An event to remember

(Mayor Rodriguez): tonight’s the night jack, the money we raise tonight will be the launching pad for my senate campaign and i can finally get out of this shit hole town. (Mayor Rodriguez says gleefully as he struggles to tie his bow tie). 

(Jack p) Come on frank this town isn’t so bad, after all we were raised here. 

(at that moment a petite figure appears from behind jack with a sarcastic smile)

(Justine Rodriguez) i think you just made his point jack ( she reaches pass jack to fix her husbands tie). Now what would you do without me? ( Mayor Rodriguez) im sure i dont want to find out bub. (The two share a kiss as jack smiles and looks away). 

(Jack P) we really need to get going Frank, the few wealthy folks this town has aren't the most patient people. 

( Mayor Rodriguez) yea thats because they are all over 100, half of them dont even leave fingerprints anymore (the mayor looks through this desk).... Where the hell is my speech!

(Jack p) I have it, lets just go!

(Justine pours 3 glasses of champagne and hands both jack and her husband a glass) one toast won't kill anyone jack, (Mayor Rodriguez) well with this group of old farts someone just might. (Justin) frank! (The mayor quickly raises his glass has he cuts off his wife from yelling at him and says). heres to the best chief of staff and first lady a town and a guy could ever have. From day one you've both been by my side and the next steps we take well, ( the mayor starts to tears up and quickly ends his toast and drinks). 

( as they arrive at the event it seems the whole town is in attendance). (Jack and the mayor quickly go over the itinerary before exiting the limo)

(Jack p) now you have about 30 mins to mingle and then theres the sit down dinner, followed by your speech. it’s important you make no mention of your senate run until the speech. We need to time this perfectly. (Mayor Rodriguez) oh really? I thought id just blurt it out in front of the press first.( jack nervously laughs as justine reassures him that frank is joking) (Mayor Rodriguez) its not my first rodeo jack, ive only been Mayor of this bullshit town for 20 years.

( they each exit the limo as the press and supports swarm the Mayor and first lady. Jack quickly heads inside to makes sure that the rest of the mayors team is on top of everything).

(Jack p) the words “something went wrong” isn’t something i should hear tonight is that understood? (Jack says with a firm tone while speaking to the staff most of whom  have been with the mayor since he was first elected). 

(Paul Shaw) jack have a drink , hell have two. Everything is going to be fine we have eager donors who are ready to give us their sweet sweet money , and they don’t even know what they are donating to yet so just relax. (Paul joined the Mayor’s administration during his second reelection campaign. He’s one of the best political strategists out there, only limited by his vulgar mouth and poor bedside manner). 

( As Jack makes his way across the ballroom he notices  Councilman Hicks who normally has a face anger and constipation. Seems to look rather happy which worries jack even more so jack decides to stop over and greet him). 

(Jack p) Councilman how are you tonight? 

(Councilman Hicks)  Jackie, I’m doing pretty well in fact I haven’t felt this good in years. How’s your boy? Big  announcement tonight he must be pretty nervous huh? (Councilman Hicks makes no bones about the fact that he isn’t the biggest fan of the mayor, especially since they were once opponents during the mayors first election councilman Hicks lost that election by fewer than a 1000 votes). 

(Jack p) Now Councilman, you’ll just have to wait for the Mayors speech like everyone else. ( as Jack turns around and begins to walk away the councilman snickers one last remark). (Hicks) well at least i hope he will actually win the election this time since he is such a big fan of stealing them from what i heard. (Jack quickly turns to hicks and gets closer to him. (Jack p) councilman it’s been 20 years since you lost. Don’t you think it’s time we move on? (Hicks) oh I certainly did Jackie, until just earlier tonight when I overheard something about this letter written by an election worker who found out that at least 945 votes were changed from me to your guy. A letter that never made it to the election commission but apparently will be showing up on tomorrow’s front page of the Daily read. Now I must admit I’m not the biggest fan of the local paper but  something tells me I’ll be the first in line to buy tomorrow’s issue. ( councilman Hicks smiles brightly while Jack attempts to put on a poker face before Jack can say word the councilman laughs and walks away). 

