Spoiler Episode #9: "Medium is the Message"

Compilation of Dark Angel - S2 Spoilers provided by RAMS

PAGE 5

CONTINUED: (2)

MAX (CONT'D)
Hey, when he was mixing you together, maybe he dropped in a little of Picasso's DNA.

JOSHUA
Picasso in my cocktail.

MAX
(pointing now)
Um... you... there...

Max discreetly motions to his hair. Joshua fumbles, finds a paint brush entangled in his locks, as--

INT. LOGAN'S APARTMENT- DAY

On the phone: A hint of impatience as he listens to the RECORDED MESSAGE of a COMPUTERIZED VOICE.

COMPUTERIZED VOICE
You've reached the voice mail for Donald Lydecker. Leave a message at the beep.

Logan talks in code. We can see that he's using his computer/security equipment to keep from being traced.

LOGAN
(into phone)
Hey, it's me again-- for the tenth time. I need to talk to you about hooking me up with another good chef? Last one left town. Really like to hear from you.

Logan hangs up, the weariness in his tone evolving into a concentrated concern... He picks up the phone again.

LOGAN (CONT'D)
Hello, missing persons, please--

INT. BLACK BUDGET GOVT. BUILDING (WHITE'S OFFICE)- DAY

White, lying back in a chair, while an ORAL SURGEON, woh's brought instruments with him, gives White the news:

ORAL SURGEON
Sir, that wisdom tooth has to come out--

WHITE
-- So what're you waiting for?

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 6

CONTINUED

ORAL SURGEON
Once again, I'd strongly advise a local anesthe--

WHITE
(on his dialogue)
I don't want to drool all day, okay? Just do it.

The Surgeon shrugs resignedly, relucatantly goes into White's mouth with a tooth extractor-- it's a pliers.

ANGLE ON A TRAY

on which other dental instruments are arranged for our quesy perusal. PAN THEM for a brief spell-- it's silent but for the RUSTLE of clothing, until--

A BLOODY TOOTH RATTLES like a marble into a stainless steel pan.

INT. HALLWAY- DAY

a young COMMUNICATIONS TECH knocks on White's door--

WHITE (O.S.)
Come in!

The Com Tech, hurrying in--

INT. WHITE'S OFFICE- DAY

COM TECH
Sir, there's been another call--

White, already on his feet, rips the tissue bib from his neck, spits blood into a sink and bounds for the door--

INT. HALLWAY- DAY

as White strides with the COM TECH, filling him in--

COM TECH (CONT'D)
--came in at oh-nine-seven, used the same frequency vocal modulator-

WHITE
Still no trace--?

COM TECH
No, sir--

PAGE 11

Splotches of paint, string, a coat hanger stuck on it, too-- dumpster-chic.

BACK ON MAX AND JOSHUA

MAX
No, no. I like, I like. But what happened to the other--?

JOSHUA
---Mad props from Alec.

MAX
Alec--? He was here?

JOSHUA
Joshua: an artiste with skills.

MAX
He took your painting.

JOSHUA
Bought it. One-of-a-kind. Got to have it.

MAX
He paid you money?

JOSHUA
Better. Case of smoked ham hocks.

MAX
(sarcastic)
Beautiful--

CUT TO

EXT. ART GALLERY- DAY- ESTABLISHING

A TASTEFUL SIGN on a brick building: NYLON ART GALLERY

ALEC (O.S.)
Absolutely beautiful--

INT. NYLON GALLERY

austere objects 'd art with a little kitsch thrown in here and there for flavoring.

ALEC (CONT'D)
--Isn't it? Seriously, I think we both know what we have here, right?

CLOSE ON ALEC'S HAND

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 12

(CONTINUED)

indolently stroking the gold leafing of the frame.

ANGLE ON RITA,

27, short and bright, dry as a high-altitude martini. Plays it breath mint cool--

RITA
Right. A middle man. I'll give you five--

Alec laughs, rolls his eyes, then levels them on her--

ALEC
Rhoda, Rhoda--

RITA
Rita

ALEC
Rita, sorry. You remind me of Rhoda. Boarding school. Nice girl.

RITA
That's a lie I can live with, I suppose. Five-and-a-half.

