"I Know You're There"

Written by Ethan R. Friend

PRELIMINARY DRAFT OCTOBER 2013

ACT ONE INT. CONFERENCE ROOM, STATLER-NOBEL TECHNOLOGIES-- DAY A group of EXECUTIVES in suits sit around the table. EXECUTIVE #1 As such, Im recommending a serious overhaul of research and development, combined with a performance audit of all other departments. EXECUTIVE #2 Thats a bit draconian, dont you think? I mean, sure, the current economic situations a bit shaky, maybe. But times like these call for a hard sprint, not caution. Innovation, drive. The conversation continues. DAVID ZYDLER, mid-thirties, obviously bored, leans back in his chair. His eyes slide toward the second-story window and EXT. HIGHLAND AVENUE--DAY Traffic crawls with much blaring of horns and whining brakes. Pedestrians jostle on the sidewalk. A MAN wearing a fedora leans against a postal drop-box, reading a paper. A SCAR cuts across his left cheek. The man glances up at the window. His eyes meet Davids. INT. CONFERENCE ROOM, METROPOLITAN OFFICE BUILDING David jerks his gaze away with a gasp. He rubs at his temples. EXECUTIVE #1 David? Your thoughts? DAVID (turning) Hmm? Oh. It seems to me that any department, or person, not living up to their full potential here is dead weight, dragging us down. Its a question of come to life, or get cut down. Executive #2 looks sourly across the able at him. David shrugs at him-- what was he supposed to say?

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EXECUTIVE #1 Quite right. As Ive said, I recommend a thorough look into research and development. INT. HALLWAY The other suits wander toward he elevator. David staggers a little, wiping his face with one hand. He steps away from the group, toward the stairs. EXECUTIVE #2 Hey, Zydler! I want a word with you. He quickens his pace, catching hold of Davids briefcase. DAVID Not now, Trasker. I dont feel very well. He breaks free and pushes through the door to the stairs. EXT. PARK STREET ENTRANCE--DAY David walks quickly out the glass doors of the side entrance. He glances toward EXT. HIGHLAND AVENUE where the scarred man continues to fake reading the paper. EXT. PARK STREET David walks quickly away. EXT. HIGHLAND AVENUE The scarred man glances over. He folds his paper and starts walking toward the intersection. SCARRED MAN Hey. Hey, you! He hustles across the intersection, ignoring the blaring HORNS and angry shouts. EXT. PARK STREET David breaks into a run. The scarred man follows suit. SCARRED MAN Hey!

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David pushes past a knot of ELDERLY LADIES, who call out disapprovingly. He dodges an angry food-cart vendor. The scarred man follows close behind. Davids gaze falls on the cement steps leading to the underground Park Street subway station. He hurries down the steps, weaving between commuters and shoppers on their way home. INT. SUBWAY STATION David slips on the last step and falls to one knee. He glances back. The scarred man struggles through the crowd, halfway down the steps. David regains his footing. COMPUTER VOICE Green Line train to Redville Center is now leaving. Green line train... David lunges for the train. The doors are sliding closed. He forces his way through them. INT. SUBWAY TRAIN The doors click shut just as the scarred man arrives. The train begins to pull away from the platform. The scarred man cries out in frustration, but his words are muffled by the doors and the rising WHINE of the train as it picks up speed. David leans against the wall of he train, panting. INT. TRAINING ROOM-- A MEMORY A small boy resembling David rises from a squat. A man ruffles his hair-- the man with the SCAR on his left cheek. SCARRED MAN Thats wonderful, Boo. I think were making real progress. The boy smiles. INT. SUBWAY STATION The scarred man stares after the departing train. EXT. GALLEY STREET, REDVILLE HEIGHTS--DAY David walks through his suburban neighborhood. He reaches his own driveway and turns in. A GOLDEN RETRIEVER bounds off the porch and comes to meet him. David reaches down to pet the dog.

