village. Those mountains. I grew here. They’re part of me. Who I am. This was my home... I left it. I left it. Do I miss it? Yes... 72. MIKHAEL There was a war -FREDRIC -- Not the war. Layla was right. We should have stayed. I chose to run. I should have stayed -At the mention of Layla, MAGDA crosses herself. Mutters a prayer. Blinks away tears. FREDRIC Everything I’ve done has been -because of that criminal and I’m the one in prison dragging a ball and chain behind me. What do I do -MAGDA You pick it up, Fredric. Own it. A DECISIVE MOMENT. 69 69 EXT. LEBANON. MOUNTAINS - LATE AFTERNOON THE MOUNTAINS SHIMMER in the dying light. THE LOWER EDGES of the SNOWY PEAKS begin to MELT, revealing what looks like SHIT... BROWN SHIT. DISSOLVE TO: 70 INT/EXT. BEIRUT. OFFICIAL GOVERNMENT LIMOUSINE - DAY 70 A Police Motorcycle Escort moves through -THE STREETS OF BEIRUT. FADI ‘THE GENERAL’ MELHEM The PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE is on his phone screen browsing through the polls as the radio announces the coming victory. RADIO COMMENTATOR (V.O.) The race to the Baabda intensifies as presidential candidate General Melhem leads by... He looks at his driver in the rearview mirror -- 73. Change it. THE GENERAL The driver turns the radio to a CLASSICAL MUSIC channel as -A peloton of motorcycles and scooters lines up next to The General’s official vehicle. A rider lifts their helmet and looks menacingly across -The General TAGS the driver. LIGHTS flash. SIRENS blare as the police bikes escort the vehicle through the red light. 71 EXT. BEIRUT. SCHOOL - DAY 71 THE GENERAL’S WIFE and TWO CHILDREN get into the back. 72 EXT. BEIRUT. THE GENERAL’S MANSION - DAY 72 MUSIC OVER -CASTA DIVA. MARIA CALLAS. VINCENZO BELLINI. NORMA. SKIMMING over OPEN WATER, CAMERA moves toward the shore. A LUXURY VILLA on a headland. AS WE NEAR, WE SEE -The General’s cavalcade pulling up outside the villa. He and his family alighting. Entering the house as -A HALF-CABIN CRUISER pulls up at the bottom of the cliff. 73 EXT. BEIRUT. THE GENERAL’S MANSION - DAY 73 WAVES LAP AGAINST THE ROCKS -Three ASSASSINS climbing the escarpment -74 EXT. BEIRUT. THE GENERAL’S MANSION - DAY -- IN THE GROUNDS ABOVE A BODYGUARD watches the house. His THROAT is CUT. 74 74. 75 INT/EXT. BEIRUT. THE GENERAL’S MANSION - DAY 75 GLASS DOORS OPEN OUT ONTO A BACKYARD SWIMMING POOL -Sheer voile curtains billow gently in the breeze. Behind them -Still in school uniform a BOY’S attention is drawn to the BODYGUARD’S BODY lying in the grass. ANOTHER floating in the pool. One of the assassins waves to the child as he nears. The boy reflexly RAISES his HAND to WAVE BACK. But -Something isn’t right. From behind, a HAND covers the BOY’S MOUTH. The body drops. Blood. THE SOUND OF THE ALARM. PHUUITT. Another bodyguard FALLS to the ASSASSIN’S GUN. 76 INT. BEIRUT. THE GENERAL’S MANSION - CONTINUOUS 76 UPSTAIRS IN THE BEDROOM PANIC. THE GENERAL pulls a firearm out of a drawer and rushes his wife and daughter into hiding. We HEAR THE POPPING of GUNSHOTS. THE AGEING GENERAL scuttles down the stairs with GUN at the ready. But -He is no match for the Assassins. He is -77 INT. BEIRUT. THE GENERAL’S MANSION - CONTINUOUS MONTAGE -DISARMED. CUFFED. DRAGGED DOWN STAIRS. BUMPING against furniture to the living room. 77 75. UPSTAIRS a CLOSET DOOR roughly OPENED -Strong hands DRAG a WOMAN and a CHILD by the HAIR AND CLOTHES. BUNDLED AND PUSHED down the STAIRS. It’s BRUTAL. Hard to watch but that’s the point -TO THE LIVING ROOM. THE FOLLOWING ACTION IS EXECUTED QUICKLY AS THE OPERA MUSIC DAMPENS DIEGETIC SOUND. The DEAD BOY is DUMPED at the GENERAL’S FEET. The GENERAL’S WIFE and DAUGHTER SHOT in front of him. THEN -He, too, is SHOT. From BEHIND. CUT TO BLACK: 78 78 INT. LEBANON. BARAKAT VILLA - DAY BLACK -PATCHES of LIGHT LEACH through a DARKENED SCREEN. The IMAGE CLEARS a little. CLOSE ON Fredric’s chest. Hands performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation -- On the edges of a TILTED FRAME the blurred figure of a second paramedic bringing oxygen. FROM ABOVE -FREDRIC is on a stretcher. The dialysis machine lies next to him. Dragged down in the fall. MAGDA is on the phone -MAGDA He’s alright, Frank... CUT TO: 79 INT. LEBANON. AMBULANCE - DAY 79 MAGDA and MIKHAEL watch FREDRIC wired to an electrocardiogram. He’s conscious. They’re relieved. 76. Magda still on the phone -MAGDA We opened our home to him. Does Billy know... No. FRANK (V.O.) Fredric in a stable condition, breathes oxygen through a nasal cannula. ...Do it. MAGDA FREDRIC Let me speak with him... Fredric reaches for the phone -FREDRIC ...William. Magda ends the call -MAGDA That was Frank. Billy’s fine. We’re in Lebanon. FREDRIC I know. I know where we are -- We’re in Lebanon -- and we’re going home. Book a flight... The PARAMEDIC shakes his head, implying that flying is a bad idea. Sitting up Fredric begins detaching himself from the medical paraphernalia -The NURSE RESCUING the situation... CUT TO: 80 INT. CHARTERED FLIGHT - DAY 80 AN IN-FLIGHT SCREEN -MUSIC OVER. THE LEBANESE NEWS. INAUDIBLE COMMENTARY. HELICOPTER VIEW of THE GENERAL’S VILLA swarming with police. Ambulances standing by with FLASHING LIGHTS. 77. The CRAWLER at the bottom of the screen reads -BRUTAL KILLING. PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATE GENERAL FADI MELHEM AND HIS FAMILY SLAUGHTERED -PULL OUT TO FIND -81 81 INT. CHARTERED FLIGHT - DAY MAGDA watches the news. Emotionless. CAMERA moves PAST -JOEY sleeping -NANCY coaxing the cork off her second bottle of wine -MIKHAEL playing tawlé with ISABELLA --- TO FREDRIC breathing from an oxygen dispenser, which the nurse adjusts as his gaze DRIFTS -OUTSIDE the window to AN ELECTRIC STORM BREWING IN THE DISTANCE. DISSOLVE TO: 82 INT. REXHEPI APARTMENT - DAWN 82 MUSIC CONTINUES -TWO GUNMEN at the table. One sips the tea his host prepared. His PHONE RINGS. Nicky’s wife, SAMRA, and daughter, LILYANA, cling to each other full of dread. The Gunman pockets the phone and nods to his partner. As they leave, he thanks his hosts and silently -APOLOGISES for their LOSS. SAMRA lets out a MUFFLED WAIL. LILYANA holds her head... ...HER SCREAMS would pierce the strongest heart. CHILLING. 78. MUSIC ENDS. 83 EXT. SYDNEY. MOTORWAY - DAWN 83 Horns blare. A steady stream of cars and semi-trailers clear in the foreground to reveal -AN UNMARKED POLICE CAR pulls up behind A CHEROKEE stopped on the shoulder. Hazard lights flashing red. OFFICERS cautiously approach -NICKY seated behind the wheel. Slumped over. Dead. His hand holding the gun. AN AIRBUS flies over low. Flaps down. Wheels ready for landing. Follow the plane. Somewhere in the sky WE OBSERVE -A CORPORATE JET LANDING on a different RUNWAY. 84 EXT. SYDNEY INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. PRIVATE CHARTER - DAWN 84 FRANK and AIDA wait by the Klassen outside the Air Charter Terminal. The DASSAULT FALCON TAXIS to a STOP. 85 INT. MERCEDES KLASSEN - MORNING JOEY driving. NANCY and ISABELLA next to him. FREDRIC and MAGDA in the back opposite AIDA and FRANK. For Frank, a difficult conversation -FRANK He’s been in the country all along. Osman was running the streets for him. We had no idea. Nicky met with Wass. Nicky knew about the Netherlands deal and -- he was trying to connect Billy with them to, um -- drum up the cash -Frank trails off. FREDRIC -- Because I wouldn’t give it to him. Frank shrugs. 85 79. Fredric looks across to Aida. MAGDA Where is Billy? AIDA Angel says - We’ve tried - but she’s the only one he’ll pick up for... Aida trails off. Then -AIDA Yeah, apparently, he’s not making much sense -- He’s angry... Lose the conversation as -Their vehicle enters the gates of the Barakat Estate. CUT TO BLACK. 