EXT. OUTSIDE CAR IN PARKING LOT - EVENING
SYLVIA: Twelve bucks a night. You won’t get better than that anywhere else in America. At that rate we’ll make it to Mexico, no problem.
The two teenagers carry their belongings inside with them. Sylvia leaves the bag of money in the boot but takes what little she needs.
INT. RECEPTION OF CHEAP MOTEL - EVENING
Hotel Owner: 62, wrinkly and craggy skin, half bald, red moustache, flecks of grey. Slim, five feet eleven inches, blue eyes
HOTEL OWNER: Just the one room?
SYLVIA: Yes
HOTEL OWNER: That’ll be twelve dollars. There’s also a ten dollar deposit in case you don’t return the key. You’ll get the ten dollars back in the morning.
Sylvia hands over the money and the owner retrieves the key.
HOTEL OWNER: I don’t care what you two get up to, just leave it like you got it.
SYLVIA: Ok, no problem
HOTEL OWNER: Yours is number fifteen. That’s the fifth door on the right down this corridor.
INT. ROOM OF CHEAP MOTEL - EVENING
Sylvia and Charlie open the door to their room.
SYLVIA: He seemed nice.
CHARLIE MORRISON: Yeah, if your using Hannibal Lecter or Norman Bates by way of comparison.
SYLVIA: Relax, everything is going to be ok. I’ll take the bed. You can sleep on the floor.
CHARLIE MORRISON: Well it beats sleeping on a forest floor with insects and rodents crawling all over you. There are fewer termites here. At least we have a bathroom. I’m going to get a shower. I really need it.
When Charlie finishes in the bathroom, he notices Sylvia is in bed reading a book.
CHARLIE MORRISON: I can’t believe you brought a book. We’re on the run from God knows how many people and you’re just completely chilled out. I know I’m bad, but you’re just the polar opposite.
SYLVIA: Well, you’re no Steve McQueen. Even I’d beat you in an arm wrestle.
CHARLIE MORRISON: Sylvia, do you ever doubt me?
SYLVIA: What do you mean?
CHARLIE MORRISON: Do you worry that I’d turn into a big green monster like Derren?
SYLVIA: Don’t be ridiculous. Green doesn’t suit you.
INT. RECEPTION OF CHEAP MOTEL - NIGHT
By 10:36 pm five men dressed in black robes and wearing large black boots and black trousers enter The Capville Hotel.
Reaper Leader: Brown eyes underneath his black mask. Six foot four in height, 44.
REAPER LEADER: (in a gruff manner) Where are they?
The owner hands him the key.
HOTEL OWNER: Number 15. Eh eh fifth door on the right, down the corridor.
The Reapers make their way towards room number fifteen in a calm and quiet manner. The leader knocks firmly on the door but doesn’t say anything. He listens for a response. Nothing happens. He takes the key and opens the door. The light is on but there is nobody there. He swiftly moves to the bathroom where he finds an open window. He moves closer to examine it and can see in the distance a man and woman running away.
EXT. FIELD OUTSIDE CHEAP MOTEL - NIGHT
As they reached the forest, Charlie gives a quick glance behind them. He can see the reapers chasing them one hundred yards behind them. The weather is cold and wet.
Sylvia who is leading, jumps over a small mound and falls, landing awkwardly on her ankle.
They scramble in the direction of a bush to the left hand side and conceal themselves behind it.
A Reaper stops only five yards in front of them and looks around. He can see nothing. He waited and listened. He removes a small flashlight from his clothing and shines it all around him. Charlie and Sylvia try to control their breathing. Soon all five Reapers are standing there, only eight yards away waiting and listening.
A small rodent, perhaps a mouse, moves slowly towards the young man. Charlie remains motionless.
The mouse scurries away and is caught under the foot of a Reaper. The Reaper looks around. He looks at the large bush but decides to move on along with the other Reapers.
INT. MEETING ROOM INSIDE CITY PRISON - DAY
Jacob Standler sits down in the meeting room. Opposite him is an African American woman.
JASMINE HOLDECKER: 46, Five Feet Four Inches, African American, two stone overweight, blue eyes, dark medium length hair, well dressed, relatively attractive
JASMINE HOLDECKER: Mr Standler, my name is Jasmine Holdecker. I understand that you are accused of being a changeling
JACOB: I’m going to be executed in two weeks, I’ve been told
JASMINE HOLDECKER: Mr Standler, I don’t think you should be executed at all. I have some experience in legal matters and would like to represent you
JACOB: Ms Holdecker, you would only be delaying the inevitable
JASMINE HOLDECKER: Charlie Morrison is my nephew Mr Standler. You helped him and so I would like to help you
JACOB: I appreciate the offer Ms Holdecker but you’ll only end up on my side of the cage if you represent me. It is futile. President Westwood steamrolls anyone who stands in his way. He and the Reapers and his supporters have grown too powerful. Any court case will become a procession whether it is you or I in the dock. Quit now, before it is too late.