ALEC
Six and we got a sale. I'll even throw in the painting.

Rita looks at Alec and and can't hold back a little SNORT which rapidly becomes a rolling, infectious LAUGH.

RITA
That's funny..
(still LAUGHING)
That's very funny.

Alec uncertainly laughs along, Rita settling in now.

RITA (cont'd)
All right. Six.
(CALLING OUT)
Enzo!

An elderly man (ENZO) appears from the back.

RITA (cont'd)

Draw six thousand from the safe,

Alec nearly bites the tip of his own tongue when he realizes Rita meant six thousand.

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 13

RITA (cont'd)
(re: the painting)
and lock this up.

As Enzo silently comes for the painting, she whimsically halts him--

RITA (cont'd)
On second thought, leave it here. I want to look at it for a spell.
(to Alec)
Who's the artist?

But Alec's too spun to respond because, holy Heironymous Bosch, she's been talking about THE PAINTING all this time. Got this concussion ripple in his expression, as--

RITA (cont'd)
Hello? Little boy?

ALEC
Yeah, yeah--

RITA
The artist. It isn't a Rolf Shay isn't it--?

ALEC
(still stunned)
No, no, um Shay? Shay's a poser--

RITA
-- it has his signature asymmetry but none of the banal iconographic traditions. So who? It isn't signed.

ALEC
Joshua's not a signer. He's a doer.

RITA
Joshuaaaaa--?

ALEC
Just Joshua.

The news seems to burst Rita's bubble a little--

RITA
Hmm.. wants to be known only by the one name, huh? Well, nobody's perfect. Are there more like this?

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 14

As Enzo returns, hands Alec a crisp, plump envelope, he peeks inside, sees the six grand, clears his throat.

ALEC
Can't seem to keep them on the easel before someone's making an offer. He's working on one now--

BRIEF INSERT- JOSHUA'S HOUSE

Joshua, sated and asleep, SNORING LOUDLY, annoying Max, toiling over the viral formulas. She pinches his nose.

BACK TO SCENE

As Rita shows Alec to the door--

RITA
Before you sell, you'll give me a call?

ALEC
Oh...
(deliberating, then magnanimously)
Sure.

EXT. SEATTLE- DAY- A ROOFTOP

an S1W MEMBER scopes out the neighborhood down below, SPEAKS LOW into a headset:

S1W MEMBER (INTO HEADSET)
South end, up top, all clear.

EXT. STREET LEVEL- INSIDE A PARKED TRUCK

two more ARMED S1W MEMBERS survey the area though their windsheild, one of them (THE DRIVER) reporting into his headset:

S1W TRUCK DRIVER (INTO HEADSET)
Position two, clear down here.

INT. A SECOND STORY WINDOW

where Asha and another S1W sharpshooter have a clear view of the street below. Looking into a pair of digital binoculars, she talks into her headset:

ASHA (INTO HEADSET)
Three clear. All right, looking good. Everybody's just sit tight.
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 15

CONTINUED

ASHA (INTO HEADSET) (CONT'D)
(to herself, re: Logan)
God, he's good lookin'..

SHARPSHOOTER
Say again?

ASHA
Never mind. Stay focused.

POV ASHA THROUGH BINOCULARS

we see

LOGAN, at an outdoor coffee house, sitting across from a young woman, as:

WENDY (O.S.)
-- We woke up and he was gone.

EXT. COFFEE HOUSE

If WENDY GREY (28) is guilty of anything, it's of having an honest face. Pretty, battered with worry, the very structure of her voice seems to give as she continues--

WENDY
No sign of a struggle or break-in. We called the authorities. It's been a week-- nothing. The Police aren't looking. We're a nuiscance to them.

Wendy passes a photo of her son to Logan--

WENDY (CONT'D)
His name is Raymond.

Logan looks at the photo, responds with a nod and a warm smile, then a deep sigh...

WENDY (CONT'D)
My husband wanted a boy. I just wanted a child. We, um, lost our first two children at birth. Now to lose Ray.. it's..

LOGAN
Your husband doesn't know you're here.