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DAVID Good boy, Russ. David climbs the porch and enters the house. INT. KITCHEN MOLLY ZYDLER stands by the stove, tasting pasta sauce from a wooden spoon. She shimmies side to side with the music from the RADIO on the counter. David walks up behind her and wraps an arm around her. She leans back against him. MOLLY Work called. Not feeling well, huh? David drops his briefcase to the floor and holds her, nuzzling her neck. DAVID Convenient excuse. Wheres Seth? MOLLY Mmm. Out back. Fighting enemy agents in the jungle or some such. Here. Taste. Whats it need? She crams the spoon into his mouth. DAVID Hmm. A little less garlic, onion, and spices, and a little more of that tin can flavor. She bops him on the nose, leaving a smear of red. He grimaces and wipes it off. MOLLY Cretin. Ill break you of your bachelor ways yet. DAVID Nine years of trying and counting... He heads toward the back door. SETH (O.S.) Youre home early today. DAVID (O.S.) Vitch means you and your patetic sol-jahs are goink down, ja. Molly tastes the sauce again, humming.

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INT. KITCHEN--EVENING The Zydlers are seated around the dinner table. SETH, eleven, prods at his peas with his fork. DAVID Howd Mrs. Reynolds like the book report? SETH OK. Brian Hartwell called me a farteating dork after. DAVID Brian Hartwell cant even spell fart-eating dork. MOLLY Why do you two always have to discuss bodily functions at the table? The PHONE rings. DAVID Ill get it. He walks to the other end of the kitchen and picks up. DAVID (CONTD) Hello? Rhythmic bursts of STATIC sound in his ear. David hangs up. MOLLY Who was it? DAVID Nobody. Just noise. Seth burps. He giggles. SETH Hows that for a noise? MOLLY Real impressed. INT. HALLWAY--NIGHT David peeks in on Seth, asleep in his room. He pulls the door partway closed, then creeps toward the

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INT. LIVING ROOM Molly sits on the couch, correcting term papers. A game show chatters on the TV. David clicks it off. DAVID What was Eli Whitneys Cotton Gin? MOLLY Har har. Were doing the Civil Rights Movement. Freedom Riders. Heavy stuff. DAVID Any chance the rest of them can wait til tomorrow? She sets the stack of papers to one side and looks at him, eyebrow raised. MOLLY Whatd you have in mind? INT. BEDROOM David and Molly make love on the bed as the ceiling spins lazily overhead. EXT. STREET CORNER--DAY David stands in a crowd of PEDESTRIANS, waiting for the crossing signal. He glances at his watch. He stares across the street at the unchanging SIGNAL. A GAUNT MAN standing a ways back stares at the back of Davids head. He wears a black fedora. A small tattoo, almost a brand, shows on his temple below the brim: a letter Q. GAUNT MAN Hey, Boo. David shuffles his briefcase from one hand to the other. GAUNT MAN (CONTD) Sure. Id know you anywhere. How longs it been, Boo? Twenty years. Same old Boo. Other people steal glances toward the man. David stares fixedly across the street.

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GAUNT MAN (CONTD) You think if youre quiet Ill go away? Second-guess myself? (inhaling deeply) Id know you anywhere. The light changes. David surges forward with the crowd. The Gaunt Man lingers behind. GAUNT MAN (CONTD) Wont be long now, Boo. Itll be like old times! David hurries down the street. INT. CLASSROOM-- DAVIDS MEMORY A line of CHILDREN in matching white outfits, standing in military precision, reciting in unison. CHILDREN To preserve these traditions, obey the commands of my betters, and sacrifice unblinking all that is asked of me. The last child in line is the boy from previous-- a young David Zydler. YOUNG DAVID (backed by the others) I am the cog in the machine. EXT. HIGHLAND AVENUE--DAY David enters the front door of Statler-Nobel. INT. STATLER-NOBEL, SECURITY SOLUTIONS OFFICE--DAY David and the other TEAM LEADERS sit at their desks around the room, eating lunch, an argument in progress. TIM shakes his head, running his fingers through his receding hair. TIM Youre kidding me, Joe. You heard what David said. The grinding wheels turning. We cant go in there with updates and repackages. Joe adjusts his glasses.

