SCENE FOUR: CUBS STAFF PARKING LOT, MESA, ARIZONA

CARRIE FITCH

Hop in.

BRENT DAVID

Is this your car?

The car they’re standing next to is a royal blue VW Beetle with the Cubs logo painted on the hood.

CARRIE FITCH

Yes, it’s mine. I love the Cubs so (bleeping) much, that I painted a big (bleeping) logo on Herbie my Love Bug! This is one of the fleet cars, you (bleeper).

They get in and Carrie tears out of the parking lot.

CARRIE FITCH

OK, Acres Ventosos is only a couple miles down the road here. A lot of the players like it because Damon Berryhill works there.

BRENT DAVID

The old Cubs’ catcher? Is he the pro?

CARRIE FITCH

No, I’m pretty sure he picks up the towels and stuff in the locker room.

BRENT DAVID

Sweet.

The car begins to shudder.

BRENT DAVID

That can’t be good.

CARRIE FITCH

Why, I think stalling cars are a sign of excellence! Of course this is bad. Oh.

BRENT DAVID

Oh, what?

CARRIE FITCH

Yeah, I didn’t really check something before we left. Yeah, there’s no gas.

The car stalls and she steers it to the shoulder of the road.

BRENT DAVID

How far is the golf course?

CARRIE FITCH

Like four miles.

BRENT DAVID

How far is it from the office?

CARRIE FITCH

Like, eight miles.

BRENT DAVID

So we’re stranded half way.

CARRIE FITCH

Wow, that’s impressive, you’re like a young Stephen Hawking.

BRENT DAVID

Well, what are we going to do?

CARRIE FITCH

I’ll call Kumsteen’s cell phone.

BRENT DAVID

It’s off. We’re screwed.

CARRIE FITCH (on the phone)

Kummer! It’s Fitch. Yeah, can you do me a favor? I ran one of the ridiculous Herbies out of gas halfway between work and your golf course. The Intern is with me. Not well. Yeah, that’s what we were coming to talk to you about. Sorry there Tiger, you’re going to have to cut the round short. Yeah, Dusty really (bleep) the bed again.

BRENT DAVID

Wow, I’m glad he had his phone on this time.

CARRIE FITCH

This time?

BRENT DAVID

You left a message before.

CARRIE FITCH

Oh, that was on his office phone. I just wanted an excuse to get out of the office.

[Twenty minutes later]

Mitch Kricksteen pulls up in yet another of the Cubs’ fleet cars. He gets out, pops the trunk and pulls out a gas can.

MITCH KRICKSTEEN

Sorry it took me so long, I had to drive around to find a gas station that sold diesel.

He empties the gas can into the car.

MITCH KRICKSTEEN

So what did Dusty say this time?

BRENT DAVID

He said the “honkeys” want to keep him down because he’s black.

MITCH KRICKSTEEN

Yeah, that’s…that’s not good. Do you have my digital recorder with you? We can listen to it and see if there’s a way we can spin it. Maybe it wasn’t really as bad as it seemed at first blush.

Brent realizes that he left the recorder on the podium in the media room.

BRENT DAVID

The recorder is back at the office.

Mitch screws the top back on the gas can and puts the gas cap back on the car.

CARRIE FITCH (throws keys to Brent)

Intern! You drive back, I’ll ride with the Kummer.

She gets in Mitch’s car and they U turn to the other side of the road and towards work.

Brent gets in his car and starts it up. He pulls the same U turn, but the car starts to shudder again and dies. He narrowly misses hitting another car as he coasts to the shoulder.

RANDOM CAR DRIVER PASSING BY

Cubs suck!

Brent looks at the fuel gauge only to see three little words that catch his eye. “Unleaded Fuel Only”

He reaches for his cell phone, only to realize that he doesn’t have it with him. It’s in his cubicle.

RANDOM CAR DRIVER PASSING BY (in crappy old Dodge Omni)

They’re lying!