86 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. KITCHEN - MORNING 86 Cartoons on television in background. The TANNOUS FAMILY in the kitchen. JOEY takes the coffee off the stove. Pours himself a cup. NANCY is on the phone. Ringtone. Phone rings out... Nope... NANCY ...while packing lunch into her daughter’s schoolbag. ISABELLA slings the bag over her shoulder. Heads for the door. Nancy calls after her... ...and hands over her cello case. Before redialling -NANCY Pick up, will you Billy. Please... 87 EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE. GARDEN - MORNING 87 FREDRIC and FRANK are finishing breakfast. Fredric is in a suit. Veils of mist are lifting. THE LIVE-IN NURSE makes Fredric take his medication -- 80. She’s young. She wears all white. White uniform and hat. White stockings and white shoes. ISABELLA hugs Fredric as Joey calls out for her to hurry, leaving -88 EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE. GARDEN - CONTINUOUS 88 THE TWO MEN ALONE. The sounds of birdsong -FREDRIC I swear, Frank, that girl is my heart. If you could bottle innocence... But you never can, Frank gestures. MAGDA appears. Formally dressed for church. MAGDA Billy’s not answering. Nancy can’t get through to him. I’m worried... She holds rosaries and wears an elaborate crucifix around her neck. Admires Fredric in his suit -MAGDA Finally, I convinced him to go to church before we carry him in there in a casket. Fredric gestures surrender. 89 INT. SAINT CHARBEL MARONITE CHURCH - DAY 89 ACOLYTES practice the ritual of Jesus washing the disciples’ feet as -CHORISTERS REHEARSE AN EASTER HYMN. MAGDA watches the enactment with a group of women -MONSIGNOR’S attention is drawn to -FREDRIC sitting in the farthest corner of the nave. Monsignor joins him. An uncomfortable SILENCE. 81. Then -MONSIGNOR What are you doing here, Fredric? FREDRIC You’re a harsh man, Father. MONSIGNOR I serve a harsh master. FREDRIC All these years, not one day passes without my thinking about Layla. Fredric makes eye contact with -MAGDA. FREDRIC Magda has never forgiven me -- For her sister -- For what happened. Nor have I... MONSIGNOR Jesus said, “You will have suffering in this world.” Not might. But will. FREDRIC I’m here to tell you that I’m sorry. Deeply sorry. MONSIGNOR You do whatever you want. And Then, approaching death’s door, you ask forgiveness?! We see -The altarpiece on the wall of Jesus in the arms of the Madonna. The lead-light windows of the Twelve Stations of the Cross. Monsignor makes the sign of the cross and mutters a prayer beneath his breath. Then -MONSIGNOR Earlier this morning I buried another young man. A child. I wish you’d seen his mother’s anguish. Fredric FREDRIC Father, please -- MONSIGNOR Tell the families you destroyed. Ask their forgiveness -- Ask the child forgiveness. 82. Fredric takes the blow. He expected no less. In the background. The rehearsal. The choristers continue singing. MONSIGNOR The beauty of our faith is that God forgives. But let me tell you what I think. It disgusts me that our church falls prey to your dirty money. FREDRIC Not the church, Father. You. MONSIGNOR Amen. Pray to God those who receive it do not find out from where it came. Fredric is chastened. They both make the sign of the cross. FREDRIC My son is a drug addict. My daughter’s an alcoholic. She suffers from depression. Her husband’s a gambler -MONSIGNOR Lord have mercy. Fredric bows his head. Everything hurts. Body and mind. And you? MONSIGNOR HYMN ENDS. FREDRIC Forgive me, Father, for I have sinned. MONSIGNOR “The soul who sins shall die.” FREDRIC Yes, yes... And my son? MONSIGNOR “The son shall not suffer for the iniquity of the father.” FREDRIC I, too, was a son. Where was he for me, this God you pray to? Again, the sign of the cross. MONSIGNOR Get out of my house. 83. FREDRIC Amen, Father. Magda looks concerned. CLOSE ON Fredric as he struggles to his feet -CUT TO BLACK. LEBANON 1976 90 INT. LEBANON. VILLAGE BAKERY - PREDAWN 90 INSIDE A WOOD-FIRED OVEN. THE COALS GLOW RED -A round of unleavened dough on the clay oven floor puffs up golden brown. A wooden paddle slides underneath and pulls it out. The strong hands that hold the paddle belong to -A YOUNG FREDRIC BARAKAT. Sweat-drenched. Robust. Wearing a singlet. sweating from the heat. An older baker takes it from him. Shoos him out. Fredric is running late for something. 91 EXT. LEBANON. VILLAGE - DAWN 91 A VILLAGE. Nestled on the valley heights. A DAWN CHORUS heralds in the perfect day. Running feet. A band of CHILDREN chase each other down a gravel street. Dressed for an occasion. An ANCIENT CHURCH framed by cedars and an azure sky. The first child to reach the church bounds up the steps and leaps onto the bell rope. It lifts him off his feet. The others follow. Their combined weight still doesn’t animate the clapper. NO SOUND from the bell.e One small boy is raised off his feet. His shoe falls to the ground. 84. 92 92 EXT. LEBANON. VALLEY - DAWN THE VILLAGE IN THE DISTANCE. A large GOAT. A BUCK with corkscrew horns chomps on the buds of a flowering crop of HASHISH. A young RAYMOND KARAM chases it away. B-BONG... B-BONG... Finally. The distant sound of the church bell. ADOLESCENT BOYS with sticks brush through the sturdy plants, flushing out another goat. And another. Skipping up the track leading from the village. A LITTLE GIRL in ribbons and white tulle. Gestures for Raymond to come home. The BELLS. Now LOUDER. VIBRANT -CUT TO: 93 EXT. LEBANON. VILLAGE CHURCH - DAY 93 THE BELL TOWER OF THE VILLAGE CHURCH B-BONG... B-BONG... Newlyweds Fredric Barakat, THE BAKER, and LAYLA CHALHOUB spill out through the church doors. Wild cheers. Rice thrown by the handful. Best Man and Maid of Honour on their heels. RAYMOND and NADINE HASHEM. Close behind MAGDA CHALHOUB -Layla’s YOUNGEST SISTER. A loose scrum of celebrants. The WEDDING PARTY sashays down the village street as Families peer from windows. A cat skitters into the shadows. Dogs bark. Children run into the street sucking in the festive air. 85. 94 94 EXT. LEBANON. VILLAGE SQUARE - NIGHT YOUNG MEN FIRE Kalashnikovs into the air. A MATRONLY WOMAN ULULATES. An OLDER MAN plays the REED PIPE. All the time -THE PERSISTENT BEAT OF DRUMS. The bridal couple dances. Loosening her long red hair. LAYLA beguiles FREDRIC. MAGDA looks on in thrall at the beauty of her SISTER. A sweating, big-bellied man lifts Fredric onto his shoulders while others do likewise with the bride. The NEWLYWEDS FLOAT in a BUBBLE of their LOVE, buoyed up by the escalating rhythm of the drums. CUT TO: 95 EXT. LEBANON. VALLEY - NIGHT 95 It’s dark. No moon to light the unfolding evil. The wedding zaffa is a distant beat. ARMED MILITANTS leap from the back of trucks peeling off in different directions. In shadow, their leader - We do not see his face - watches with a proprietorial eye as their torches cast a light on the prosperous boon of hashish. 96 EXT. LEBANON. VILLAGE - NIGHT 96 A GOATHERD Shies away from view of SOLDIERS culling and slaughtering a young GOAT sending the herd into a frenzy. The GOATHERD scuttles through the narrow village streets. 97 EXT. LEBANON. VILLAGE SQUARE - NIGHT At their peak, the wedding celebrations are blunted by the Goatherd shouting the name. -- THE GENERAL... THE GENERAL -An approaching TROOP CARRIER scatters the crowd. 