FATAL LOOPS - Action Thriller (political)

Screenplay: 114 pages.

Synopsis: A man at the NSA, No Name, warns PARSONS that his business partner is talking to the FBI. Lake Mead, NV. “Licenser Installed” reads a message on an iPhone, largely unnoticed by KEVIN who is getting ready for his wakeboarding championship run. Later he gives that phone to his old-timer manager Freddy while he uses a new, won one. Shortly after uploading the “licenser,” PETER - Kevin's uncle and programming teacher, dies in the flames of his crashed Carrera on the bottom of an L.A. canyon, before he got to meet with HARRY, his old Gulf-War friend, now with the FBI. Parsons, a discharged USMC colonel, who runs a futuristic data collecting company in Las Vegas, is pleased with his office manager CONNIE, finding the solution how to get the only licenser still existing after Peter's death. Parsons takes Connie out to dinner and afterward she impresses him at Blackjack. A weeping teenager waits in front of Connie's apartment, Laurie. She whisks her inside; she shouldn't be here. Next morning Connie, covering her face under a hat, puts Laurie on a flight home. Suspicious, Kevin tracks Peters last moves down to Parsons, Inc. – who meanwhile, having acquired all his debt (including a sizable business loan) overnight, welcomed Kevin to their clientele. His contract however, he reads, lapsed, thus they have to draw his security… Furious, Kevin elbows himself into Parsons' office and demands renegotiation of his security, which mistakenly named his house in London, his mother has been living in all her life… Parsons wants the phone. Kevin has 24 hours. Peter was murdered, SANDY, a Parsons worker, whispers. They arrange to meet outside. Harry gets information from his insider spy. Kevin plays dumb when Harry, promising Kevin to bring Peter's killers to justice, also wants the phone… Kevin's MUM calls, she will come to LA for Peter's funeral. Sandy who's had an affair with Peter is frightened of Parsons hi-tech surveillance. Peter was to stop Parsons' secret NSA contract. Kevin asks her to send him the contract. He needs Peter's licenser. No Name informs Parsons about an FBI-spy.

Kevin exchanges Freddy's phone, recognizes the “licenser” as an app he himself created with Peter in a training session…  Parsons orders Sandy to his office. During his training run, Parsons' goons engage Kevin in boating/wakeboarding race… Kevin's run ends on a ramp, when the rope is shot by a sniper, and violently whips back at Kevin. Parsons messages, “just a warm up… you got 17 hours.” After the competition Kevin' scores are dumped – “Another warning,” Parsons writes, and summons him to his favorite casino. Parsons gives Connie a special assignment. Like a bombshell she walks in and plays Blackjack with Kevin. Later she drugs him, snatches the phone and hauls him to a hotel room. The phone is whisked to Harry who has it cloned, returned just in time to hand it to Parsons. He meanwhile got the name of the spy - Connie!

Kevin wakes from police sirens and finds Sandy dead in the bathroom, himself wanted for murder. He flees… Parsons confronts Connie with her real identity, FBI agent Rachel Star, then plays a video of Laurie's kidnapping. If she wants her daughter back, she has to shut down Harry and bring in Kevin – because he has altered the licenser on that phone – later also confirmed by Harry. Parsons' NSA contract is terminated, No Name unavailable, leaving him alone as the whipping boy. He sends his goons after Kevin, but Connie picks him up first, and they engage in a fierce car chase. Kevin and Connie get away. However, after Sandy's death, Kevin doesn't trust Connie or anybody else, and parries her attempt to “bring him in.”  Parsons listens to Mum's message on Kevin's phone, her arrival time at LAX. - He digitally erases Kevin's identity: Kevin watches, his name disappears from the competitor list, his prize money is unavailable, his bank cards don't work. He can't even buy gas – and he's already late for Mum arrival in LA.  Freddy is not at home. Kevin calls his bank, the British Embassy, all confirm, he doesn't exist – records tell, even his mother doesn't have a son... He finds Freddy's  iPhone, sees an E-mail from Sandy – The contract. “You need the licenser,” he hears her saying. He recreates the code and yes, the files unscramble… Then a bullet misses him by an inch. Kevin fights for his life - and wins it. –

He races toward LA. A phone rings, a UK number displays: “Mum!”  Parsons: “You were late, so I picked her up.” Kevin makes U-turn through desert floor, races back to Las Vegas. Connie confronts Parsons at gun point, demands her daughter back. She is taken out by a syringe shot. One of Parsons goons, is to take her on her last ride. But Connie comes to and kills him instead. From his car Kevin prepares timed messages, the contract attached unscrambled – 'mandating Parsons to broker and fund an unsanctioned, foreign enriched uranium deal…' Kevin arrives at Parsons, Inc. He offers to comply only after seeing his mother. Parsons laughs, Kevin is in no position to make demands. Gun fire erupts outside.  Connie, Harry and FBI Swat teams engage security forces, then tear into Parsons office breaking Kevin's standoff with Parsons and his 2 remaining goons. Goons die in swat fire. Parsons drops his gun, but refuses to give up the hostage…s: Kevin's mother and – when Connie adds Laurie, Harry gets upset. He would have taken her off the case… They find them in the large office, tied to desks.  Booby traps go off and start a fire. After Mum and Laurie are save, Connie stays behind securing data under a drenched piece of carpet. Meanwhile the fire builds up, sprinkle water creates puddles on the floor. Kevin transforms furniture into a (wake)board and a ramp to ride over the fire – and lands in front of Connie's desk.  Surprised, she is surprised ready to get out. Under the carpet they run together through the fire, the glass door exit is locked. Parsons laughs from the other side. Connie shoots the glass while Kevin crashes through it, but Parsons knocks him out. Connie and Parsons exchange fire. Connie gets hit in the leg.  One bullet stand off – who has it? –  Connie. Then a major explosion finishes him off and throws Connie and Kevin against the wall across. They kiss – happy to be alive…

Like phoenix from the ashes, Kevin and Connie arrive from the building. Paramedics take care of Connie, Laurie falls into her arms. Harry hires Kevin to uncover all files. Mum is pleased to meet Connie and Laurie and forgives Kevin for being late.

© 2020 Stefan Carow

*)A licenser is a decoder or a key to a code, that has to be installed onto a certain device and cannot (easily)  be transferred to another device.

Screenplay Synopsis

FATAL LOOPS