(Jack quickly rushes to find the Mayor pushing through the large Crowd of mingling guests but isn’t able to find the him). 

(Jack P) Paul where is the Mayor??? (Paul)  Jesus jack you’re sweating more than a hoe in church. I’m pretty sure he’s fluffing some of the press why? (Jack p) find him and have him meet me in the upstairs study now! 

(Paul understands that Jack is serious and rush’s to find the Mayor, but Jack starts to notice small groups of guests huddling together. And cues Anna the event coordinator to start the dinner). 

( as Jack heads to the study he sees Mayor Rodriguez speaking to a young female reporter. In a panic Jack rushes to his side). (Jack p) Mr. Mayor I need to speak to you upstairs. (Mayor Rodriguez) Jack there you are this is Vanessa. She’s a new reporter for the daily read. I was just trying to talk her out of it. (Vanessa) although you’re quite persuasive sir, I think I’ll stick it out. (The two laugh while Jack with a blank stare on his look he tries to put on fake smile but pulls the Mayor away forcefully).

(Mayor Rodriguez) Jack what the hell is wrong with you? You do realize the last person you want to be rude to is a goddamn reporter!!

(Jack P) hicks knows.( the two stare at each other in silence for a few seconds).

(Mayor R) how?

(Jack P) I’m not sure. But apparently he won’t be the only one the daily read has the letter.

(Mayor R) well that’s impossible. You told me that you had the letter destroyed  20 fucking years ago so Unless the daily read has found a way to go back in time, which I highly doubt since they can like barely get a headline right, how the fuck does anyone have that letter?

(Jack P) maybe there was a copy made but now we need to figure out how to get ahead of this. 

(Mayor R) ahead? Jack you don’t get a head on something like this you get buried beneath it. Your career goes into the goddamn graveyard. Wait that new reporter Rebecca or something. (Jack p) you mean Vanessa? (Mayor) yea she’s new in town maybe she made contact with “her”. Maybe we can work something out with her I mean the girl couldn’t be more than 25 years old I’m sure we could offer her something better than being a junior reporter for the daily read. (Jack P) first we’re jumping to a litany of conclusions. It could’ve been any one of the reporters at the daily read not to mention covering up a crime by committing another one isn’t really the way we want to start your senatorial campaign is it? (Mayor R) don’t you patronize me!!  You’re the one that told me we could trust that goddamn woman you’re the one that had to go and fall in love with her. It was her lapse in judgment that nearly cost me my first election when she wrote that goddamn letter in the first place. (Jack P) I think you would find that in those days, It was us that had the lapse judgment when we fixed an election and her name was Sasha. (a flashback in that moment reveals that the election worker who nearly outed the mayors fixed election was also dating Jack at the time it was he who convinced her not to submit the letter.) 

( as the two men begin to get heated with one another there is loud knock at the door) 

(Mayor R) fuck off! (the door opens and it’s the new young reporter Vanessa) 

(Mayor R) oh my dear you have excellent timing so are we gonna cut the shit and tell us what you want or are we gonna do a dance first because I don’t have the right shoes on. 

(Vanessa) I guess you’re not one for suspense so yes, I am the one that will be publishing the letter tomorrow. 

(Mayor R) well spit it out what do you want money? a promotion? a job on my Senate campaign? ( the Mayor begins to pour himself a scotch). 

(Vanessa) I’d say justice, but I’m sure a cynical man like you would find that laughable so how about revenge?

(Mayor R) revenge for what? An election that happened 20 years ago when you were what five? What are you some councilman Hicks groupie? 

(Vanessa) actually I just turned 20 last month and if you need a motive, how about revenge for my mother. 

(Mayor Rodriguez) your mom?… oh my god (the mayor began to realize exactly who she is) you are Sasha‘s daughter, aren’t you?