WENDY
(shaking her head)
He's always taken care of everything. Always. I've never had to worry about a thing. This is tearing him apart.
(MORE)

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 16

CONTINUED

WENDY (CONT'D)
He's angry. He thinks he failed. I had to do something.

As she reaches in her purse--

THREE RAPID SHOTS OF

ON THE ROOF: the S1Ws cocking their weapons--

INSIDE THE TRUCK: across the street from the cafe, and braced to pounce--

IN THE SECOND FLOOR WINDOW: Asha, with the binoculars trained on Logan and Wendy, holds her hand up to the sharpshooter S1W with her and barks into her headset--

ASHA
Hold-hold-hold! No threat!

Because, BACK AT THE TABLE,

Wendy produces A DIGITAL VIDEE CASSETTE (attention, production: make suitably techy) gives it to Logan.

WENDY
We have a video security system at the house.
(re: the CD)
I found that buried in the trash a few days ago. It's blank.

Logan regards her for a moment...

LOGAN
Donald Lydecker. How did you know him?

WENDY
He's a friend of my husband's. Ray was--is-- fond of him.
(beat)
Will you help us?

A BEAT...then...

LOGAN
If I'm getting involved, your husband should know. I should meet him.

WENDY
...All right. Tomorrow. Here' s the address...

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 27

CONTINUED: (2)

LOGAN (CONT'D)
Wendy Olsen White's came up-- that was it; the others couldn't be matched. But--

MAX
(dubious)
-- Like X's are gonna have their fingerprints in someone's database--

LOGAN
(trying to get a word in edgewise)
-- something else turned up. The casing is flecked with a mineral deposit. Copper. Rare for this area. They're gonna check geological maps, try and zero in.
(beat)
I'm going to see Wendy.

MAX
And tell her what? That her husband's a homicidal pyscho who guns down innocent children just like her own?

LOGAN
This thing could escalate. If it's an eye-for-an-eye, if it's revenge... they grabbed her son, what if she's next?

MAX
(half-hearted)
It's a hard world to get a break in.

LOGAN
I'm going, Max. I already called her. She's expecting me. White's at work--

MAX
-- torturing people--

CUT TO:

INT. WHITE'S HEADQUARTERS- A ROOM- DAY

Where we see the bald, bug-eyed transgenic at large from "Designate This." Here, however, he's anything but at large, clamped in restraints to a chair. We see the barcode on his neck. WHACK! One of White's men, a guy in a WHITE SHIRT, backhands Bug Eye Transgenic with a stout piece of metal.

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 28

CONTINUED:

WHITE SHIRT
Where are the others?

ANGLE ON WHITE

hands in his pockets, looking on with what could only be described as preoccupied malevolence.

ANGLE ON THE COM TECH

entering the room and edging for White as in the b.g., WE HEAR the WHITE SHIRT strike (WHACK!) Bug Eye again--

WHITE
(to the Com Tech)
Any luck tracing Lydecker's voice mail?

COM TECH
Nothing, sir. No contacts since the last.

WHITE
Keep on it.

INT. ICONOGRAPHIC GALLERY- DAY

Original Cindy and Alec stand in the gallery, waiting for Rita. Alec has just finished explaining what's happened to an angry O.C.--

ORIGINAL CINDY
Can't believe you stuck my girl's only hope for a cure to a damn painting.

ALEC
It was an accident--

ORIGINAL CINDY
I don't think they made you at Manticore. I think they put you together at the clown factory--

ALEC
You know how much money I made off those two paintings alone?

ORIGINAL CINDY
You've got so much up your sleeve, there ain't no room for your arm.

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 35

Number Eight clamors to his feet, sprints off, kicks it into blur speed as the two WHITE SHIRTS look on...

INT. NYLON GALLERY- NIGHT

Late at night, the room is dark. A beat, and then a rope DROPS INTO FRAME. Another beat, and then Alec descends down the rope. He scans the room for Joshua's painting, doesn't see it.

