Sin's Fall

Title: Sin’s Fall
Writer: Dying In Black
Summary: Johnny has a chance of portraying Tithe’s legendary singer Sin in a full-length movie but secrets are being exposed and so are enemies and ex-lovers, who killed Sin?

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Disclaimer: "This is a work of fiction. Any resemblance of characters to actual persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental. The Author holds exclusive rights to this work. Unauthorized duplication is prohibited"

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Chapter Two

Mike Justin looked over the sticky notes on his computer just as Walter walked into his office with a bag of take-out Chinese.

"Ah, thank God," he said and pushed himself away from his desk, reaching into the plastic bags for the cartons of chow mein and orange chicken, "I've been dying here," he said cracking a pair of chopsticks expertly snatching a piece of chicken with them.

Walter sat across from him and grabbed his own dish, favoring the plastic fork, "I thought so, we've been working like dogs on this one."

"We still having trouble coming up with funds?" he asked over a mouthful of noodles.

"You know how it is, the studios are squirming they're afraid they're pouring money into a project that's going to fail. What's more, they have a barely up and coming director with only one film under his belt."

Mike frowned, he had been making films since college and didn't think of himself as as a newcomer. His film 'Decadence' had premiered a year ago in the Sundance film festival and had been regarded as one of the year's best pictures by critics and audiences alike. Studios had been begging for a remake of the film with the hottest stars playing in the lead, but Mike had refused. He lived with his integrity and refused to bend to the industries will, but had been finding it harder to resist as he made his way through their politics.

He'd be lying if he thought he had a handle on things. Hollywood was cagey, and he was coming into contact with some shady people.Sin's Fall was to be his real premier and show the industry that he wasn't a one note director. But as a result, the budget was not lavish. Since the beginning his interest in Sin's Fall had been a project he had never felt comfortable with. A rock'n roll biopic was not the type of film he wanted to make. 'Decadence' had been a fleeting portrait of the life of a young woman and her struggles through everyday life. It was soft and had been close to his heart, Sin's Fall was not the type of films he gravitated to. Nameless sex, abusive excess and extremes were loud and common and could be seen everywhere in Hollywood's outskirts. It took vision and heart to really engage an audience in the quiet struggles of everyday people. Rockstars were not everyday people. But he had tackled the project as a test. More than for the studios he wanted to prove to himself he could take such a loud film and make it into one that could really speak to people on a deeper level that came from more than excess.

Elaine's book had gratified him. Though not a masterful storytelling book, it gave the facts and that was all he needed. He had been working non stop trying to get into contact with the ex-band members of Tithe without much luck. Finding the right people to portray the members of the band was proving to be difficult as well. As a new director he was having to go through some hurdles in the casting department as well. Agencies were hesitant in providing the talent, and other agencies could not provide the faces he was looking for. Though he was looking for fresh actors for his film, the studio had been dangling the names of a few already made actors, one being Mark Chavez.

Mark, whose success in opening films and turning them into box office gold, was guaranteed. The twenty-seven year old was a favorite for the under thirty crowd, having appeared in various commercial films and had set his career as an action star whose popularity was quickly matching that of big named stars. Mike was hesitant in accepting the big star name, and he told Walter the same.

"Look, the studios know you have talent, but talent alone doesn't guarantee you'll be a good investment for them. All kids want now and days is to watch stuff blow up, or CGI effects. No one remembers the true heart of filmmaking its all special effects and big million dollar investments. Mark's name alone can help boost revenue, and it'll keep the studios from shitting themselves if it makes you feel any better."

He grinned at that, "It would," but admitted, "It just feels like I'm selling out."

Walter froze from cracking his fortune cookie open, he looked at the talented but very young man he had taken under his wing. The studios might have been getting cold feet, but Walter couldn't help but feel that Michael had all the talent, heart and drive that directors were lacking now in days. The industry had become but an artificial scene, no one wanted to go back to the roots of filmmaking, but Michael had an aesthetic ability to control and create. And Walter knew that if the man failed in Sin's Fall, the movie industry would quickly turn their backs against the young man. He hated thinking that would be the result of Sin's Fall and Michael's credibility as a director, which was why his faith in the young director had led him to use his connections and reputation to push the studios into budgeting the film. He knew his own name was on the line, but he had enough faith in the project and Michael's ability to garner that bet. Which was why he answered him truthfully.