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JOE We need more time. Another week or two, to work the bugs out of the new program. TIM More time? The others chime in as the fight continues. David stares out the window. MONTAGE-- A SERIES OF MEMORIES A BURNING TEST DUMMY hangs from a wire attached to the ceiling of a featureless room. The troop of children seen previously stands in a classroom, hands clasped behind their backs. A uniformed instructor paces at the front of the room, lecturing. A circle of children jostles in a field, watching a fight in the grass. Young David holds his opponent in a headlock. The other boys glasses are cracked, his forehead bloody. The boy SQUEALS. David shoves him away. The boy falls to his knees, gasping. David steps back and raises his hands. INT. STATLER-NOBEL, SECURITY SOLUTIONS OFFICE--DAY David turns from the window. TIM David, help me out here, would you? DAVID What? Im sorry. EXT. BALCONY--DAY David leans against the railing. Traffic HUMS by on the street below. Tim joins him. TIM Thought you might be out here sneaking a smoke. DAVID Really quit this time. TIM Good thing. Mollyll kill you if you slip up. You all right? You seem distracted in there.

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DAVID I dont know if its all this talk about downsizing or what. I havent been sleeping. Weird dreams. Stuff from when I was a kid. What was it like for you, growing up? TIM Me? My father was a drunk who beat the hell out of my mother every time supper burned. These things, you cant dwell on them. Got to keep your mind on the road in front of you, on the future. Learn to let go. They dont mean anything. DAVID Maybe youre right. EXT. PARK STREET David makes his way along the crowded sidewalk toward the subway station. As he nears the stairs, he sees the GAUNT MAN leaning against the handrail. The GAUNT MAN looks up. David turns around. The SCARRED MAN is quickly approaching from that way. David dives into the David jumps in front street, bouncing off blare. The DRIVER of window. street. A yellow taxis brakes SCREAM as of it. He drops his briefcase in the the fender of an on-coming sedan. HORNS the sedan sticks his head out the

DRIVER Watch it, you moron! David reaches the opposite side of the street, limping. He tries the door of a cigarette store, but its locked. A SIGN in the window reads CLOSED FOR REPAIRS. He looks back. The two men are in hot pursuit. David pushes off the wall and rushes into EXT. TRASH-LITTERED ALLEY--DAY He picks his way over empty fast food cartons, rotten vegetables, old newspapers. Halfway down the alley, a jumble of wooden PALLETS squats near a rusted DUMPSTER. David squeezes between them. The scarred man appears at the Park Street ends of the alley and walks toward the pallets.

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SCARRED MAN Come on out, Boo. I know youre in there. I can smell it. The Gaunt Man enters the alley from the far end and moves toward his partner, his eyes searching. SCARRED MAN (CONTD) Have they started? The flashbacks? Things you forgot, tried to forget? Do you remember what you did to Turner? My proudest moment. The pinnacle of forty years work. Another man appears in the alley behind him, scruffy, wearing rimless spectacles and a duffel coat-- CHRIS PIETTE. CHRIS You must have one hell of a plastic surgeon. The scarred man turns. Chris pulls his hand from his coat pocket and holds something out:a golden ROCK a little smaller than his palm. A THROBBING SOUND seems to emanate from it. The scarred man reels, clutching his temples. At the far end of the alley, the Gaunt Man drops to his knees. Behind the pallets, Davids face screws into a grimace of agony. Blood pours from his nose. A single drop of blood trickles from Chriss nostril. He smiles. CHRIS (CONTD) You boys run on home, now. I think your mamas calling you. The Gaunt Man vomits behind a trash can and staggers out of the alley. The Scarred Man follows him on hands and knees. Chris strides to Davids hiding place. He pulls him to his feet and half-drags him toward the opposite end of the alley. Davids head lolls on Chriss shoulder: hes unconscious. CUT TO BLACK. EXT. CIGARETTE STORE David sits on the steps on the closed store, dabbing his nose with a handkerchief. Chris looks around, one hand in his coat pocket. CHRIS They wont be back. Not soon, anyway.