Alec crosses the gallery, doesn't notice the motion detector embedded in the wall just a few feet off the floor. He steps past it, causing it to ILLUMINATE--

ON ALEC

As he moves down a row of mounted paintings, carefully checking behind each one. Finally finds what he's looking for behind a particularly large canvas-- a wall safe. Alec lifts the painting from its hook, rests it gently on the floor. Turns back to the safe to find--

TWO MEN

Standing beside him, their arms crossed. Both are Asian, mid-20s, chiseled physiques. One is attired entirely in black, the other entirely in white. Call them YIN and YANG. ALec knows he's in trouble, tries turning on the charm anyway--

ALEC
(re: the paintings)
You wouldn't happen to have "Dogs Playing Poker," would you?

A beat as Yin smiles... then delivers a lightning-fast KICK to Alec's chest, launching him backwards. Alec regains his balance, grabs a small painting off the wall, FLINGS it at Yin like a frisbee. But Yin just catches it, carefully places it back on the wall as Yang CHARGES Alec.

A flurry of kicks and punches as Yang and Alec go at it. Alec has it all over Yang in the speed and strength departments, but Yang is by far the more graceful fighter. He manages to grab hold of Alec's wrist, throws him in the direction of Yin, who drops Alec with a vicious clothesline.

Alec staggers to his feet, but now the attackers come at him together, driving him backwards. He SLAMS against a wall, causing--

TWO ORNATE VASES

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 36

CONTINUED: (2)

To teeter and then topple from their mounts. Yin suddenly dives for one, catching it in the nick of time. Yang somersaults through the air, catches the other before it shatters against the ground. As they carefully put the vases aside, Alec comes to a sudden realization:

ALEC (CONT'D)
You boys can't let any of this crap get broken, can you?

Yin and Yang exchange troubled looks-- Alec has discovered their weakness. He grabs a small sculpture, raises it above his head as though to smash it against the floor.

ALEC (CONT'D)
Back off, or I smash this thing to powder.

A beat as the two men simmer, unhappy that Alec has the upper hand, then--

RITA (O.C.)
So you're not a middle man.

Alec turns to see--

RITA has entered from another room.

RITA (CONT'D)
Just a thief. Not that it's impossible to be both.

She indicates the sculpture, condescending:

RITA (CONT'D)
That "thing" is a Jean Paul Eisenberg original-- arguably his most powerful contemplation of apathy and love in the twenty-first century.

Alec looks the piece over, shrugs.

ALEC
Looks like three chicks gettin' it on to me.

RITA
Beauty is in the behind of the holder, I suppose. Now. Before I call the police, is there anything I can get you? Glass of wine? Maybe a little Brie?

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 37

CONTINUED: (3)

ALEC
I need the second "Joshua" back.

RITA
Why?

ALEC
It's got... sentimental value.

RITA
You're not big on asking, are you?

ALEC
(rolls his eyes)
Can I have my Joshua back?

RITA
No.

A beat as Alec meets her stony gaze, then he drops the sculpture to the floor, SHATTERING it. He grabs the second sculpture, holds it above his head, shoots Rita a look that says this one's next.

RITA (CONT'D)
Go ahead. The Joshua is worth ten times as much.

Alec reacts, can't believe it--

ALEC
You're kidding.

Rita shakes her head, "no." Alec sighs, tries a different tack--

ALEC (CONT'D)
Listen. You give me my Joshua, I'll have him paint a new one for you. Heck, I'll have him paint you two.

RITA
(intrigued)
The artist is a friend of yours?

ALEC
(covering)
We... grew up in the same place. So. Deal?

RITA
I'd tell you to go screw yourself if I didn't think you'd enjoy it so much.

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 38

CONTINUED: (4)

ALEC
Come on, Rita. Whaddo you say?

A beat as Rita considers the offer. Then...

RITA
Introduce me to Joshua. Then I'll think about returning your painting.

ALEC
Huh? You want to meet him...

RITA
When one has an opportunity to experience true genius, one must seize it.

ALEC
My friend's no genius, lady. Far as I can tell, the guy doesn't even know how to use the shower--

RITA
(shrugs)
He's eccentric. I see it all the time in my line of work.

ALEC
I don't know... he's... shy.

RITA
Well I'm sure you could teach him a thing or two, right? Tomorrow.
(to her Ninjas)
Yang, show him the door. Unless you're intent on using these--

As she's retreating, she taps Alec's ropes. He shrugs, follows Yang towards the door.