JASMINE HOLDECKER: I’m well aware of what I’m getting into. If you don’t accept my offer Mr Standler, I will turn up at this prison every day until you do accept my offer.
JACOB: I only have two weeks left
JASMINE HOLDECKER: You helped Charlie Mr Standler. Let me help you.
INT. HOTEL ROOM OF THE ARCADIA HOTEL - EVENING
Steve Cooper picked up the phone and dialled the number written down on the pad in front of him.
STEVE COOPER: Five Feet Eleven Inches, 34, Fair Hair, short haircut, cleanshaven, light blue eyes, average looking, dressed in brown trousers, a casual shirt and beige jacket.
There is a twenty second delay before the phone is answered.
CALL RECIPIENT: Hello, may I help you?
STEVE COOPER: I would like to speak to Roger Withnall. The Scarecrow gave me this number. May I speak with him?
CALL RECIPIENT: There is nobody here by that name.
STEVE COOPER: Look,I’m in serious trouble. I need your help. If I don’t get your help I don’t know what I can do. It’s only a matter of hours, maybe minutes before they come for me.
CALL RECIPIENT: I think you have the wrong number.
STEVE COOPER: Please help. Don’t hang up the phone.
CALL RECIPIENT: Give me a minute and let me see if anyone else has heard of this Richard Wagner. What did you say the other name was? Scaramouche?”
STEVE COOPER: The name of the person I am looking for is Roger Withnall. The codename of the person who gave me this number is Scarecrow.
CALL RECIPIENT: Hold on and I will write this down.
There is a long pause.
CALL RECIPIENT: And your name is?”
STEVE COOPER: Steve Cooper
There is another long pause as the call recipient discusses the matter with a superior.
CALL RECIPIENT: My boss would like more information. Who are you and what is your situation?
STEVE COOPER: There is only so much I can explain over the phone. I am afraid that they may come for me before you can help me.
CALL RECIPIENT: We cannot help you without you giving us some information about yourself. Where do you work?
STEVE COOPER: My life is on a knife edge. I don’t want to compromise myself.
CALL RECIPIENT: I’m afraid I can’t help you then.
STEVE COOPER: I work as a Sales Rep for Donaldsons Beer Company
CALL RECIPIENT: What is your address?” If you give us your number we can collect you in a matter of minutes.
STEVE COOPER: Apartment 2B, 23 Sycamore Avenue.
CALL RECIPIENT: Twenty minutes Mr Cooper. A van will collect you on the street.
21 minutes later Steve Cooper stands outside his apartment and a medium sized grey van approaches with false number plates. The side door opens and a man urges him to jump in. He does so and the van moved away. There were two men in the back of the van who proceed to bind and blindfold him. Both men are wearing balaclavas. They use scanning equipment to try and detect bugging and surveillance technology. They locate three listening devices and a homing device as well as a mobile phone. All devices are thrown out the door. He is unarmed.
DIEGO: Mexican mother and an Irish Father. Six feet one inch tall, fit looking, dark hair, tanned complexion, 34
JEFF : 38, Five Feet, nine inches tall, sallow skin, relatively long brown hair, always wears black.
YOSHIDA: Japanese descent, 29, Five Feet seven inches tall, dark hair.
DIEGO: You haven’t been truthful with us, Who are you and who do you work for?
STEVE COOPER: My name is Steve Cooper and I need your help. I work for Donaldsons Beer Company.
JEFF: Don’t treat us like idiots, Mr Cooper, if that is your real name. I doubt it’s not. Who do you work for?
In a matter of seconds Steve Cooper changes form to a large green and yellow beast with six inch nails on his hands and toes. In doing so he breaks free of his bonds and makes a dent in the ceiling. Before he can strike his captors however he is shot multiple times in the stomach. The creature falls to the ground and is dead in a matter of minutes. The two men wearing balaclavas open the rear passenger door and force the huge creature out of the van, before closing the doors again. One of the armed men in the back of the van named Diego climbs into the passenger seat of the van.
YOSHIDA: There are five vans on our tail, probably packed with Reapers.
DIEGO: You know the drill.
The driver drives as fast as he can for two miles without changing direction but fails to elude them. Eventually he finds himself stuck in traffic. Frustrated, he clenches his right fist and strikes the dashboard. Seven Reapers emerge from the vans behind them and surround the van. Their leader stands in front, raising a large handgun.
REAPER LEADER: Remove yourselves from the vehicle or we will be forced to shoot.
There is no response.
REAPER LEADER: Very well then.