"Kid, you can't work in Hollywood without selling out, its just one of those things."

...


The whistling of the kettle brought Johnny softly padding into the small kitchen area. He turned the stove off and poured some coffee into his mug. He stirred little bit of powdered cream and tore open into some sugar packets, before he made his way back to the counter leaning to look at the classified's in the newspaper. Drawn red circles dominated the pages as he sipped his mug with one hand and circled the page with the other.

With the rent looming over his head Johnny was quickly running through his savings, he already had to cut buck on luxuries like conditioner and food, by the end of the month he was sure to be flat broke. Disheartened after a few more minutes, he shoved the newspaper away from him knowing that without a job he would either have to beg his parents for a loan or live out in the streets. He dug his fingers into his hair, exhausted. The ringing of his cell phone brought him back from his dark and gloomy thoughts.

With a sigh he answered “Hello?”

“Johnny!” it was his agent.

“Yeah?”

“I’ve been trying to call you all week! Where have you been? I sent e-mails, I texted, I was ready to send smoke signals!”

Johnny grimaced this was the last thing he needed “Yeah sorry, I’ve sort of been having a shitty week.”

“Shitty week? Well turn that frown upside down Johnny Carlisle because we—are—in! You’re being called for callbacks!”

“Callbacks?”

“Yeah, this is our chance! You know what your casting in this year’s hottest film will do to your career and this agency? People are already talking about this movie and it hasn’t even been filmed yet! Everyone wants a piece of the action.”

“B-but I thought they didn’t like me, they kicked me out of the audition,” Johnny was trying hard to comprehend the last few minutes reliving the casting in his head trying to make sense of it “They said I wasn’t what they were looking for.”

“Who knows how these executives are working. I’m e-mailing you all the paperwork so you can look it over. This is your chance Johnny,” he said, “Don’t mess it up.”

...

The sound of gunshots and powdered showers rained down on Mark Chavez as he squinted into the dim light of the old warehouse. His partner was crouched down next to him, blood seeping through his uniform. His hand clutched his chest to stop the bleeding.

“Fuck—“ he bit out as perspiration beaded his brow, clutching the Glock 31, the standard police gun. He took a breath and looked towards his partner.

Andy gave a tired laugh and coughed weakly his face a sickly gray, “I guess this it huh?”

Mark nodded gravely and winced as more cement showers rained on them from the bullet holes grazing above their heads.

“You can still get out you know,” said Andy as he clutched himself a little weaker, “You’re not shot, you can still make a run for it.”

Mark Chavez didn’t run, and he said so “I don’t run and I won’t fucking give up for a bunch of assholes. I’m getting you out, you still have to see Katie. Remember her? She’s waiting for you man, and so is Ema and Billy. You’re gonna see your wife and kids and not in a body bag.”

A gunshot went off and a bullet whizzed dangerously close to them, Mark took a breath and looked one last time at Andy who was shivering his teeth chattering, ‘he’s going into shock’ thought Mark as the tremendous ‘boom’ of gunfire exploded above their heads. It rocked them back as debris crumbled around them in the explosion. He caught Andy as he slouched over him, a river of blood spread across the back of his head matting his military hair cut.

With gritting teeth he cried out, he blinked away the tears and angrily turned towards the hail of gunfire, guns raised as he emptied out both guns. Light filtered through the warehouse’s windows upstairs even as cement powder having been dusted billowed around him like smoke as the gunmen came through the smoke. They had bandanas over their mouths covering their faces as they stepped over the crumbling rock and the bodies of others having been caught in the crossfire. For a few seconds Mark stared them down as filtered light exposed him to the daylight, he looked towards the gunman closest to him as the man aimed his gun at him, the man's eyes set on him, a familiar shade of blue. And in that moment Mark remembered.

“David?” he asked, as round after round of bullets struck his chest and stomach.

RING!

“That’s a rap!” yelled the director as Mark stood up and brushed away the dirt from his face, he lent a hand out to Andy, or rather Sala Martinez who was covered in fake blood. David, or Ian Andrews ripped the bandana off his face and ran to catch up to them.

"That was great!" called the director as he patted Mark on the shoulder, "You did well Brando."

Mark sneered at the name, "I thought I told you stop calling me that," he said and then laughed, "Wait till' the paparazzi here people calling me that, they'll start saying I've been putting out airs on set."