97 86. MILITIAMEN jump from the vehicle spreading out securing the area. As their leader A YOUNG GENERAL FADI MELHEM alights flanked by his heavily armed lieutenants. EYES DART from one villager to another. LAYLA and FREDRIC weave a path to the front of the crowd. RAYMOND follows. MAGDA tries to join them but her MOTHER holds her back. Nadine’s father, too, restrains his daughter. Mothers gather up the children. The General’s lieutenants FIRE SHOTS into the air -SILENCE. His eyes scan the ELDERS in the crowd -THE GENERAL When you vote for me -- Security and prosperity -- The promise that I give you... LAYLA STEPS FORWARD and SPITS onto the earth in front of The General. Defiant. It’s her wedding. RAYMOND and FREDRIC are quick to form a scrum around her. The following action happens very quickly: THE GENERAL points them out ordering their arrest. MILITIAMEN caution the YOUNG MALE VILLAGERS to lay down their arms and back off. The CROWD SURGES. The rival parties CLASH as -THE NEWLYWEDS and RAYMOND are spirited away by sympathisers led by MAGDA. CUT TO: 98 INT. LEBANON. VILLAGE. CHALHOUB FAMILY HOME - NIGHT 98 Shots can be heard. Distant cries and screams. Intermittent gunfire. 87. The lights inside the house are dimmed. The drapes are drawn. Layla’s sister MAGDA is pressed against the window KEEPING WATCH. ON MAGDA as she glances at -Layla’s other sisters helping the bride change into practical clothing as she pleads with her mother -LAYLA I’m not leaving my family. MOTHER Your husband is your family now. Her MOTHER has her by the shoulders. Forces MONEY into her hand. Frantic with fear for her daughter’s life she whispers a prayer and fastens an HEIRLOOM CRUCIFIX PENDANT around the young woman’s neck. Their FATHER slips a LOADED PISTOL and TWO EXTRA CLIPS of ammunition to Raymond. MAGDA gives the ALARM. 99 99 EXT. LEBANON. VILLAGE - NIGHT Militiamen approach as the FUGITIVES MELT UNSEEN into the NIGHT. Raymond, Fredric, and Layla scramble down the steep terrain of a karstic landscape to... A waiting RED CROSS VAN. CUT TO: 100 EXT. LEBANON. PORT OF BYBLOS - NIGHT 100 THE OLDEST PORT IN THE WORLD At the end of THE PIER, a small half-cabin FISHING CAIQUE awaits. In the distance, the sky lights up from mortar shell explosions. Sporadic gunfire can be heard. A band of armed Phalanges disappear into a bombed out building. In the dark, engine turned off, the Red Cross van rolls silently the last few hundred meters to a BREAKWATER. 88. THE FUGITIVES slip from the moving vehicle into knee-deep water behind a STONE SEAWALL. The motor of the Red Cross van kicks back to life. A GUNSHOT ECHOES through the port. Twenty metres on, the van rolls to a stop against a bollard, the driver slumped over the steering wheel. At the end of the pier, the BOATMAN SIGNALS them to HURRY. 101 101 EXT. LEBANON. PORT OF BYBLOS - NIGHT BEHIND THE SEAWALL LAYLA scrambles towards a break in the stonework. Fredric pulls her back. LAYLA I’m going back. This is our home. FREDRIC (to Raymond) You go... RAYMOND You know what’s waiting for you there? He’s right. There is no going back. Still, Layla remains reluctant. CUT TO: 102 EXT. LEBANON. PORT OF BYBLOS - NIGHT 102 THROUGH THE CROSSHAIRS OF TELESCOPIC SIGHTS We see MOVEMENT behind the seawall. As the SHOT rings out, the magnified picture fibrillates. The fugitives duck. A chunk of wall disintegrates. 103 EXT. LEBANON. PORT OF BYBLOS - NIGHT 103 A BEACON FLASHES from the waiting boat. The Boatman FLASHES the torch, ready to weigh anchor. The first signs of approaching light wash over the harbour. 89. Go!! RAYMOND RAYMOND leaves the safety of the wall. FIRES in the direction of the SNIPER prompting Fredric and Layla to leave the safety of the wall. No time to debate. Even less to think. The NEWLYWEDS scramble onto the breakwater and run toward the pier. The Boatman revs the motor. Fredric and Layla sprint along the levee, passing the BODY of a VICTIM cut down by the sniper’s bullet. KER-CHUNK. Raymond RELOADS. Then, moving backwards toward the others, he FIRES a continuous stream of shots. 104 EXT. LEBANON. PORT OF BYBLOS - PREDAWN 104 THE CHILD SNIPER -His eye are glued to the rifle scope. IN THE SIGHTS he centres RAYMOND in the CROSSHAIRS, then -ADJUSTING the reticle, he SHIFTS his AIM further up the levee to focus on FREDRIC and LAYLA... 105 EXT. LEBANON. PORT OF BYBLOS - PREDAWN 105 FREDRIC AND LAYLA NEAR THE PIER -A SHOT rings out. The bullet THUDS into the earth beneath their feet. ANOTHER SHOT. LOUDER than the rest -LAYLA’S LEGS GIVE WAY. ARMS GO LIMP. HER RED HAIR FLAILS. She SMACKS HARD into the ground. FREDRIC drops to her aid. RAYMOND reloads the final clip and rapid-fires in the direction of the Sniper. 90. The NEXT SHOT from the Sniper’s rifle SLAMS into Layla. In disbelief, Fredric CLUTCHES his bride. Lifts her. Willing her to live. To run. But -LAYLA IS GONE. Raymond FORCIBLY WRESTS him from the LIFELESS BODY. As he does, FREDRIC comes away with the CRUCIFIX PENDANT she wore around her neck. A third SHOT whistles past. A fourth. Fredric struggles free. Runs back to Layla. But -A FINAL BULLET SHATTERS HOPE -LAYLA IS DEAD. Raymond BUNDLES a distraught Fredric forcibly along the pier into the strong arms of the Boatman who rushes them aboard. 106 EXT. LEBANON. PORT OF BYBLOS - DAWN 106 MOMENTS LATER -The ‘ELEFTHERIA’ surges through white peaks, leaving behind the pier. The mother of the family, whose father’s body lies near Layla’s, grieves as she consoles her children. Her eyes and Fredric’s meet in an eddy of unfathomable grief. RAYMOND LOOKS steadfastly AHEAD towards the dawning light. FREDRIC, BEREAVED BY LOSS, LOOKS BACK at his future receding in the MIST. From his BLOODED HAND, the CRUCIFIX meant to protect Layla SLIPS into the sea. He REACHES for it. But -IT’S GONE. CUT TO: SYDNEY - PRESENT 107 INT. MERCEDES KLASSEN - DAY TORRENTIAL RAIN. 107 91. CLOSE ON -FREDRIC SITTING ALONE in the back of the Klassen. In the background -FRANK wait under the portico at the top of the stairs of the entrance to the church. A worried MAGDA emerges. Frank unfurls an UMBRELLA for her as they step into the rain. Thunder. Lightning. 108 108 EXT. ROOKWOOD CEMETERY - DAY RAIN FALLS STEADILY. Among the headstones -A small gathering. A handful of mourners with umbrellas surround LILYANA caressing a FRAMED PHOTO of HER FATHER. Family members restrain Nicky’s grief-stricken wife SAMRA when she glimpses -BILLY Barakat standing further off. Flushed with grief and anger Samra is restrained from confronting him. ON MEMORIAL DRIVE The ESCALADE glides to a halt. The back passenger’s window slides open to reveal -WASSIM AL SHAMI. The mourners leave -The two titans scrutinise each other, each wary of the other but recognising this convergence as a chance to further their mutual interests. CUT TO BLACK: 109 EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE. GARDEN - DAY FREDRIC 109 92. in a cane armchair with MALIK vying for attention, quietly observes his family -Magda bring him a refreshment as the NURSE slips a blanket around his legs. NANCY and JOEY set mezze on the outdoor table where AIDA and VINCENT are gathered -Nancy pops a bottle of champagne and pours a glass for everyone. As she hands around the drinks, AIDA presents a document -THE ZONING APPROVAL AIDA Congratulations! For Vincent, relief. A gesture of gratitude to Fredric and acknowledgement that carries veiled intimacy for Aida. Aida produces a pen and Vincent SIGNS to validate the agreement. A TOAST -Kadisha! NANCY FREDRIC Have they signed off on the development?! Dad... AIDA VINCENT But they will -AIDA They wouldn’t approve the zoning permit if they didn’t want it to go ahead. Fredric condones. Glasses raised. They drink. JOEY Vincent Karam! AS -BILLY shows up. ...Karam! BILLY 93. He brandishes A GUN. Frank reaches for his -FREDRIC GESTURES him to BACK OFF. MAGDA Billy! Thank god... Nancy goes to throw her arms around her brother but he warns her off. Billy...?! NANCY Billy crosses to the table, takes Vincent’s glass, and skols the contents. He waves the gun around as an extension of his hand. BILLY Nicky?! The one person -MAGDA Billy. Son. Sit down. Celebrate with us -BILLY He tried to help! FREDRIC Nicky undermined your club. He let the kid in... IN A SUDDEN MOVE -BILLY aims the GUN at VINCENT. BILLY! MAGDA FREDRIC William, put the gun away. FREDRIC gets to his feet. FREDRIC Show respect. Put it away -BILLY presses the BARREL to VINCENT’S HEAD. FREDRIC William. Please. William! 