STAY WITH RITA

passing Yin, she whispers to him, re: Alec--

RITA (CONT'D)
Follow him. Find out what you can.
(to herself)
God, I hate middle men.

INT. LOGAN'S- MORNING

Max, alone, deep in thought, when Logan brings her a drink. She waits for him to set it down-- virus precautions-- then takes it.

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 40

CONTINUED: (2)

LOGAN (CONT'D)
Got a possible location on the copper deposits. There's a small section of the downtown area that was built over a nineteenth century copper mine. Some of the shafts still exist: they find them when a new building goes up. Good a place as any for a transgenic to hide.

MAX
(cutting)
Yeah, we got a thing about basements. What's the location?

Logan rises to join her, but--

MAX (CONT'D)
This one's mine, okay? It's better if I go alone. Don't want to spook them.

LOGAN
The block bordering Fifth and Grand.
(beat)
Watch your ass...

INT. THE WHITE'S HOUSE- A HALL TO THE DEN- DAY

Wendy timorously, but firmly confronts her husband--

WENDY
I don't know where to begin

This is about as henpecked as we'll ever see this man. His inclination is to split her head open but he stands there, stewing like, well, a husband--

WENDY (CONT'D)
You lied to me about who you are, what you do--

WHITE
Come on, Wen-- I did it to protect you, you know that--

WENDY
Protect me? PROTECT ME? They took our son! Your enemies, whoever they are--

WHITE
Everyone has enemies.

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 41

CONTINUED

WENDY
You know something, I know it. I deserve a few answers--

White does a slow burn...

WHITE
You went behind my back, got strangers involved in MY PERSONAL LIFE, for all I know put my son at added risk--

WENDY
He's my son, too--

Now the old familiar White comes out as he explodes, grabs her arms--

WHITE
(startling her)
YEAH-- You lost our first two, remember? WELL I'M NOT GONNA LOSE THIS ONE! MY HOUSE! I'M IN CHARGE!

Wendy, terrified, appalled, mute, gawks at his hands gripping her. White comes to his senses finally, lets his hands fall to his side, moves away. Adds, nearly WHISPERING now--

WHITE (CONT'D)
He means too much to me...
(over his shoulder)
I'll be at the office.

EXT. DEMOLITION SITE

Max's motorcycle pulls up to the abandoned building. She gets off and heads for the entrance.

INT. BASEMENT- DAY

A large cavernous space serves as an antechamber for the dig site. Ladders lead down, tunnels lead off in several directions, scaffolding lines the walls. Max creeps into the room, taking it in.

She hears a faint sound, stops to listen carefully. Can't quite make out the sound--

INT. ANOTHER BASMENT ROOM- SAME

CLOSE ON RAYMOND, laughing up a storm, clearly enjoying some sort of light show-- flickering yellow light dances on his face. CAMERA PULLS BACK to reveal that the little boy's hand is on fire. And he's loving it.

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 49

CONTINUED

ACT FOUR

FADE IN:

INT. LOGAN'S APARTMENT

Max, making a beeline for the door--

LOGAN
Where're you going--?

MAX
I want to know what the hell's going on-- don't you?

LOGAN
Max--

MAX
-- Something's out there-- don't try and stop me--

LOGAN
You're stronger than I am, remember?

He flips her his cell phone--

LOGAN (CONT'D)
Just stay in touch?

INT. WHITE'S HOME- LITTLE RAY'S BEDROOM- EVENING

Wendy sits at the foot of Ray's bed, holds one his stuffed animals, gazes at his kid stuff scattered around the room until she's startled by

WHITE,

standing in the door way--

WENDY
(catching her breath)
You scared me--

WHITE
I'm sorry, I'm sorry...

WENDY
--I didn't hear you come in.

A BEAT, as White struggles to comfort her, say the right thing...

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 50

CONTINUED:

WHITE
Wendy...

He can't find the words, digs the heel of his palm into his eye, exhales, when the phone in the hall RINGS.

STAY WITH WENDY, alone, while we HEAR White answer the phone:

WHITE (O.S.) (CONT'D)
Yes?
(a beat)
My son--

Wendy's EXPRESSION, evolving from despair to wonder, RUNNING with what she hears--

WHITE (O.S.) (CONT'D)
Who is this!!? Now you listen to me--

WENDY
Ames-- !!?

