(from) The Smugglers
Author’s Notes
Characters
Sam (Short for Samantha): mid 30’s, female, Hispanic
Arturo: 30’s, Hispanic
Luis: 30’s, Hispanic
Tom: Mid 20’s, White
Omar: Late 30’s, Hispanic
Synopsis
Sam leads a Drug-Cartel on the Mexico-US border; another Cartel is moving in and threatening her empire. They have bought out the police from under her and kidnapped her son. Luis is an undercover federal agent who is ousted by his own boss. With his cover blown he must help Sam get her son back or Sam will kill Luis and do worse to his little girl and family.
Setting
The story unfolds in a house in Juarez, Mexico near the border with the United States. Sam owns many houses on the Mexican side of the border which she uses as drop-houses, to make deals, or to torture, kill and bury her enemies. The houses are average looking Mexican homes from the outside. Inside they are well furnished, in traditional Mexican home style, the front yard is small but the backyard is large.
Set
The set is divided into three pieces. In the middle there is a traditional Mexican cement home. It is furnished with a table, a chair and other details that would make it look like a house, like a sofa or coffee tables. Stage-left is the backyard of the house. There are mounds of dirt everywhere and the older ones have grass on them. It is lit by a light bulb on the outside of the house. Stage Right is the front of the house, the street.
CLOTHING
The male characters should wear traditional Mexican Narcotraficante attire. Cowboy shirts, Jeans, and boots, Tom should wear a cowboy shirt that can easily be ripped off and should not wear an undershirt.
The stage is black. We hear men struggling to open the front door. It opens and two men walk in dragging a man with them. The man struggles against them. The only light comes from the outside through the open door. Tom, the man being dragged is beaten up badly and his clothes are covered in his own blood.
TOM
No, no... I didn’t do anything.
The two men (Arturo and Luis) drag him to the middle of the living room.
ARTURO
Ya callate gabacho!
Luis turns on a light. A single bulb illuminates the room from above. It is enough light to see the characters clearly but the corners of the room are dark. In the back corner of the room in the shadows is a man unconscious on a chair, he is bloody, his hands tied behind his back, his head is down, and his face is covered by a cowboy hat.
LUIS
Who’s that?
ARTURO
Who cares, another guy who fucked up like this one.
TOM
Please... Let me go.
ARTURO
Perdon, brother. I can’t do that.
TOM
Luis...
ARTURO (to Luis)
Watch the blood, pendejo.
TOM
Compas, we’re friends. I can pay-
ARTURO
Baboso wacha, he’s bleeding all over la pinche carpet.
Arturo lifts Tom onto a chair in front of the table, Luis duct tapes Tom’s legs to the chair’s legs.
TOM (to Luis)
I brought you in, Luis! You owe me!
ARTURO
You shouldn’t have killed the girl, gabacho.
TOM
I didn’t mean to.
ARTURO
She belonged to Sam.
TOM
Please... don’t-
ARTURO
Check out your friend Luis, crying like a little bitch.
TOM
I have money.
ARTURO
It’s not up to me, gringo.
TOM
I can pay you, both of you. Luis!
ARTURO
It’s not up to him either.
TOM
Fuck you! Luis, I have money. Remember-
ARTURO
I hope you enjoyed that 14 year old pussy.
TOM
I, I can get more girls.
ARTURO
Yeah?
TOM
Young, pretty.
ARTURO
Pretty?
TOM
Yeah.
ARTURO
How many?
TOM
Two, three.
ARTURO
How many?
TOM
Two, yes, two.
ARTURO
Where are they?
TOM
My uncle, he has ‘em.
ARTURO
On the other side?
TOM
El Paso, I can go get them.
ARTURO
You mean the girls your uncle is watching for Sam.
Luis looks down and shakes his head. Silence.
TOM
What... what are you gonna do?
ARTURO
In the old days amigo, we’d make menudo. Cut you into little pieces, put you in a barrel, pour some gasoline and let you burn.
TOM
No, Arturo, Luis, we’re friends.
ARTURO
Friends? One friend, he wouldn’t shut up. I grabbed a knife and
gutted him like a pig. He was bleeding all over the place, crying like a bitch.
TOM
It’s me, we’re-
ARTURO
Bleeding and crying like a puto, (mockingly) ‘We’re friends.’
Arturo rips Tom’s cowboy shirt in half, takes out a knife and lightly drags it across Tom’s belly. We hear a car pull up outside the door. A car door slams. Sam enters
TOM
No, no, señora-
Sam
Cayalo.
TOM
Luis, don’t-
Luis duct tapes Tom’s mouth.
SAM
Why did you bring him here?
ARTURO
I thought you’d want to see him.
SAM
Why?
ARTURO
He killed the girl.
SAM
You mean my girl.
ARTURO
Yes.
SAM
Where were you?
ARTURO
I was filling up the car.
SAM
You left them alone?
ARTURO
No, I left Luis with them.
SAM
(to Arturo) She was your responsibility. (to Luis) What happened?
LUIS
I went to get food.
SAM
I’m out a girl ‘cause you got hungry?
Pause
SAM
How’d he kill her?