94. Nancy smothers a scream -With one hand warning the others away BILLY puts PRESSURE on the TRIGGER. THEN -CLICK. A MOCK EXECUTION. Fredric SLAPS Billy across the face -Then -STAGGERS backwards CLUTCHING his chest. BLOOD DRAINS from his face. Quick hands move to get him to a chair. Someone loosens his collar. Someone else has already fetched a glass of water. Fredric struggles to speak. With laboured breath -BILLY tucks the gun into his belt, leans down, places hands on Fredric’s shoulders and STARES COLDLY at his father. For Fredric, every breath is a stabbing pain -BILLY Look at you. ‘The Boss.’ Billy releases his father. Stands. Magda reaches for him. MAGDA Please, soul of my soul... With gentle hands, he moves her aside. Takes in everyone with an icy glare. Then, taps Vincent on the chest. Speaks softly -BILLY You fuck me. I fuck you. He points the gun at Frank. Makes a plosive sound with his lips Puh! BILLY Then addresses everyone -BILLY You’ve forgotten where we’ve come from. Who we are. 95. He raises the gun in the air -BILLY This. This is who we are! He leaves. JOEY The ambulance is on the way. FREDRIC has gone into cardiogenic shock drifting out of consciousness. CUT TO BLACK. 110 EXT. PORT BOTANY. CONTAINER WHARF - NIGHT 110 A Norwegian super-freighter berthed at Hutchinson’s wharf next to Sydney Airport. A shipping container Legoland. An AIRBUS drops in low for landing. Revealing -Two figures. Silhouetted against a string of lights across the Bay -BILLY and WASS watch -A SHIPPING CONTAINER loaded onto a semi-trailer. Surrounded by security, a man in workwear, steel-toe boots and a hard hat approaches with two dockworkers. The DOCKWORKERS open the container. 111 EXT. PORT BOTANY. CONTAINER WHARF - CONTINUOUS 111 CONTENTS APPROVED -A BAG of MONEY placed on the tailgate of a utility. We hear -SOUNDS of a PARTY. A PASSING PLEASURE CRUISER -REVELLERS call out to the men standing on the docks. Hanging over the side. Holding up glasses of champagne. Very drunk. The cruiser’s WAKE LAPS against the wharf. 96. WASS hands Billy a small bag of WHITE ROCK HEROIN -WASS La Buena. Pure H. There’s more of this. Where it came from. A lot more -You and me now. They shake. Call in the troops. In separate vehicles, both Wass and Billy fold in behind the semi-trailer. 112 EXT. SOUTHERN CROSS DRIVE - NIGHT 112 TRAVELLING AERIAL VIEW -The CAVALCADE moves on a main artery from the airport towards -CITY LIGHTS GLOWING in the distance. We lose them. Swing onto a DIFFERENT ROUTE to -A GROUP OF BUILDINGS with a big RED CROSS and a HELIPAD on the roof of -113 INT. ROYAL PRINCE ALFRED HOSPITAL - NIGHT 113 PRIVATE SUITE FREDRIC is sitting on the edge of the bed, being dressed. NANCY putting on his socks and shoes. MAGDA buttoning his shirt. The SURGEON hands Magda a prescription... SURGEON First thing Tuesday morning. After Easter. ...and a zip-top bag with medication. SURGEON Make sure he takes them. FRANK holds open the door for the doctor to leave. Nancy takes her father’s hand. She’s been weeping. NANCY Dad. He’s our Billy -Fredric’s voice is thin. Broken. 97. FREDRIC -- He’s my son... NANCY The club meant a lot to him. FREDRIC ...of course, I love him -NANCY Then show him. Magda turns to Frank -MAGDA Frank, find Billy... Then eyeballing Fredric -MAGDA Tell him his father wants him to bring home to us -- his wife and son. A beat -MAGDA Isn’t that right, old man? He purses his lips. Nods. Surrender brings relief. CUT TO: 114 EXT. BRIGIDINE GIRL’S COLLEGE - DAY 114 JOEY IN HIS CAR -Across the road from ISABELLA’S SCHOOL. Watching a horse race on the PHONE. He taps the dashboard anxiously. In the background, we hear the SCHOOL BELL. RACE COMMENTATOR (V.O.) Dark Night is coming down the straight. One hundred to go... JOEY Go!... C’mon!... THE FRONT OF SCHOOL ISABELLA And her friend, HAIFA, exchange Pokémon cards, surrounded by children pouring out of the school gate. 98. NOW -From across the street CLOSE ON -Joey, in a frenzy, bashing the dashboard with his fist as his horse is being overtaken. IN THE BACKGROUND Isabella farewelling Haifa as -A VEHICLE pulls up OBSTRUCTING our VIEW. 115 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. KITCHEN - DAY 115 In the cold light of a kitchen neon, NANCY is furious. Inconsolable. Screaming at JOEY — NANCY I told you to be there! To get there early! Before the bell! And why didn’t you ring me? Joey JOEY JOEY I was there -- I didn’t want to upset anyone -- And I swear to God, I wasn’t at the TAB. She throws open-handed punches at him. NANCY You! Fucking liar! You’re a fucking liar, Joey! Nancy collapses into a chair. Joey tries to reassure her. She smacks him away and shouts in frustration — Ahrrgh! NANCY Meltdown. Gripped by terror — NANCY Oh my God... Oh my God... Magda wheels Fredric into the kitchen in a wheelchair. 99. Mum?! NANCY Magda embraces her. Fredric stands. Magda cautions him. He ignores her. FREDRIC Where’s Isabella -JOEY Haifa said someone picked her up. A car -- I thought -FREDRIC Who is Haifa? JOEY Colette’s daughter. You know, Colette. What car? FREDRIC FREDRIC JOEY She said -- Uh -- big. I dunno. Big white car. FREDRIC You didn’t see it? Weren’t you there? Where the hell were you -Fredric’s PHONE LIGHTS up. UNKNOWN CALLER. Fredric... MAGDA JOEY I thought, you know, maybe one of the other parents... MAGDA Answer that... JOEY ...I called everyone I knew. MAGDA ...Answer that. FREDRIC does. 116 EXT. SYDNEY. WASS AL SHAMI’S HOUSE - DAY 116 FACETIME We see ISABELLA playing by a swimming pool with other children. She seems content as she glances briefly towards camera. 100. The voice on speaker at the other end. WASS (V.O.) Your granddaughter is a clever child, Barakat. Polite... THE FACETIME ENDS. 117 117 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. KITCHEN - DAY NANCY CRUMBLES. JOEY PUNCHES THE WALL. Silence. MAGDA crosses herself simultaneously terrified and simmering with rage. FREDRIC CAUTIONS her. He knows how this plays out. They wait -WASS (V.O.) You still there? FREDRIC What do you want? CUT TO: 118 INT. LAKEMBA MOSQUE - DAY 118 SUNLIGHT THROUGH THE BLUE DOME -Geometric patterns. Arabesque calligraphy. Purple carpet. Worshipers in prayer position. One of them is -WASS. Bearded. Wearing a taqqiyah, a kameez, and loose trousers. He gets up and walks with purpose. OSMAN follows closely. 