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David hands his the handkerchief. CHRIS (CONTD) Sorry I had to do that. Its the only way. The only thing theyre afraid of. He eases his hand just far enough out of his pocket that the rock winks. David inhales sharply. Chris lets the rock fall back into his pocket. CHRIS (CONTD) Nasty thing. Not really supposed to take it out of its box. Dangerous. DAVID Who are you? CHRIS A friend. Maybe the truest friend you ever had. DAVID What do they want? CHRIS Still fuzzy, huh? Not surprised. You really did a number on yourself that night. DAVID What night? I dont remember anything. Just dreams. Images. Chris looks around. CHRIS Not here. Its too hot. Go home. Lay low for a couple days. When youre ready, Ill be around. He tosses David a POKER CHIP. David looks at it. A blue cartoon duck grins up at him. DAVID Blue duck? David looks up as Chris walks away. DAVID (CONTD) Hey, wait a minute! Who are you? Chris looks back over his shoulder.

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CHRIS Call me Chris. He disappears into the crowd. David looks down at the poker chip. INT. SUBWAY STATION David boards the train for home. Chris watches from behind a rusted steel pillar. As the train pulls away, Chris rubs at his left wrist. SCAR TISSUE slashes across what was once a TATTOO: The Greek letter Lambda. END OF ACT ONE

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ACT TWO INT. LIVING ROOM--NIGHT Molly settles back onto the couch beside Seth, carrying a bowl of popcorn. On TV, a commercial plays, then the screen goes black. MOLLY Hurry up, youre going to miss it. INT. BATHROOM David splashes water on his face. He looks at himself in the mirror. MOLLY (O.S.) Want me to pause it? EXT. THE GRASSY FIELD The boy with the cracked glasses writhes in the grass, screaming. INT. BATHROOM DAVID No. Be right out. INT. LIVING ROOM David squishes on the couch with his family. On the TV, a YOUNG WOMAN with an eye patch sits in a restaurant, talking to the young man seated across from her. YOUNG WOMAN ON TV A lot can happen in three years. INT. CLASSROOM The INSTRUCTOR stands beside a man in a black suit, who sits on an empty desk with his feet on the chair. Its Chris Piette, better groomed, trimmer, but looking no younger than he did in Act One. INSTRUCTOR This is Christopher. A Lambda. The children murmur appreciatively. INT. CLASSROOM-- LATER Chris leans toward the seated students, mid-lecture.

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CHRIS Merely a routine inspection. Seeing how the program is coming along. You there. He turns toward Young David, seated to the far end. CHRIS (CONTD) What do they call you? YOUNG DAVID Boo. INT. LIVING ROOM Molly and Seth laugh at something on TV. David joins them, but his laughter is forced-- he isnt really there. INT. OFFICE-- ANOTHER MEMORY Young David sits on the edge of a chair, uneasy. CHRIS sits behind the desk, hands clasped. CHRIS Have you given any thought to what youd like to be called? You cant go around being Boo, forever, you know. The boy only stares at him. CHRIS (CONTD) Maybe something mythic, or biblical, something suggesting power. Ares, maybe, or David. King of kings. INT. LIVING ROOM--NIGHT Seth has fallen asleep. On TV, the young woman with the eye patch stands before a mirror, doctoring a cut lip. The PHONE rings. David walks into the kitchen to answer it. Molly pauses the DVR. David walks back in, visibly shaken. MOLLY Who was it? David? DAVID Nobody. Wrong number. MOLLY Like hell. Youre upset. Talk to me.

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David sinks into an armchair in the corner. Molly goes to him. MOLLY (CONTD) Tell me. DAVID Molly, please, not now. MOLLY Youve been acting so strange lately. At first I thought it was the smoking, or pressure at work, but-- is there someone else? DAVID God, no. I swear. The PHONE again. MOLLY Im answering that. DAVID Molly! He follows her into the INT. KITCHEN She grabs the phone, which rings on. He puts a hand on hers, holding her still. DAVID Please. They looks at each other a long moment. The phone falls silent. MOLLY All right. Put Seth to bed, and then were going to talk. INT. LIVING ROOM Molly paces. David sits on the couch. She watches him. He stares at his hands. The cordless PHONE sits on the coffee table. DAVID I dont know how old I was when they took me. I dont remember much from before.