As Wendy bolts into THE HALL, where White clutches the phone--

WENDY (CONT'D)
IS IT RAY? DON'T MAKE THEM MAD! DON'T MAKE THEM-- !

He SHUSHES her, calms himself, speaks into the phone--

WHITE
I don't have that kind of money--
(beat)
All right, all right-- How do we know he's alive--
(beat)
Ray?

Wendy gets close to the phone to hear--

WENDY
RAY! RAY, HONEY, IT'S MOMMY!

WHITE
Don't be afraid, son. We're coming--
(beat)
Hello-- HELLO!?
(MORE)

PAGE 51

CONTINUED: (2)

WHITE (CONT'D)
(his tone changing)
Yes--

He finds a pen, piece of paper on the phone table, JOTS down an address--

WHITE (CONT'D)
(into the phone)
We will, we will--

He hangs up, bounds for a closet, Wendy trailing him--

WENDY
Should we call the police--?

White hastily opens a wall safe in the closer--

WHITE
NO! No... they want money. We need to be at the exchange site at Eight. If we're a second late, they'll kill him.

-- dumps CASH into a bag--

WENDY
(re: the large amount of cash)
Where did you--?

WHITE
Never mind, We pay them, they'll give Ray back. They want us both to come-- hell with that. You stay here. When thye see the money it won't matter to them.

WENDY
NO! We can't take any chances! I'm coming with you!

White grabs her, HUGS HER--

WHITE
I swear to you, when we get Ray back it'll be different. No more secrets. I swear it--

EXT. WHITE'S STREET- NIGHT

Max, on her bike and maybe a block away from the house as she approaches, she sees--

MAX VISION:

White and Wendy hurrying to his car, then barreling out of the drive way.

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 52

CONTINUED:

ANGLE ON MAX,

trailing them.

INT. AN ABANDONED WAREHOUSE- NIGHT

CLOSE ON WENDY,

sitting in a chair, anxious. She glances at her watch, shakes her head--

WENDY
It's eight fifteen. Where are they?

WHITE (O.S.)
If I had to hazard a guess, I'd say they're not coming.

WENDY
Why--?

-- Wendy turns in her chair to see White with a gun aimed at her, being obnoxiously impatient--

WHITE
Of, fer-- because there are no kidnappers.

CUT TO:

EXT. THE WAREHOUSE- NIGHT

Max, one the slanted roof of the warehouse. She's poised maybe 20 feet from a rectangular GLOW-- light emanating through skylights. Precariously balanced, she's in the middle of a call with Logan, using his cell phone--

MAX
-- they left in a big hurry. I think they're planning to meet someone, maybe the kidnappers--

INT. LOGAN'S APARTMEN

As he talks to Max over the phone--

LOGAN
Max, where are you?

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 53

CONTINUED:

EXT. BACK ON THE ROOF

The cell phone, slipping out of Max's hand, then skittering out of her grasp--

MAX
Crap!

INT. THE WAREHOUSE- CONTINUING

Wendy, shocked, terrified, trying to comprehend what White's done--

WENDY
What!!?

WHITE
I staged the kidnapping--

WENDY
But, Ray---! I--

WHITE
Ray is fine. It was time for Ray to go and be with other people like him--

WENDY
You did all of this??!! Where's Ray!!? I want my son-- !

WHITE
Your son? You were picked!
(OFF her stunned look)
I needed someone to have a child with. The earlier ones did the smart thing. They got rid of the breeding host right away. Me, I figured where's the harm? You were good in the sack. I liked your tuna casserole--

Wendy slowly rises, disbelieving--

WENDY
No... no... this can't be happening--

WHITE (CONTINUING)
You stupid bitch! You couldn't leave things alone when I had Ray taken. Now I don't have a choice.

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 54

CONTINUED:

ANGLE ON MAX,

peeking down through the skylight at White, with the gun pointed at Wendy--

MAX
Holy--!!?

BACK INSIDE

as Wendy reflexively backs away from White--

WENDY
"Breeding host?"
(a bitter laugh)
That's all I am to you?

WHITE
No. You're more than that. You're an alibi.