He pulls the trigger and fires.
The bulletproof glass holds firm. The traffic ahead starts to move. Yoshida puts his foot to the floor and drives over the lead reaper.
DIEGO: You do know that it’s against our policy to take life unnecessarily.
YOSHIDA: Yeah, well, it sure felt good.
The van continues to move at a fast pace, still being pursued. Once it reaches the highway its speed reaches over two hundred miles an hour. The Reapers and the authorities are unable to keep up
YOSHIDA: I think we’ve lost them
He slows down and then presses a button on his dashboard. The van alters both it’s number plates and its colour from grey to beige.
Ten minutes later the same van, approaches a large estate outside the city. The title over the gate reads: The Red Dove Estate. The van makes its way down a long driveway, surrounded by green grass fields on either side inhabited by numerous horses. The mansion is decorated all in white and looks to be built eighty years earlier. It is made of concrete and looks to be ninety metres wide and four storeys tall. It is painted entirely white
Instead of parking in the driveway, the entrance to a tunnel opens up. The van makes its way down the tunnel and the entrance closes subsequently.
YOSHIDA: I told you it was a trap, You owe me fifty dollars.
DIEGO: Yoshida, you know there’s damn all chance of you seeing that money. Why do you enter into those crazy bets if you know you’re not going to profit from them? Besides, these Reapers are going to catch onto us eventually. Even if you did get the money, you wouldn’t be able to spend it.
YOSHIDA: A bet is a bet. Come on Diego.
DIEGO: Just remember, I’ve got fifty pounds and seven inches on you. So unless you know Karate, you’re wasting your time.
JEFF: Are you two lovebirds going to continue bickering or are you going to get out of this van? The stench from the remnants of that creature is killing me. I’m not going to wash it down. One of you two is going to have to do it.
YOSHIDA: It is Diego’s turn after all. This is something you can’t duck out of
Yoshida and Jeff leave the van in the direction of the staircase. The underground garage itself is nearly three hundred square yards. It contains the Toyota van, a ten year old Ford saloon, a Fiat Tipo and two mopeds.
All of the interior of the house, apart from the garage, is decorated as if the house wis stuck in a Victorian era time warp.
The three remaining occupants of the house were located in the living room.
DEBBIE: Attractive, 29, brown hair, lightly tanned skin and blue eyes was named Debbie. She was of average height for a woman and is wearing a red blouse, black trousers and black boots.
ERICA HOLMES. 46, Fair hair, tanned skin and brown eyes, and wearing blue jeans, pink shoes and a trendy white jumper. Quiet and calm demeanour.
CALUM HOLMES aka Roger Withnall, 48, blonde hair with flecks of grey, brown eyes and cigarette stained teeth. Wearing a blue t-shirt, a suit jacket and brown corduroy trousers. He was the leader of the group.
CALUM HOLMES: I take it that you are the bearers of bad news.
JEFF: It was a trap
CALUM HOLMES: I thought so
JEFF: Isn’t it dangerous to explore so many cases that seem dubious in the first place?
CALUM HOLMES: We have to investigate every credible case or else we may end up leaving some unfortunate case behind. Besides, it’s not like you got caught now is it?
As soon as he says this, Diego calls him.
DIEGO: Boss, I found a tracker embedded in the wall of the van. They’ll be here in no time.
CALUM HOLMES: Ok, everybody, this is an evacuation. You know the drill.
Mr Holmes, presses a button on his desk to open up a secret chamber behind one of the bookcases. All five occupants enter and once inside, Mr Holmes presses a button on the other side to close it behind them.
DEBBIE: Bloody Reapers. And I was just warming to this planet before they arrived.
YOSHIDA: Do you think they’ll catch us eventually? They do outnumber us after all. What are our chances?
CALUM HOLMES: We follow the plan. Then we have every chance of making it.
The entire chamber which was twenty feet by fourteen feet, moved downwards like a large elevator. The elevator eventually came to a stop and they exited into another large underground garage. Parked there was a large minibus, several motorcycles and three cars.
In a matter of moments Diego had joined them.
DIEGO: Luckily, we prepacked this baby. Otherwise I wouldn’t have time to pack my favourite toothbrush.
JEFF: Sorry Diego.I unloaded your stuff. It was taking up too much weight. Too many girly movies. Besides you won’t need pink underwear for where we’re going.
DIEGO: They’re polka-dots and they’re purple.
DEBBIE: I think you two lovebirds should bunk together.
The six individuals climb aboard the large minibus. Calum Holmes sits into the driver seat. The bus makes its way through an underground tunnel that leads beyond the mansion to the far end of the estate. After travelling through this tunnel for eight hundred metres an entrance opens up and the bus is driven onto a narrow road.