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MOLLY Jesus, David. You told me your parents died in a car crash. DAVID They might have for all I know. I think I told myself that story enough times before I met you, it started to become real. MOLLY What did they do to you? What do they want? DAVID Hard to explain. It was like school, only the things they taught us were twisted, unreal things. The stuff paranoid schizophrenics rant about. They said we were special. Different. Elite. MOLLY How long were you there? DAVID I dont know. A long time. MOLLY And then they just let you go? DAVID I escaped. I was twelve, maybe thirteen. MOLLY How? DAVID I dont know. MOLLY You dont know? DAVID Cant remember. Honest. It comes in fits and starts. Until yesterday, I dont think I remembered anything. She stops pacing. He looks at her. DAVID (CONTD) What?

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MOLLY I dont know, honey. DAVID What do you mean, you dont know? MOLLY I know you well enough to see when youre rattled. But this... you were the one who mentioned paranoid schizophrenia. DAVID I dont believe this. MOLLY Diane was telling me about this doctor she used to go see, Dr. Rickland-DAVID You think Im crazy. MOLLY Youve been under so much stress lately. DAVID You think I imagined being chased yesterday? There are probably a hundred people who saw it happen. You think these phone calls-As if on cue, the phone RINGS again. Mollys eyes go wide. DAVID (CONTD) You think Im imagining that? Molly snatches the phone off the coffee table. STATIC pulses on the other end of the line. MOLLY (screaming) Leave us alone! She hurls the phone across the room. She collapses onto the couch beside him. He takes her hands in his, looking into her eyes. DAVID Real. MOLLY David, I dont know.

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DAVID Every word. Real. She suddenly hugs him, tight. The phone RINGS. Molly squeezes her eyes shut in terror. END OF ACT TWO

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ACT THREE EXT. BLUE DUCK BAR AND GRILL--DAY Afternoon. David checks the NEON SIGNs logo against his poker chip, then walks quickly toward the rear of the building. A rickety flight of stairs takes him up to a screen door. He knocks. DAVID Chris? Its me, David. A familiar THROBBING sound comes from behind the door. David gasps and falls to his knees. The door opens. Chris peers out at him. He holds the ROCK. CHRIS Sorry. Cant be too careful these days. Come on in. He walks back inside the dim apartment. INT. ZYDLER LIVING ROOM--DAY The doorbell rings. Molly goes to answer it. She pulls the door open, revealing Tim. MOLLY Tim, hi. Davids not home yet, and Im actually expecting-Tim gestures behind him to the SMALL MAN in glasses behind him-- a man in a dark fedora. TIM Dr. Rickland. Thats why Im here, Molly. He asked me to come along. DR. RICKLAND Please, may we come in? Molly opens the door. The men enter. MOLLY Can I get you anything to drink? DR. RICKLAND Coffee, perhaps. MOLLY Sure.

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She disappears into the kitchen. Dr. Richland removes his glasses, polishing them with a handkerchief. Tim searches the room with his eyes. MOLLY (CONTD) (from the kitchen) Tim? Anything for you? TIM Coffees fine. Thanks. He runs one hand through his hair. His shirt sleeve slides up an inch, revealing a hint of a TATTOO. INT. CHRISS APARTMENT--DAY David sits on the stained couch, a drink in his hands. Chris sits in the chair across from him, drinking a glass of neat whisky. CHRIS We started the program back in Sixty-five or -six. Im a lot older than I look. The idea was to isolate those abilities that made you all different, to hone them. To create an elite special forces unit, the ultimate weapon, loyal without question to the highest levels of our organization. DAVID The Lambda. CHRIS (smiling sadly) Youve regained an impressive amount of memories in a short time, David, but youre still recalling a childs understanding of things. Lambda might not be the bottom dogs, but they arent the alphas, either. Hell, I never got beyond clearance level four. He swallows whisky and stares down at his scarred wrist. DAVID Whyd you leave? Chris looks him dead in the eyes. CHRIS It was you, David.