BLAM! White pulls the trigger, shoots Wendy just as CRRRRASSHHHH! Max comes throught the skylight--

THE BATTLE ROYALE!

Max spin-kicks the gun out of White's hand; he goes down, but improbably LEG-SWEEPS Max, her feet flying out from under her--

WHITE (CONT'D)
452! What a bargain, I get to say goodbye to my two favorite gals!

POW-POW-POW-- White flurry punches Max, stunned by his strength--

WHITE (CONT'D)
Su-pri-ise!

But Max swiftly counters-- Body-rams White- back first into a wall. HE COUNTERS-- flips her arms up, judo-kicks her in the chest--

WHITE (CONT'D)
You think you and your little Manticore progeny are special?

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 55

CONTINUED: (2)

WHAM! He belts her in the chops--

WHITE (CONT'D)
Transgenic scum!

-- stalks her as she fights to keep on her feet ---

WHITE (CONT'D)
You think those geeks with their chemistry sets and their half-assed gene banks had their greasy little paws on the future? Huh? Well,

SMACK! He roundhouses her--

WHITE (CONT'D)
-- You have no freakin' idea--

Max goes down but somersault-leaps to her feet --

MAX
I should've cancelled your ass when I had the chance--

WHITE
You couldn't. Because you're weak--

MAX
--because I believe in peace, bitch!

And FROOOM! She spins, hooks his arm, YANKS HARD and rips it out of his socket (not off, just out of the socket, people) but before she can react, White uses his DISLOCATED ARM as a cudgel, SLAMS her across the face with it--

WHITE
This getting through to you? You getting the message yet??

Max, sprawled on the floor, looks up, disbelieving, at White, GLARING at his dislocated arm. Without so much as a wince, he POPS it in place, but the sounds of SIRENS IN THE NEAR DISTANCE do cause him to scowl--

Max grabs a brick, whirls to throw it but

WHITE IS GONE NOW--

PAGE 56

Holding his eye, White speeds off in the car, as...

MAX, running out, finds Wendy, bleeding, holds her as the sirens get louder...

DISSOLVE TO:

EXT. WHITE'S HOUSE- NIGHT

We see TWO POLICE CRUISERS parked at the curb.

INT. LIVING ROOM- NIGHT

TWO COPS' POV

standing in the middle of the living room:

The entire house is bare. No furniture, no pictures.. nothing.

COP #1
Sure we got the right address?

INT. HOSPITAL ROOM- NIGHT

Wendy lies unconscious in a hospital bed, fever slickens her forehead; she moans incoherently...

WENDY
Ray... Ray... he took... Ray...

INT. ROOM SOMEWHERE- NIGHT

The little boy, Raymond, standing in a doorway. Smiling, he trots up to--

RAY
Daddy, Daddy!

WHITE cradles his son. The boy, happy, shows his affection by slap-tapping the angry scratches on White's cheeks.

RAY
Is bad Mommy finally gone?

WHITE
(with a hint of remorse)
Yes...

RAY
Yay! Let's play the hand-squeeze game!

(CONTINUED)

PAGE 57

CONTINUED:

WHITE
You got it tiger. But then it's time for you to go--

RAY
-- And be with others like me.

WHITE
Like us.

INT. ICONOGRAPHIC GALLERY- NIGHT

A WINDOW is being pried open. And then Joshua climbs in and drops heavily to the floor. PAN OVER to an alarm console on the wall. The readout is flashing-- Silent alarm activated.

Joshua, oblivious, moves into the room where he sees, illuminated by a small spotlight--

JOSHUA #2

He carefully takes it off the wall. Turns and, with the canvas in front of him, begins to make his way back to the window. Then--

RITA
Hold it, right there.

It's Rita, and she's holding a small pistol. They can't see each other because the canvas is in front of his face.

RITA (CONT'D)
That's a pretty expensive and important piece of artwork you've got there, mister.

JOSHUA
I know.

A long moment, then Rita lowers the gun and takes a step forward.

RITA
Joshua? Is that you?

Joshua does a little two-step out of her way, taking care to keep the painting between them during the following--

JOSHUA
My painting. Joshua #2.

(CONTINUED)

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