Author's note 4/21/04: I am making another run at finishing this fic. Beginning today, I will be posting essentially complete versions of most of the chapters, starting with chapter 3. …LS
BLOOD OATH OF PATRIOTS
Volume III
THE CITADEL OF LOU MANCHU
by GALEN HARDESTY
Chapter Four
A KILLING AT HOMECOMING
(Revised and expanded 20 April 2004)
Scene 11: Lawndale High bleachers, announcer's booth. Upchuck is calling the Lions homecoming game.
UPCHUCK: Stagg back to pass... throws to Armitage... Intercepted! Mighty Mack has it! He's on the thirty-five, the thirty... breaks a tackle.. slips past Blake... the twenty, he's going all the way! He scores!!
Scene 12: Medium long shot of playing field from POV of bleachers. The ball is snapped, Lawndale kicks the extra point.
UPCHUCK: The extra point is up… it's good! It's now 33-28, Lions trailing by five.
Cut to: same scene, six minutes later.
UPCHUCK: (vo): So the Taproots must kick off from their thirty-seven, and the Lions have time for one more series of plays. Here's the snap... the kick is up... Morton takes it on the thirteen..he's to the twenty... the twenty-five... he breaks a tackle... spins out of another... to the thirty-five... will he... no! He's down at the forty-one! Big kickoff return for Morton! And there goes the two minute warning!
Cut to...
Scene 13: Medium shot of bleachers showing the Morgendorffers standing and cheering, except Daria, who remains seated. She and Quinn both look noticeably anxious. Cut back to...
Scene 11 Int. Announcer's booth, one and a half minutes later.
UPCHUCK: Twenty-seven seconds left to play, and it's second and ten for the Lions on the seventeen yard line. Thompson takes the snap... he's looking... he's gonna run it... and he's hit on the twenty for a three yard loss on the play! Ooh, bad break, Kevin!
Cut back to...
Scene 13: MS of bleachers showing Morgendorffers standing, with disappointed looks on their faces, and Daria seated, looking disgusted. Cut back to...
Scene 12: Medium long shot of playing field from POV of bleachers. The teams, looking tired and dirty, line up.
UPCHUCK: ( vo) And it's third down and thirteen from the twenty for Lawndale. Only time for one or two more plays. It's all on the line now. There's the snap and it's a running play straight up the middle. He's to the fifteen, he's still on his feet, to the twelve, OHHH! He's down on the eleven yard line! Coach Gibson uses Lawndale's last time out!
UPCHUCK: Now they're lined up, the clock starts, the ball is snapped. Thompson fades back, he's looking... he laterals to White! White to the ten, to the five, he slips a tackle, gets a block, HE SCORES! LIONS LEAD BY ONE! Five seconds remain! FOUR!... THREE!... TWO!... ONE!!! LIONS WIN!! LIONS WIN!!!
Cut back to…
Scene 13: Lawndale High Bleachers, MS showing the Morgendorffers among other fans, on their feet, waving their arms and cheering. Daria jumps up and down two or three times, Quinn continues to do so. After fifteen seconds or so, Daria steps back to the next row and makes her way behind her parents' backs to the aisle, and then down off the bleachers. After working her way through the worst of the crowd, which is pressing toward the exits leading to the parking lots, she sets a course toward the motor pool exit, where the buses are parked. Blending in with the Taproots marching band and some disconsolate Oakwood fans, she passes through the gate, then angles toward the back side of the garage building. Cut to…
Scene 14: Lawndale High garage, Southeast corner. At the edge of a pool of light cast by a pole lamp, Ms. Li is counting small bundles received from a well-dressed man in a spiffy hat. They speak briefly, then separate. Placing her bundles in a large purse, Ms. Li heads back toward the gate to the football field. Upchuck steps into the light and approaches the well-dressed man.
DARIA: Congratulations.
MS. LI: (starts, looks around, focuses on a deep shadow at the back end of a school bus) Who's there?
DARIA: Melody Powers. (Steps out of the shadow.)
MS. LI: (smiles) And to you. (reaches in purse) This would be more convenient and discreet in my office Monday afternoon.
DARIA: I agree, but I'm afraid Quinn will get antsy waiting and let something slip before then. Mom's very good at picking up on that sort of thing, and all this lovely money would become involuntary contributions to our college funds, which I won't need because of scholarships, and which Quinn won't need because of her mysterious and untimely death.
MS. LI: Hmhm, well, we wouldn't want that. (She has been counting out money, and hands some to Daria, who counts it quickly.) Don't blow it all on loose women.
DARIA: (smirks) Okay. My share's going into my new bank account tomorrow morning. The one my parents don't know about. (She gets down on her left knee and hides more than half of the bills in her right sock.)
MS. LI: Having the bank statements sent to a friend's house?
DARIA: (hiding more bills in her left sock) Yes. But thanks for mentioning it.
MS. LI: De nada. See you Monday. (She walks off. Daria puts the rest of the money in two of her jacket pockets, looks around, and heads for the gate to the football field, after Ms. Li.)