119 EXT. LAKEMBA MOSQUE. COURTYARD - DAY A COURTYARD OUTSIDE THE MOSQUE -A serene garden with a fountain and a seating area. 119 101. FREDRIC and WASS arrive simultaneously. Neither wants to be seen waiting for the other. FRANK and MIKHAEL stand back to one side. OSMAN and ARMAN, on the other. The two leaders sit neither greeting the other. FREDRIC What do you want? A beat -FREDRIC You were never very bright, Wass. Otherwise you would’ve stayed and, you know, maybe we could have worked out something mutually beneficial... You think? WASS FREDRIC Yes, I do. After you knocked my partner - well, don’t forget, he was your partner too - you took off -A cynical laugh from Wass. FREDRIC Proof of guilt. WASS You needed someone to dump on, Barakat. You should be thanking me. FREDRIC All right, thank you -- So what do you want, Wass? WASS What we all want. Peace -FREDRIC Then give me the girl. Silence. FREDRIC I know what you’ve got. You got what you wanted. You and my son -- But now, you see, you need distribution. WASS I can do that without you. 102. FREDRIC Don’t waste my time, Wass -Fredric calls Mikhael over. FREDRIC For a fee to be agreed on, Miki here will introduce you to my ‘bakers’. You do it honourably, quietly, and without drawing attention to yourself. And you have my blessing. Wass doesn’t answer. He didn’t expect it to be so easy. FREDRIC But -- You stay away from my son. You have no business with him. Fredric scowls. With a fiery gaze. A blow torch. FREDRIC Pull a stunt like this again... Not even your prophet Mohammed will save you from Hell. Hmmph. The girl. WASS FREDRIC CUT TO: 120 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. KITCHEN - DAY 120 Hugs, tears and kisses showered on Isabella from Nancy and a sheepish Joey. For Magda, nothing is resolved. She is furious. MAGDA It has to be done... Frank quietly agrees. Fredric quietly appeals. In his mind, so close to success. FREDRIC No, Magda. Listen to me carefully. This moment -- Here. Now. Defines us. What we do now -- makes us who we are... Magda remains unconvinced. 103. Isabella rushes to her grandfather, folding her arms around him. NANCY It’s time for a bath and bed, sweetheart. ISABELLA Read me a story, Jede... Isabella drags Fredric away -MAGDA My husband -- won’t make the call, Frank. But I will. Frank and Magda hold each other’s gaze. YES -A DEFINING MOMENT. MAGDA I’m making the call, Frank. CUT TO: 121 EXT. BILLY’S NIGHTCLUB - NIGHT 121 FLAMES LICK THE SKY -Crackling. Groaning. Spitting. Exploding. CLOSE SLOWLY ON BILLY Watching from his car. ON HIS FACE, we see the SHIFTING LIGHT of THE CONFLAGRATION -The arsonists move swiftly from the scene. Kickstart their bikes. And speed away. Distant sound of multiple SIRENS. CUT TO: 122 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. BEDROOM - NIGHT GLIMPSES of the NURSE’S BODY as she fusses over -FREDRIC. 122 104. MAGDA observes her as well but with a completely different agenda. Thank you. MAGDA The Nurse quietly leaves. An argument is brewing. FREDRIC Isabella’s safe. Nothing else matters... And Billy. MAGDA FREDRIC ...Leave it alone. MAGDA The Turk? Will he leave it alone? FREDRIC Look at me. Hooked up to a fucking machine -MAGDA Will he? Will he leave it alone? FREDRIC All around me, trouble. Trouble everywhere. Worrying. Always worrying. And for what? Tfhh! Wealth. Power -FREDRIC In the end... For nothing... Not even the memory of nothing. MAGDA My God, where’s your faith?! This constant talk of death! It’s in your head... Perhaps. FREDRIC MAGDA ...I don’t know, the medication -Maybe. FREDRIC MAGDA Right now you’re alive. Look at what you’ve done. All this! Be proud. Have faith -- 105. Fredric rants. Caught in an eddy of despair -FREDRIC Faith?! I don’t believe in faith, I don’t believe in God. And heaven. As for hell, we’re living it. There’s no heaven. Only black. Not even black. Nothing. Not even nothing. Not even the memory -Stop! MAGDA Long pause. Then -FREDRIC Don’t do it. MAGDA It’s already done. Another surrender. MAGDA looks him in the eye. She takes his hand. Brings it to her lips -KISSES it. CUT TO: 123 INT/EXT. BELLA VISTA ESTATE. WASS’S HOUSE - PRE-DAWN. 123 A family-home. An oasis. A white Range Rover Evoque sits out the front. A yellow bicycle leans against the garage door. INSIDE WASS and his son ISHMAEL in pyjamas nestled into him, sit on the lounge immersed in -The EUROPEAN CUP FINALS playing out on television. COMMENTATOR He drives. Ohhh, Goal!.. Where was the defence? Wass sees -A REFLECTION on the screen of glass doors sliding open. He turns. UNCLE FRANK MORELLO GUN dangling by his side 106. takes a seat. COMMENTATOR (V.O.) Coach Mourinho is a worried man. Ishmael. Confused. COMMENTATOR (V.O.) Another goal! Two nil. A massive headache for Mourinho... Wass turns off the TV. Sensing threat, the BOY buries his head in his father’s chest. WASS Please, son. Go and watch the game upstairs. In Kurdish, Wass cajoles him into leaving. WASS Go on... go on, I’ll be up... soon... FRANK What’s your name, son? The boy hesitates. WASS His name is Ishmael. FRANK You love your father, Ishmael? The boy nods. FRANK Do what he tells you, boy. Ishmael clocks the gun. ISHMAEL Are you going to kill my dad... WASS I’ll be up soon, son. Please, go upstairs to your mother... FOLLOW Ishmael to the top of the stairs. HOLD ON THE BOY. WE HEAR -A brief scuffle. Then -- 107. PHUUUIT. What Ishmael sees -His father on the floor. A pool of blood forming around his head. Frank looks up at the boy. A BABY can be heard CRYING. AMIRAH Wass’s Asian wife with an INFANT in her arms comes from the bedroom to find ISHMAEL standing on the upstairs landing FROZEN -CUT TO BLACK. 124 INT. BILLY’S APARTMENT - NIGHT 124 BILLY’S APARTMENT. LOUNGE ROOM. Strewn across the chabudai -A REVOLVER. BULLETS. Yellowish chunks of waxy translucent solids. Gravel. FREEBASE. The haute couture of crack. A lighter. A water-pipe. An alabaster jewellery box. Inside. A SYRINGE. The bag of HEROIN Wass gave BILLY -We see his ritual in granular detail -The SPOON. WATER. FLAME. FILTER. DRAWING UP the YELLOW LIQUID. THE SOUND OF -A TOILET FLUSHING. FOLLOW CHANELLE from the bathroom as she straddles BILLY -He puts down the PREPARED SYRINGE. She takes the GUN and points the barrel at his head -- 108. CHANELLE Pew! Pew! Pew! He attempts to take the gun from her. She wrestles him. They end up in a TANGLE of LIMBS that quickly leads to VENERY. 125 125 INT. BILLY’S APARTMENT - NIGHT LATER -The LOADED SYRINGE still sits on the chabudai. Billy is sprawled out on the couch. Chanelle gathers up her clothes. He fumbles with his phone. A string of missed calls -MUM. MUM. MUM. NANCY -He ignores them and punches in a number. A beat -Billy drawls -BILLY Lemme speak to him. Angel. C’mon... ANGEL (V.O.) You’re high. BILLY Show him to me. Go on. Just show him to me... ANGEL (V.O.) Unbelievable. But she does. 126 INT. ANGEL’S APARTMENT. NOAH’S BEDROOM - NIGHT 126 FACETIME -We see NOAH sleeping. Snuggled up to Gruffalo. A night light reflecting coloured patterns on the wall. CUT TO: 109. 127 INT. BILLY’S APARTMENT - NIGHT 127 CHANELLE tripping on the corner of the lounge. She lets out a string of profanities. ANGEL (V.O.) Who’s there? BILLY No one, I’m on my own... Angel HANGS UP on the call. Fuck!! BILLY BILLY THROWS the PHONE. It sails past Chanelle and hits the wall. Unfazed, she finishes dressing. 128 INT. BILLY’S APARTMENT - NIGHT 128 MOMENTS LATER -CHANELLE is lying on the couch with the water pipe. Getting high on freebase. BILLY stumbles across the room and puts a vinyl record on a vintage turntable. Hisses. Crackles. BHEBBAK YA LEBNAN. FAIRUZ. BILLY This fucken song! -- He drove me fucken mad listening to this shit. He does some clumsy dance steps. CHANELLE Yeah, babe, chill... Billy DETONATES. FUCK HIM! BILLY He picks up the TURNTABLE and HURLS it on the floor. It shatters. Jesus... CHANELLE 110. He kicks and stomps on the broken pieces and keeps kicking and stomping until he ends up woozy -He staggers to the lounge and the table with the drugs. CUT TO: 129 INT. BILLY’S APARTMENT BLOCK. ELEVATOR - NIGHT 129 VINCENT. IN THE ELEVATOR -GOING UP. Arms outstretched, BERETTA in one hand, head drooped, he leans into the elevator’s mirrored wall -Looks up at his reflection. As the doors open he SHATTERS the MIRROR with the butt of his revolver. NOW -130 INT. BILLY’S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 130 He CRASHES through the door of Billy’s apartment. Strapping a BELT just above his elbow BILLY looks up to see -THE BERETTA STARING AT HIM. VINCENT It’s fucking loaded. Not like you, you prick! BILLY Go on, then. Go on brother -- You got the guts?! Do it. Pull