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DAVID Me? INT. HALLWAY OF THE ORGANIZATION BUILDING-- A MEMORY Young David runs through the hallway, sobbing. CHRIS (V.O.) After the incident with that Turner kid. He enters a deserted classroom and hides under the teachers desk. He buries his face in his arms, rocking back and forth. The DOOR opens and closes softly. FOOTSTEPS approach-- black pants, expensive shoes. The man crouches down to look at the crying boy-- its Chris. David looks up at him. They regard each other a moment, then the boy throws his arms around Chris. After a second, he hugs him back. INT. CHRISS APARTMENT As before. CHRIS Once I realized what the program was doing to you, to all of you. I knew I had to get you out. DAVID How? CHRIS I got in touch with some people, a sort of underground resistance. Not many people know about the organization, but most of the ones who do... they tend not to be interested in getting our autographs. INT. DAVIDS DORM ROOM--NIGHT Another memory. Young David walks sleepily across his room to the open window. Chris hangs from a rope outside the window. Young David climbs onto the ledge and crawls through the window. CHRIS (V.O.) We gave you drugs to erase most of your memories. (MORE)

22. CHRIS (V.O.) (CONT'D) Entered you into the foster care system. Made you disappear.

DAVID (V.O.) And you? INT. CHRISS APARTMENT Chris stands at the window, looking out at the lengthening shadows in the street. He turns. DAVID When did you disappear? CHRIS Not long after. I didnt have a choice. If they learned Id helped your escape, and Im sure they did, things would have gotten... unpleasant. He walks to a dresser and opens the top drawer. He pulls out a BUNDLE, tied in dirty handkerchiefs--the ROCK. CHRIS (CONTD) The same people got me out. They taught me how to evade detection, how to blend into a society Id been isolated from. And they gave me this. He sits in the chair again, still eying the bundle. CHRIS (CONTD) Almost harmless now, when it doesnt touch skin. But unwrap it, and-- well, youve seen. Here. He holds it out to David, who takes it. David looks down at the weapon in his hands, somewhat dubious Then he looks up at Chris. DAVID How did they find us? The children, I mean? CHRIS Oh, David. You poor boy. They didnt find you. They made you. All of you. You werent kidnapped by the Goblin King, son. Youre the Crown Prince.

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EXT. GALLEY STREET--EVENING The sun is setting as David walks wearily up his street. He stops at the foot of his driveway, freezes. A small FORM lies stretched across the gravel. David runs toward it, bends down: its Rusty, the dog. His eyes are missing. Blood and gore matt his fur. His abdomen yawns open, a mess of guts and more blood. David stares down at his crimson-soaked hands. Then he looks to the house. Bloody smears on the door, which stands ajar. David gets to his feet, terror all over his face. DAVID Molly! Seth! He takes a stumbling step toward the porch. His CELL PHONE rings. He pulls it from his pocket, and answers. DAVID (CONTD) Who is this? FEMALE VOICE (filtered) I never wanted it to come to this, Boo. You made me. INT. SOMEWHERE UNDER ORGANIZATION CONTROL A feminine mouth, lips colored BRIGHT RED. She lifts an ivory CIGARETTE HOLDER and takes a drag, exhaling into the phones mouthpiece. FEMALE VOICE Do we have your attention now? EXT. GALLEY STREET--EVENING David hangs up, his hands trembling. He takes another step toward the house. Inside, the PHONE rings. His eyes widen. And then, incredibly-EVERY phone on Galley Street starts to RING, all at once. David reels, staggers away from the dead dog and the ominous, empty house. He begins to run. END OF ACT THREE

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ACT FOUR EXT. HIGHWAY BRIDGE--NIGHT Traffic zips by on the highway, headlights smears of light against the night sky. EXT. UNDER THE BRIDGE David sits slumped against a concrete pillar, his clothes disheveled. A short distance away, a TRIO of homeless guys huddle, passing a brown bottle back and forth. INT. CHRISS APARTMENT -- BATHROOM -- NIGHT Chris urinates, then flushes, zipping up his pants. He crosses to the sink, washes his hands, and splashes more water over his face. He reaches for the towel, freezes. Listens. Silence. Chris dries off his face and hands, tosses the towel aside, and opens the bathroom door. Scarface smiles at him. SCARRED MAN (in mock disapproval) Christopher. You of all people should know, when you go, stay gone. He steps forward. Chris stumbles back a step. SCARRED MAN (CONTD) Im gonna enjoy this. EXT. ABANDONED STREET--NIGHT David stands at a PAYPHONE at the corner of a trash-filled street. Dark, burned-out warehouses loom on both sides of the cracked blacktop. David dials and puts the phone to his ear. DAVID Its me. I understand. Whatever it is you want, you can have it. All right. Im at 47 Heidegger. The warehouses. Right. Be there. He hangs up. He stands a moment, surveying the street. Nothing moves.