(Vanessa) and they say politicians aren’t bright. I am her daughter and to be honest you’re my soul reason for becoming a journalist, thanks to you Mr. Mayor if it weren’t for the way you had my mother thrown out of this town and destroyed her life I wouldn’t be so passionate for my search for the truth. 

(Mayor Rodriguez) now I’m sure your mother would have rather had you pursue something with a real future because I can assure you going up against me will leave you with none. 

(Vanessa) well I wish I could ask her,  she died five years ago, but you already knew that didn’t you Mayor? Seeing as you just referred to her in the past tense.

(The tension becomes so thick in the room, that you could cut it with a knife the Mayor the turns to jack wondering why he hasn’t said a word) 

(Mayor R) dammit Jack you’ve chosen a hell of a time to take a Vow of silence. Get this bitch of out my event and she can take her lies with her. 

(Jack p) I’ll take care of it. (as Jack walks across the room between both of them the mayor realizes something and stops him).

(Mayor R) “her name was Sasha”. (Jack p) what? (Mayor R) that’s what you said you said her name “was” Sasha you knew she was dead which means you already know who this is. (it’s now dawning on the mayor exactly what’s going on here. Jack turns around to face the mayor with a smile). (Jack p) I know who she is, any father should know his own daughter. 

(Mayor R) this was all you kept the letter and gave it to your daughter, this event was your idea, You’re betraying me but why? 

(Jack p) I spent my whole life dedicated to you because I believed that you had a mission and that we shared that mission, but I also believed that you had limits, that was until my daughter contacted me for the first time a year ago. You see she explained to me that Sasha had been trying to reach out to me for years, but your office made sure it was impossible and then just a day after her last attempt five years ago to reach out to me two men broke into her house and killed her, her home office had also been ransacked but nothing was stolen. You did all of this to preserve your career? Was it worth it? 

(The mayor takes a large sip of a scotch) (mayor R) of course it was. I told you to handle it, but you didn’t. so I had to I gave her every chance to stop contacting you but she wouldn’t so I made a call. The sad truth is in order for greatness to shine. Sometimes you have to do a few things in the dark. 

(Jack P) I couldn’t agree more. 

(Mayor R) so are the authorities coming up the stairs? Are you prepared to destroy my career and yours jack? over some dumb bitch from 20 years ago and her bastard child? 

(Vanessa) like I said we aren’t here for Justice. We’re here for revenge.

(The Mayor Realizes in that moment, that he has never read his speech for tonight)

(Mayor R) Jack, hand me my speech 

(Jack p) of course sir here you go. 

( as the Mayor skims through his speech, he realizes that this is not an announcement speech, but an endorsement speech). 

(Mayor R) you? Jack you’re going to run for Senate are you kidding me?

(Jack p) well let’s face it frank I’ve been more of this towns mayor than you have, and I think it’s about time I stepped out of your shadow, so here’s the deal you’ll announce your full endorsement of my campaign while also letting the public know that you will not seek another term as mayor or any elected office for that matter and in return that letter never makes it to the paper And this town and the world will never know the worst of you.

(Realizing that he has no other option the mayor agrees, and as the night goes on, he gives the speech he was told to give, but he would never look into the eyes of his longtime friend, and chief of staff again. 

2 month later… 

(Vanessa) dad they need you out there in one minute let’s go. 

(Jack P) you know for an inexperienced campaign manager you’re quite pushy.

(Vanessa) well I’ve learned from the best( the two hug) now let’s go they’re  announcing you!!

(Mayor Hicks) my friends if you are looking for decency, common sense and a new direction do not fear because that is all on the ballot because Jack Paulson is on the ballot and your vote for him will be a vote for a new and brighter day for all Texans, my friend, the next senator from the from the great state of Texas Jack Paulson!!! (Crowd cheers). (as the two men embrace mayor Hicks exit the stage, and Jack begins to give his speech, but just a few minutes into his speech two gunshots heard Jack collapses and the crowd scatters) 

(Shooter walks away calmly and pulls out his phone to make a call) 

(Shooter) it’s done Mrs. R…

(Phone hangs up)