the fucken trigger. He holds his arms wide obligingly, chest out, belt hanging down -An easy target. BILLY Go on, pull the trigger... He screams at Vincent. He bashes the lounge with his fists -- 111. BILLY FUCKEN DO IT! Gutless piece of shit! With that -He LUNGES at his rival. They WRESTLE. Each other. For the gun. Vincent momentarily has the upper hand. Then -THE GUN FIRES. The shot, muffled by their entanglement, leaves BILLY coming out on top -HOLDING the GUN. He backs away from Vincent staggering backwards to the couch. Checks himself for wounds. HOLDING his SIDE Vincent plonks down into the closest chair. Billy indicates the BLEEDING. Vincent panics -VINCENT Fuck! Fuck! Fuck -BILLY -- Just a graze. Don’t worry, Bro... Vincent breathing heavily. Pressing on the wound -BILLY STUDIES the BERETTA. Holds it up. BILLY Nice piece. Fuck!... VINCENT BILLY Your father’s, huh? Nice. Billy speaks in one continuous drawl -BILLY Where’d you get it? Such a nice piece... Huh?... VINCENT 112. BILLY Fredric?!... Silence. BILLY Your father’s, right? The weapon! And, and -- So where did Fredric get it?!... Vincent is rattled. BILLY You know, that’s the gun that killed him, yeah? You know that, right?... Fuck! You! VINCENT Billy SLIDES the GUN along the floor TO VINCENT -BILLY I was there, bro, I was there. We cleaned up -- You know, after. Morello and me... Billy slumps back into the lounge. BILLY No gun. That gun... Billy points -BILLY Wasn’t there. Nowhere. We stripped the place. Stripped it. A beat -BILLY We assumed the Turk took it. Maybe he liked it, I dunno -- After he shot your father with it -VINCENT Fuck you -VINCENT picks up the GUN. Raises it at BILLY. Instinctively, BILLY picks HIS GUN off the table. Levels it at Vincent. A STANDOFF. Then -- 113. Billy LAUGHS. He puts down his gun... BILLY I can’t be fucked with this. The chamber was empty anyway. He takes the end of the BELT. TIGHTENS it around his UPPER ARM. Picks up the ALREADY-LOADED SYRINGE -Billy injects THE HEROIN. THE FLICK. THE VEIN. THE CURL OF BLOOD. LOOSENING THE PRESSURE. Oh, man... BILLY As the RUSH comes on. Billy rolls his head around. Sighs. More of a moan. Maybe pleasure. Maybe not. He croaks the words -BILLY How did he get the gun? Vincent notices BLOOD seeping through his fingers. RINGING in his head. He ignores Billy. Stumbles to -131 INT. BILLY’S APARTMENT. BATHROOM - CONTINUOUS 131 Rummages through the cabinet. Grabs a roll of dressing for the wound and begins stuffing the lot roughly under his shirt to stop the bleeding. He rifles through the draws looking for a bandage... 132 INT. BILLY’S APARTMENT - CONTINUOUS 132 WHILE -BILLY SLUMPS into the lounge with a LONG GROAN. His eyes roll in their sockets like pinballs. CHANELLE who has been sitting there the whole time stoned -Finally moves -Slow and languid, she edges over to Billy. Shakes him. Weakly. 114. He stirs and... CHANELLE Hey, babe... ...goes comatose again. Chanelle nudges Billy. She mutters incoherently -CHANELLE Billy. Wake up. C’mon, babe... VINCENT emerges from the bathroom. With a dismissive glance at Billy and without stopping... VINCENT Fucking druggies. ...HE LEAVES. CHANELLE Billy -- Wake up, Baby. BILLY’S FACE has a DEATHLIKE PALLOR. Starting to worry -Chanelle makes a CALL. Frank... 133 CHANELLE INT. VINCENT’S APARTMENT - NIGHT. 133 AIDA in the bathroom. Showered. In Vincent’s bathrobe. THE PREGNANCY TEST SHOWS -- POSITIVE -The SOUND of a KEY TURNING. The door opening. SOMEONE FALLING to the floor. VINCENT -Collapsed. Just inside the hallway. She shuts the door. He’s pale. A large PATCH of BLOOD around the WOUND. She helps him to his feet. Gets him to the lounge. 115. 134 INT. VINCENT’S APARTMENT - NIGHT 134 AN HOUR LATER -DOCTOR KHOURY finishes dressing Vincent’s wound. KHOURY It’s more than a graze, but -- You’ll recover. Get some rest. I’ll see you tomorrow... Vincent hands him a wad. Here. KHOURY Khoury hands over a blister pack of painkillers. Aida takes them. Khoury leaves. CUT TO: 135 EXT. SYDNEY. AERIAL VIEW - NIGHT/MORNING 135 TIME LAPSE -From NIGHT to the FIRST RAYS OF SUN. From POTTS POINT to the CITY. From the HARBOUR to BAYVIEW and the BARAKAT ESTATE overlooking PITTWATER -136 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. LIVING ROOM - DAY 136 FREDRIC in the WHEELCHAIR. AIDA tucks in close to him. Her arm inside his. Baba. AIDA She strokes him with a soothing hand. A pale VINCENT shows little sign of injury except for a nasty facial BRUISE -Silence as -MAGDA still in her dressing gown makes a call. Tries again. Shakes her head. No answer. FREDRIC What did he say? 116. Vincent hesitates. He throws a brief look at Fredric who gestures for him to speak openly. FREDRIC What’s on your mind? Vincent looks at Magda. And -Slides the BERETTA on the glass-topped COFFEE TABLE. VINCENT How did you get this? Ah-ha... FREDRIC Fredric knows where this is going -VINCENT Billy said you sent them to -- to clean up. He said he and Frank - That they searched the house -- There was no gun... He points to the gun -VINCENT H-How did you get my father’s gun? Fredric’s expression hardens. He folds Magda into his response, circumnavigating the question -FREDRIC We cleaned up because we didn’t want the police involved -VINCENT But they were there, weren’t they? FREDRIC Yes they were there. We called them. After -MAGDA How else could we protect you? Your mother. When she became ill we brought you up as our own children. You. And Renee. VINCENT Why would Wass go to do a job without a gun? His own gun. And how come you had the gun no one else could find... 117. MAGDA (to Aida) We should leave them. Aida gently detaches from her father. AIDA I love you, Baba -VINCENT -- Makes no sense. Magda leads her out into -137 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. HALLWAY - CONTINUOUS 137 OUT OF EARSHOT -MAGDA I know you’ve been fooling around with him. Eventually -Tears roll from Aida’s eyes. She nods. Magda pulls her into an embrace. 138 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. LIVING ROOM - CONTINUOUS 138 FREDRIC gets out of the wheelchair. Opens the drawer of the dresser... FREDRIC You never ask about your mother. Why? ...He takes out a pen and paper. I... VINCENT Fredric writes something on the piece of paper and... FREDRIC She’s your mother. ...leaves it sitting on the table. VINCENT She wasn’t a mother. I hardly knew her. She -- She left us... Vincent shrugs -- 118. VINCENT I don’t know. I don’t care. She left us, right? For a fucking monastery. Nine years old. Renee. Just a baby... FREDRIC Can you recall your father? You must remember something. He didn’t just argue with her -- he beat your mother senseless. VINCENT Fuck you... FREDRIC Alright. You’re angry -VINCENT Yeah, I’m angry. Billy fucked me. He torched the club? He’s ruined everything I worked for. Of course, I’m angry. And he tells me -FREDRIC -- I’m asking about your mother. VINCENT He tells me -- He says they couldn’t find a gun. He says, he says ask him if that’s the gun that killed your dad. Ask him how he got it... Vincent runs out of words. FREDRIC And you?! Huh? With your big dreams. Nothing allowed to get in your way -Except Billy loved the club. He loved it. You have your dreams. Did his ever occur to you? Silence -Vincent indicates the gun on the table. VINCENT Just -- Just answer me. How did you get my father’s gun? FREDRIC You don’t remember? You were there... What? VINCENT 119. FREDRIC ...You were there. Down the hall. In your room. VINCENT I don’t remember... FREDRIC You were there! You would’ve heard. Something. VINCENT ...I don’t remember anything. FREDRIC When I arrived, I came into your room. You were on the floor -- You were terrified. And Renee was in the cot. Crying... VINCENT All I remember was being taken away in a car. FREDRIC That’s right. With your mother. In the car. She was -- traumatised. VINCENT I don’t remember that. FREDRIC PUSHES THE NOTE FORWARD. FREDRIC You never ask about her. HE PUSHES THE NOTE FURTHER towards Vincent next to THE GUN... FREDRIC You want answers -- There. ...AN ADDRESS. CUT TO: 139 INT/EXT. VEHICLE. REMOTE ROAD - DAY 139 VINCENT DRIVING -The ROAD SIGN flashing past reads --- ENFORCING ROAD SAFETY SLOW DOWN -Vincent doesn’t. The road weaves through a wooded landscape. Lights FLASH in his mirrors. 