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David hurries across the street to the entrance of the abandoned warehouse marked 47. INT. WAREHOUSE 47--NIGHT Its dark, dusty. Sounds ECHO off the corrugated metal walls and roof, the concrete floors. David pulls an ENVELOPE from his coat pocket. He opens it and begins sprinkling a fine YELLOW POWDER onto the floor. CHRIS (V.O.) Its quite soft. Break it into pieces, pulverize it, it still retains its power. David strips off his coat, setting it on a pile of old CRATES. He rolls up his shirt sleeves, paces. CHRIS (V.O.) Still, the whole form is best. David pulls the wrapped BUNDLE out and looks at it. INT. WAREHOUSE 47--LATER David sits on the CRATES, smoking. Soft FOOTSTEPS approach. David looks up. Tim stands about ten feet away, regarding him. TIM There you are. DAVID (startled) Tim? TIM Weve been looking everywhere for you. (walking forward) I dont think I have to tell you, it doesnt look good. The way youve been acting at the office, now they find your dog hacked to pieces, and your wife and kid inside, all-DAVID Tim, youve got to help me. TIM Thats why were here, Boo. We want to help.

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The Gaunt Man and Dr. Rickland step out of the shadows. DR. RICKLAND Its time to go, Mr. Zydler. All three advance. David stands up. DAVID Yeah. I guess it is. Tim and the Gaunt Man freeze. Rickland takes two more steps himself before stopping, looking down. All four men stand on a great yellow-colored CIRCLE, like a childs drawing of the sun on the floor. David raises the handkerchief- wrapped BUNDLE. He opens it, revealing the GOLDEN ROCK. The THROBBING sounds begin, louder than ever. Tim cries out. He and the Gaunt Man stagger back a step. Rickland falls to his hands and knees, gasping. David raises his free hand. Tim turns to flee. David gestures curiously. BLACK TENDRILS burst from his fingertips, looking like enormous strands of spiderweb, or electricity, or somehow both. They shoot across the room, piecing all three men--the GAUNT MAN through the chest, Tim through the back, Rickland straight through his face. All four men go rigid as stone. Blood bursts from Davids nose. His eyes become a glowing GOLD. Ricklands face begins to bubble, bleeding from a thousand bursting sores. He burbles from what used to be a mouth. The golden rock THUNDERS like a dinosaurs heartbeat. Suddenly, in time to the sound, the black strands binding the four men together begin to PULSE, changing color, first red, then orange, then gold. David glows like a polished golden statue. The colors move along the strands, reaching first Rickland, then the Gaunt Man, then Tim. Tims back arches, his mouth stretched into a silent scream, as all four men erupt into a great shining whiteness---and then EXPLODE in a great BALL OF FIRE. EXT. ABANDONED STREET--NIGHT The wreckage of the exploding warehouse rains down on the street, burning.

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A chunk of twisted wood and metal lands on a rusted parked CAR, crushing its roof and setting off its ALARM. The FLAMES climb into the night. INT. AN OFFICE BUILDING CONTROLLED BY THE ORGANIZATION--DAY A REPORT falls on an ORGANIZATION MEMBERs desk. She flips through it, lips pursed. Then she reaches for the PHONE. ORGANIZATION MEMBER Get me Lamar. (beat) Yes, Ive just read it. It wasnt entirely unexpected. The dog might have been too much. Well be shorthanded a week or more, but nothing too serious. Yes, sir. She hangs up. Then she turns back to the report, going through it more carefully this time. INT. PRACTICE ROOM--SAME BUILDING A row of CHILDREN in white robes practice combat against a series of DUMMIES hanging from the ceiling. The dummy at the end of the room is ON FIRE. The Scarred Man kneels on the floor beside a small boy, perhaps ten. The resemblance to Young David in the flashback sequences is startling. The Scarred Man smiles. SCARRED MAN Excellent, Boo. I think were making real progress. CUT TO BLACK. END OF EPISODE.