ORTEGA HIGHWAY

My first ten pages are attached in PDF format.

Pitch: Story is of a modern ill-mannered Marlow-esque private detective, Rick Mallik, who is hired to recover an important Native American tribal artifact, stolen and held for ransom, which is required for tribal succession. He muffs the payout, is beaten senseless by a biker gang and falls AGAIN for the Chief’s beautiful daughter, Elvis, who is a bit of a Tomboy. As succession draws nearer, the stakes raise as Mallik is forced to find the guilty and recover the artifact and save the tribe. Story opens and closes with suspenseful motorcycle chases through rural California Ortega Highway.

Synopsis: ORTEGA HIGHWAY is a spec screenplay about …

… the HAVEs and HAVE-NOTs centered on southern California modern Indian Casino life, where the newly moneyed seemingly live idyllic lifestyles, whereby the other tribes, live a much less luxurious lifestyle. Much of the story revolves around the real-life area of Ortega Highway in southern California, which dissects various tribal areas, and is a very famous motorcycle highway of dive-bars, tumbleweeds and twisty curves.

Ortega Highway opens with an elaborate and unexpected heist of an ornate historical artifact at a beautiful Indian Casino by a local biker gang. A very exciting and dangerous motorcycle escape is performed at the Casino, where a cop car Mini-Cooper is destroyed in the most fun fashion imaginable, by nothing but a biker with a spray can and a little tire rubber.

Detective Rick Mallik is called in to investigate. He has a past history with the Chief’s beautiful daughter, Elvis, who is set to inherit the position of Chief, when her father retires, or his administrative crown is otherwise removed. Mallik is from a different tribe of the same nation, but is treated as an outsider by Elvis’s tribe.

The stakes are not clear at first, but clues are everywhere: A missing Post-It note; a pilfered Bronze; a ransacked office. The missing Coup-stick. Plus, stupid criminal stuff. Something bigger than just a business theft is at hand.

Mallik and Elvis confront some early suspects, which proves that this modern film noir holds its own in social commentary with humor, huffing and horseplay. They have a suspect in custody, they are sure of it, but the evidence is just not present.

Mallik meets the Chief and he is tasked with making the payoff and retrieving the stolen Coup-stick. However, things get complicated when Mallik spots trouble all around. And, bikers follow him. Seems like spies and moles abound.

Mallik makes the trip up the Ortega Highway to the point of payoff, the world-famous [but now burned-down] Hell’s Kitchen, but he decides at the last moment that these crooks are not yet ready to play ball. So Mallik demurs and then takes a hell of a beating from Elvis’s old bad-boy flame, who is now the biker chieftain, Ducati.

Meanwhile, Elvis has disobeyed Mallik, and she followed him to the ransom payoff, and she witnesses the epic battle and eventual beat down. She helps him to his car, where their old romance starts to boil.

Mallik, in his weakened condition, is able to return to his beach-city condo. He reports to his employer that “he took one for the team.” The corporate secretary, Daisy, drops everything and heads out to give first aide to her imagined suitor. But, before Daisy can bring the first-aide, Elvis arrives, and the re-born romance explodes. Daisy arrives, sees that she is now the odd wheel and leaves.

Next day finds Mallik reporting his failure in person to the Chief. Mallik offers to resign, but Chief KNOWS that Mallik is the only man who can save the situation. And, now Chief requires Mallik’s help on another emergency. But, Mallik thinks he must resign, because of his rekindled love of Elvis. Chief listens, but persuades Mallik to keep on the job, because enemies are at his gates. Chief tells him that his life is at stake. Mallik reluctantly is persuaded.

Old enemies and misdeeds rise as if from the dead and cause all sorts of troubles. The Bronze stolen in the opening scenes, holds a secret that can split the tribe unless Mallik can recover it too, before it can be used against the tribe.

Mallik has no idea what evil forces are in play, but he spots the Gate Guard acting funny, and he kidnaps him, sure that he is spying for someone. Mallik’s cop hunch is right. So Mallik brings him to answer for another cash robbery, but the victims don’t want him. They insist that Chief is the real robber and it becomes clear that stakes are very high and that Chief has important enemies abound.

Mallik cools one fire and earns a valuable win with another very powerful southern California Tribal Casino. (This incident becomes important in the sequel spec screenplay Rattlesnake Dancer, which picks up one year after the events covered within Ortega Highway.)

A terrible and funny scene plays out when Mallik hands over the Gate Guard. And, the teenage car hop learns a valuable lesson about smoking weed on the job, and taking money from mobsters.

T.J. and Mallik form an unexpected and strange bond of friendship on the way back to the Casino, when Mallik drops him at a hospital for treatment. This pays off the next day, when Mallik returns to the Casino only to find turmoil, because someone broke in and attacked Chief.

Only now does Mallik learn what stakes are in play and who the real bad guys are. So he forms a plan to bring the fight to the enemy when Elvis joins and will not take NO for an answer. Chief’s charge-de-affairs, Norris, joins up and they attack the motorcycle gang and recover the stolen coup stick. All hell breaks loose as the gang fights back with all they got.

An epic motorcycle chase up Ortega Highway ensues which costs the life of a few odd motorcycles and a Elvis’s Prius.

Does Mallik’s Corinthian leather-clad Cordoba survive? You must read the spec screenplay or see the movie, or read the sequel.

Enjoy,