120. A HIGHWAY PATROL CAR speeding up behind him. THE NOTE with the address and THE GUN are on the seat next to him. The SIREN YELPS. Vincent slides the gun under his seat and slows onto the shoulder of the road. The patrol car PASSES on the outside and SPEEDS into the distance. Vincent turns down a low embankment and screeches to a stop. MORNING SUN FLARES FLOOD THE SCREEN. 140 140 INT. KARAM HOUSE - NIGHT FLASHBACK. Baby Renee is sitting in the cot. Sobbing uncontrollably. Beyond her -YOUNG VINCENT peers through the door of his room. FROM HIS POINT OF VIEW At the end of the hallway. RAYMOND is sprawled out on the floor. In a POOL of BLOOD A WOMAN slumped in a chair. Her head in her hands. FREDRIC IS STANDING NEXT TO HER HOLDING THE GUN. END FLASHBACK. 141 INT/EXT. VEHICLE. REMOTE ROAD - DAY 141 THE CAR DOOR FLIES OPEN. VINCENT falls out of the vehicle and staggers to the closest tree for stability. He doubles over with an attack of nausea. AFTER A MOMENT -He gets back in the car. Drives. His face strobed by sunlight filtering through the trees. CUT TO: 121. 142 EXT/INT. SAINT BENEDICT CONVENT - DAY 142 LARGE IRON GATES OPEN. Vincent drives through -Vincent waiting in reception -A RASSOPHORE leads Vincent down a long, austere corridor. They stop outside a room. The nun KNOCKS. We hear a murmur from within. She indicates for him to enter. RASSOPHORE She knows you’re here. She hasn’t spoken for years. Only prayer. The Rassophore leaves. Vincent hesitates. Then steps into -143 INT. SAINT BENEDICT CONVENT. NADINE’S ROOM - DAY 143 Every inch of wall is covered in religious iconography. Paintings of the Virgin Mary. The Saints. A diamond-leaded stained glass window with a view of the garden. A bed. A chest of drawers and small table with a vase of wild flowering herbs. Votive candles. Frankincense burning in a small brass vessel. A chair. The seated WOMAN has her back to us. She holds a string of rosary beads, coaxing each one through her fingers. The woman’s eyes are crystal clear. The same blue as Vincent’s. She mutters a prayer in a continuous murmur. Her skin is soft, wrinkled, transparent. This is -Vincent’s mother -NADINE. VINCENT steps into her view. Pulls up another chair. She doesn’t look at him. Her eyes are fixed beyond him on an effigy of the Holy Mother with Baby Jesus in her arms. A beat -The curve of his body is sculpted in shame. ...Mum... VINCENT 122. SHE LOOKS AT HIM. Her gaze soft. Forgiving. She reaches out. Takes his hand. A QUIETUS. Tears well in Vincent’s eyes. CUT TO: 144 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. NURSE’S STATION - DAY 144 The NURSE is in a huddle with MAGDA. Preparing Fredric’s medication. Speaking in hushed tones. MALIK skittering around their feet. MAGDA Was this the first time? No... NURSE MAGDA His hand where? The Nurse demonstrates. Running her hand from her knee towards her thigh. Magda reaches out and stops her from being literal. Malik gets in on the act. Circling. Sniffing. Pawing. Malik! MAGDA Malik shies away. MAGDA Did he say anything? No. NURSE MAGDA Anything else? The Nurse evades -What? MAGDA NURSE He touches himself sometimes. It’s... 123. Oh. MAGDA NURSE ...the Alzheimers. Magda sighs. She struggles to accept. To know the one you love is losing their dignity. And you? MAGDA The Nurse reassures -NURSE I’m fine Mrs Barakat. His behaviour -it’s natural... A beat -MAGDA He’s an old man. The Nurse smiles and nods. Malik barks. Magda CLAPS her HANDS at the dog and makes a SHOOING GESTURE. 145 145 INT/EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE - DAY FOLLOW MALIK -He GALLOPS down the hallway. SLIDES across the kitchen tiles. Out across the patio. Scoops up a tennis ball. BOUNDS up to -FREDRIC in his wheelchair. The ball between his teeth. Fredric LIGHTS UP. Takes the ball. Throws it... Malik gives chase -Overruns the moving ball. Doubles back. Retrieves it in his jaws. Trots back to Fredric and lays it in his lap. AGAIN. Fredric raises the ball. Rolls it in his fingers -CUT TO: 124. 146 INT. SAINT BENEDICT CONVENT. NADINE’S ROOM - DAY 146 NADINE -SHUFFLING the ROSARIES while she speaks. THE CONVENT. NADINE God as my witness, I knew this day would come -- that you would be my confessor. CAMERA drifts from her across the iconography in the room and lands on... NADINE (O.S.) What I’ve done, God cannot absolve. ...VINCENT. Not sure he wants to hear. 147 EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE. GARDEN - DAY 147 FREDRIC throws the ball. MALIK chases. A midair catch. Then, back to Fredric’s side. FREDRIC Good boy. Good boy. He strokes the dog’s head. Malik gleams with anticipation. Coiled like a spring. Tongue lolling slick with saliva -AGAIN. Fredric throws the ball. Malik chases. NADINE (V.O.) I had hoped prayer would cleanse the lies. But nothing will. Fredric’s blanket has fallen to the ground. THE NURSE runs out. Picks it up and covers Fredric’s legs. He mutters without looking up -Thank you. FREDRIC He reaches for her -BUT -- 125. She’s gone. Instead, MALIK presents him with a wet ball. NADINE (V.O.) The man you call your father. I loved him. But then he became distracted. Troubled. Unpredictable. Given to changes in mood -- I feared him. Fredric... Fredric wipes off the saliva with the blanket, ruffles the dog’s fur and throws the ball again. Malik chases. NADINE (V.O.) Fredric showed me kindness. In desperation I -- I took advantage of his goodwill... Malik stops. Growls. A RABBIT -Skips into the bushes. MALIK whines... BEHIND THE BUSHES. THE RABBIT STANDS. FROZEN. 148 INT. SAINT BENEDICT CONVENT. NADINE’S ROOM - DAY 148 VINCENT listens for the TRUTHS to come -NADINE Yes... At the first sign of the pregnancy, I made sure to let Raymond think you were his son... And they do. The truths. They come. NADINE speaks with unerring clarity. No nostalgia. Emotionally detached. Resigned -NADINE I kept the secret. Not only from Raymond. But from Fredric. There was no other way to keep you safe. Vincent struggles to process the information. CUT TO: 126. 149 149 EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE. GARDEN - DAY THE STARTLED RABBIT FLEES -Follow the rabbit into the BLACKNESS of its burrow -- CUT TO: 150 INT. KARAM HOUSE - NIGHT 150 THE OBSCURITY OF A DARKENED CORRIDOR. FLASHBACK -A SLIVER of SUNLIGHT spills from a door opening -NADINE (V.O.) I withdrew from Raymond. We lived separate lives. I had no love to give. I denied him. Despite his infidelities, he wanted to punish me. The doorknob turns. The door eases open. LITTLE VINCENT’S face appears -Looking down the hallway at a figure -NADINE (V.O.) I could not take any more from Raymond. He threatened to kill me. And my children. I could not let him do that... NADINE -SITTING at a table. Speaking on the LANDLINE. SUITCASES PACKED. For her and the children. RAYMOND STORMS IN -Slaps a gun and money on the table. Wrenches the phone from her. Rips it from the wall. Roughly grabs the suitcases. Tears them open. Throws them -Their contents strewn across the floor -Soft toys. Nadine’s clothes and the children’s. He STRIKES Nadine. Again and again with an OPEN FIST while TEARING at her CLOTHING. She STRUGGLES. He TIGHTENS HIS GRIP around her waist. His free hand CLAWS at the underwear BENEATH her dress. 