LUIS
He doped her up to fuck her, he didn’t-
SAM
He fucked her?
LUIS
It was an accident.
SAM
(to Luis) So his dick just fell in her? (beat, to Tom) Is that what happened gringo? Your dick just fell in her? (beat) Kill him.
LUIS
We can pay for the girl.
SAM
You have money?
LUIS
We can get-
SAM
You got Two Hundred and Fifty Thousand dollars?
LUIS
She’s not-
SAM
A year of whoring and she would’ve made me quarter million.
LUIS
His family, they have money.
SAM
It’s not about the money.
LUIS
They can pay.
SAM
He fucked me out of my money. If I let anyone fuck me what does that make me? A whore. Am I a whore?
LUIS
No.
SAM
Matenlo.
Arturo starts to move in towards Tom, knife in hand.
SAM
No. Luis, you kill him.
LUIS
But-
SAM
He’s your friend, you kill him.
LUIS
No.
SAM
No?
LUIS
He fucked up, he knows it.
SAM
So, I should just let him fuck me?
Luis is silent
SAM
(to Arturo) Agarralo.
Arturo grabs Luis from behind.
SAM
Once you break the rules Luis, you’re no good.
LUIS
I can’t...
SAM
Por que no?
LUIS
He’s my friend.
SAM
Your friend?
LUIS
Yes.
Sam takes the knife from Arturo, points it at Tom’s face and moves in. Tom struggles jerks his head back. Sam slices across Tom’s cheek Tom’s screams are muffled by the gag.
SAM
You belong to me. You don’t get to have friends.
LUIS
He brought me in.
SAM
So take him out.
LUIS
(hesitates) No...
Sam wipes the knife’s blade on Tom’s shirt.
SAM
(to Arturo) His hand.
Arturo grabs one of Luis’ hands and holds it down on the table.
SAM
Do you want to end up in the backyard? (beat) There’s still room.
LUIS
No.
SAM
Then why hesitate?
Sam brings the knife down hard on his hand, Luis screams as Tom watches in fear.
SAM
Are you a cop?
LUIS
No.
SAM
That’s a cop over there.
LUIS
I’m not a cop.
SAM
Who do you work for?
LUIS
I work for you.
SAM
FBI, DEA, los Federales?
LUIS
I’m not a cop!
SAM
Make it easy on yourself, Luis.
LUIS
I swear-
Sam presses down on the knife again, Luis screams.
ARTURO
Mira. The gabacho pissed himself.
Silence
LUIS
Fuck you!
SAM
(amused) Your balls finally dropped.
Sam presses down on the knife, Luis screams.
LUIS
I’m not a fucking cop!
SAM
That one over there told me a lot about you.
LUIS
I’ve worked for you, followed orders... You’re gonna believe some cop over me?
SAM
You’re not following orders now.
Silence. Sam takes out a wallet-size picture from her pocket, looks at it then shows it to Luis.
SAM
Bonita que no?
LUIS
I don’t know who that is.
SAM
Did I ask?
LUIS
No.
SAM
She has your eyes.
Silence, Sam stares at Luis, he looks down.
LUIS
Los Federales.
SAM
Los Federales? (beat) She’s young. How old is she?
LUIS
Five
SAM
Cinco? Like my son.
LUIS
I’ll do whatever you want. Just don’t hurt her, please.
SAM
Whatever I want? What can you give me?
LUIS
Mis jefes, they still think I’m clean. I can-
SAM
Your bosses? (beat) Who do you think told me about you?
Silence
LUIS
They wouldn’t-
SAM
I own the cops in this town.
Sam takes the knife out of his hand and presses it against his throat.
LUIS
I know about your son.
SAM
What do you know about my son?
LUIS
I can get him back.
Sam takes the knife and slams it into his hand again. Luis screams.
SAM
Do you think I’m stupid? You can’t get him back.
LUIS
I can find out who’s protecting the Narco’s that have him.
SAM
The Gulf Cartel? Who’s protecting them?
LUIS
The police, they’re protecting the-
SAM
I own the police!
LUIS
How was anyone able to get to him? They think you’re weak.
Sam presses down on the knife again, Luis screams.
SAM
Who thinks I’m weak?
LUIS
The cops, they’ve been going over to the Gulf Cartel. They offer twice what you pay and protection for their families if they die. They call it a retirement plan.
SAM
How do I know this is true?
LUIS
It’s true, ask around.
SAM
How do I know you didn’t give them my son?
She presses down on the knife again.
LUIS
No, stop, please stop.
SAM
Who gave them my son?
LUIS
I don’t know, please stop. I don’t know.
SAM
If you’re lying to me, I won’t kill your little girl. I’ll whore her out while you watch.
LUIS
I’ll do whatever you want.
SAM
You have to be housebroken Luis.
LUIS
Just... please don’t hurt my girl.
Sam pushes down on the knife again and takes it out.
SAM
(to Arturo) Sueltalo. (to Luis) Your friend.
LUIS
You want me to kill him?
SAM
Bring your friend over here. Bend him over the table. Pull his pants down... Fuck him.
Luis unzips his pants and moves in. Lights out. |