"Fuck em'," said the director waving it off, "Get some rest," he nodded to the men, "And Sala, a word of advice, the dead don't move. You're fucking lucky we moved the shot to Mark at the time we did or we'd have had a shot of your corpse wiping his face."

Sala nodded gravely, “Yeah okay,“ he waited until the director moved on to yell at the technical group before saying, “I swear it never gets any easier dying," he wiped the sticky mess on the front of his shirt and frowned,"I'll see you guys later, I have to clean myself up," he waved and walked away.

Ian shrugged and turned to Mark who made way for the technical crew to start picking up wires, lights and equipment out of the way. A team of movers began to break down the set for another production who was to use the lot later that day, as they made their way out of the dark warehouse.

"I'm beat," cried Ian as they walked outside the lot, "You want to head over to a bar?"

Mark shook his head,"Can't, my agent thinks it'll look bad for my image. They say the media is portraying me to look like a chauvinistic pig and they can't have me running around giving them any evidence of it. So the drinking and clubbing is out."

"That sucks, all my agent keeps saying is keep fucking things up," he laughed.

"You always were a fuck up," he dodged the punch and stumbled a few steps back and laughed at Ian's face.

"So how's the new coming deal?"

"What deal?"

"That movie about the rockstar, Sin’s Fall, you mentioned it before they sent your manager a script.”

Mark nodded and thought back on the script. He’d been working in Hollywood for nearly five years after having been “discovered”. He'd starred in a series of action movies and had garnered fame as the gun wielding leading man. Currently he was guest starring on a crime syndicated television show while taking a break from movies. He’d originally been written into the script to star in for only two weeks, but his presence on the show had boosted high ratings that the studio had signed him on for another two weeks. Though Mark would have wanted the chance to settle down and relax, he knew the value of work. In Hollywood opportunities were limited as there was always a new face on the outskirts ready to take his place. So he worked hard, not only on his image but on his physique as well.

His pictures littered bus stops, buildings, commercials and movie theaters; his shirt ripped open, muscles bulging glistening with sweat and dirt holding guns across his chest an actress of any name clinging to him. A man's man. With his dark smoldering good looks, a towering physique of toned almost hulking muscle, he graced the covers of magazines, sometimes in good light and the bad.

His mother had worked herself to the bone since he had been a kid, and he now had her set up in a lavish apartment with an overview of Los Angeles. He had never thought his future would have been set as an actor, but he was gracious enough for the opportunity anyways. Since having first starred in films he had never taken an acting class, never had to really considering most of his characters were merely one dimensional. A great amount of effort went to stunt work and merely looking the part was enough to get him through Hollywood's standard acting. Because he had never had aspirations of becoming an actor he felt no qualms of pursuing any other direction when it came to roles. Which was why his agency was in an uproar of the script he had just received.

Because he was a big name, he had been offered the part by his studio funding the project. There was no need to try out for the film, but even he understood his agency's hesitance in accepting the role for Sin's Fall. They had offered him the role of Creep, the guitarist of Tithe. He had read some of the script and understood that he was facing the risk of putting his image and as a result his career on the line. Though his fans were gracious enough in ignoring the fact their idol had yet to come out in a film that dealt with raw emotions, he knew it was because they came to watch him blow up shit and get the girl in the end, acting be damned. But if he failed in the film, he knew he'd be a joke.

But even as he was ready to let go of the chance he couldn't help but feel that this was an opportunity he was losing out to. Creep was a character he had never thought he could play. The guitarist had been a driving force of the band, a quiet giant, he had been a spiritualist and masculine powerhouse that redefined the image of hard rock. And Mark could admit to himself that he did want to come out on the film. The question was if he could stand up to the expectations.


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Writer's Comment: I want to apologize for the late update and for any mistakes spelling or otherwise. It's a working progress, I was actually unhappy of my first draft of chapter two, so this was the second draft I ended up liking more. Usually I'm the type who likes things in stories to start happening right away, so this build up is something new and I hope all readers bear with me. I'm hoping to pump a new chapter next week, but I write organically so its usually my mood and not a deadline that has me writing. On that note thanks for the following reviewers: Anon, Lisa and Clovermax I hope you liked the new edition of Sin's Fall and those who rated, so continue to review and rate ^^