127. NADINE STARES beyond him. Terrified. Straight at -LITTLE VINCENT -NADINE (V.O.) Perhaps you do not wish to remember. PLEADING with her EYES for him to avert his gaze. THE BOY. RIGID WITH FEAR. END FLASHBACK. CUT TO: 151 EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE. GARDEN - DAY 151 FREDRIC. MALIK at his feet. Tongue dangling loose and long. Panting. The ball discarded. THE GAME IS OVER. CUT TO: 152 INT. SAINT BENEDICT CONVENT. NADINE’S ROOM - DAY 152 THE RASSOFORE and another NUN comfort NADINE. She ROCKS gently back and forth CLUTCHING her ROSARIES and PRAYING. 153 EXT. SAINT BENEDICT CONVENT. CAR PARK - DAY 153 CLOSE SLOWLY IN ON -VINCENT Sitting in his car. The motor running. CUT TO: 154 INT. KARAM HOUSE - NIGHT RAYMOND IN A POOL OF BLOOD. FLASHBACK. 154 128. WE HEAR knocking at the front door. FREDRIC calling out. The sound is distant. Dissociated from the brutality of -THE IMAGE OF NADINE -Her clothing ripped. Slumped in a chair. Face bruised and bleeding. In shock. Eyes riveted to the BODY on the floor in front of her -Her arms hanging by her side. The FOREFINGER of her hand CURLED around the TRIGGER GUARD -THE TIP OF THE GUN BARREL RESTING ON THE FLOOR. WE HEAR the front door being FORCED open. Urgent footfall. FREDRIC -SLOWS when he sees the grisly scene. HE EASES THE GUN FROM HER FINGERTIPS. He walks down the HALLWAY toward the LIGHT SEEPING through the crack in the door. He stops halfway. BEHIND THE DOOR -LITTLE VINCENT slowly pulls the door shut. He crouches next to a crib. BABY RENEE CRYING. HER CRIES AND WHIMPERS MUTATE INTO -FLASHBACK ENDS. CUT TO: 155 EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE. GARDEN - DAY CRIES AND WAILING COMING FROM -The two-storey Barakat mansion behind FRANK as he -WALKS TOWARDS THE FIGURE OF FREDRIC in the garden. With... 155 129. THE NEWS OF BILLY’S DEATH. CUT TO: 156 EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE - DAY 156 VINCENT DRIVES INTO FORECOURT. A SHIT-COLOURED MIASMA hangs in the air. The manicured lawn and pristine gardens have a PATINA of DECAY. No bird song. Only the MUFFLED CRIES and LAMENTATION from inside the house. VINCENT walks toward the main entrance. His steps are slow. Crunching on the gravel driveway. FRANK leans against a colonnade on the front porch, chainsmoking cigarettes. He looks up at the house. Shakes his head and MUTTERS -FRANK A house full of women grieving the men who were meant to protect them. He DROPS the lit CIGARETTE, STAMPS it out. SITS on the steps and lights another. 157 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. VATICAN ROOM - DAY 157 A framed PHOTOGRAPH is on display, surrounded by votive candles WILLIAM ‘BILLY’ BARAKAT. Magda and Nancy sob inconsolably. Monsignor echoes their keening with his prayer. ANGEL appears at the door. The women embrace her. Holding his GRUFFALO, NOAH sits in front of the photograph of his father. He touches the image with his finger -Daddy... 158 NOAH INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. KITCHEN - DAY 158 AUNTIE COLETTE and COUSIN DELORES, prepare tea and coffee for the mourners. 130. They speak in whispers -DELORES I don’t want to say it but -COLETTE Then don’t -DELORES I know, I know, but -- he was always a burden on the family -Shhh -- COLETTE DELORES I know, I know, I shouldn’t -COLETTE Then don’t, even if it’s true. Not now. DELORES Poor Magda. Shush. 159 COLETTE INT/EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE. KITCHEN. GARDEN - DAY 159 AIDA. EYES RED FROM GRIEVING -Walks through the kitchen and stands in the doorway to the garden -SHE CATCHES SIGHT of VINCENT at the SIDE ENTRANCE to the GARDEN. THEIR EYES CONNECT. ONE SECRET WAITING to be EXCHANGED for ANOTHER. WAITING but not shared -CUT TO: 160 EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE. GARDEN - DAY FREDRIC. 160 131. In the garden. Hunched over. Blankets covering his legs. A catheter in his arm. A nasal cannula -OXYGEN to help him BREATHE. The NURSE checks his blood pressure. A HEART MONITOR attached to electrodes beneath the cardigan he wears to keep him warm. WE HEAR -THE SOUND of FREDRIC’S breathing thinning and the soft sporadic whimpers of Malik filtering through. THEN -THE SOUNDS of nature begin DROWNING OUT the grief. VAPOROUS CLOUDS of MIST envelop Fredric. He becomes -A SPECTRE. CUT TO: 161 EXT/INT. BARAKAT ESTATE - DAY 161 THE NURSE RUNNING. URGENT. FOLLOW HER -From the garden. Across the patio. Into the house. The living room. The hallway. Up the stairs. Along the endless corridor -SHE SLOWS. Catches her breath. ENTERS -162 INT. BARAKAT ESTATE. VATICAN ROOM - DAY THE OUD PLAYS. The mood is sombre. SOUNDS of gentle sobbing. THE NURSE succumbs to tears. MONSIGNOR LOOKS UP. 162 132. She has his attention. She bows her head. He turns towards the WINDOW. HE peers down -163 163 EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE. GARDEN - DAY THROUGH LIFTING VEILS OF MIST -FREDRIC. Malik at his side. Raises his paws onto the arms of the wheelchair... Whimpers. THE MONITOR connected by tubes to the electrodes shows FREDRIC’S HEART is in ASYSTOLE. The faint SOUND of FLATLINING. 164 164 EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE. GARDEN - DAY IN SHOCK VINCENT WATCHES FROM AFAR. A distressed MAGDA RUNS from the kitchen to her husband. AIDA is already at her father’s side. Magda slumps at her Fredric’s feet. Aida comforts her in an embrace -SHE briefly looks at VINCENT. BOTH -In the SILENT grips of raw INEXPRESSIBLE GRIEF. 165 165 EXT. BARAKAT ESTATE. GARDEN - DAY IN THE WINDOW ABOVE MONSIGNOR -Makes the sign of the cross. He turns away. Melts into -- THE REFLECTIONS on the WINDOW PANE of CLOUDS moving rapidly across the sky. FADE TO BLACK. 133. 166 166 INT. BAMBINI TRUST RESTAURANT - EARLY MORNING AT HIS FAVOURITE RESTAURANT -- SENATOR LACHY HOLMES hangs his coat on the back of his chair as the Waiter brings him the morning newspapers. The headlines read: MIDDLE EASTERN CRIME BOSS AND HIS FAMILY SLAIN IN VENGEANCE KILLING. Beneath it -A photograph of WASSIM AL SHAMI. CUT TO: CODA 167 EXT. LEBANON. THE SLOPES OF THE VALLEY - DAY 167 Fifty years ago, these fields harvested hashish. Now the dead. A CEMETERY. AT THE HEAD OF THE MOURNERS -MAGDA. THE MATRIARCH. Cloaked in stoic sorrow. Veiled and garbed in black brocade silk -The WHITE STREAK in her hair giving her the unmistakable demeanour of regality. Elegance and strength -Flanked by NANCY, ISABELLA and JOEY TANNOUS -Accepts condolences from GEORGE AYOUB and ALI YAHYA for her loss -A HAND-KISS and BRIEF WORDS carry the hope of a future enterprise -A practiced UPWARD CURVE of MAGDA’S LIPS indicates their contractual agreement will proceed as usual. The TWO MEN shake hands warmly with FRANK and MIKHAEL -VINCENT. And AIDA -now showing visible signs of PREGNANCY gather around TWO ELABORATE CASKETS -- 134. A FATHER and his SON. The BISHOP of the Northern District gives the blessing while the Village PRIEST throws holy water on the caskets as they descend into the earth. The same prayer we heard at the beginning in a different context. BISHOP On this solemn occasion, we are gathered in this sacred place to celebrate a milestone in a spiritual journey for the purposes of completing a relationship with the divine. BENEATH the BELL TOWER THE VILLAGE BAKER. Wearing his toque and apron. Pulls on the bell rope. Watched by CHILDREN feasting on a basket of beignets and clamouring with sticky fingers for a turn. THE BELL TOLLS. Above An Israeli FIGHTER JET sweeps across the sky. In the distance we hear the ROLLING THUNDER of a never-ending war. END