The Night of the Bloody Terror

ACT ONE

INT. PASSAGE

RESUME. West is still pressing against the sides of the closet. They don't budge.

He reaches up and bangs against the ceiling -

- and promptly drops, disappearing from sight.

INT. PARLOR

Phoebe is pouring drinks.

SHOT - ON WALL

A panel opens and West steps out. He's a little unnerved to find her there.

SHOT - FULL

PHOEBE

Mister West: join me for an after-dinner cordial?

WEST

Forgive me, but you seem remarkably unsuspicious at my arrival.

PHOEBE

I knew you'd be clever enough to find your way here.

West doesn't accept the drink - he's waiting for an explanation.

PHOEBE (CONT'D)

You have to excuse my father, Mister West. He's a man possessed: terrified by creatures he sees moving in the dark. When he built this house he filled it with secret passageways, tunnels, escapes -

WRST

- and traps?

He takes the drink.

PHOEBE

If you don't know their secrets.

WEST

Miss Jackson...

PHOEBE

Phoebe.

WEST

Phoebe, did you see what happened to the girl?

PHOEBE

Mollie? No, I was walking ahead of the Mister Hustin when he found her.

WEST

So he called out: alerted you to the danger?

PHOEBE

No...

(she stops in thought)

Albert didn't say anything. I heard a noise - a scuffle. And when I turned...

(she gets choked up)

There he was leaning over her...

She breaks down. West comforts her.

WEST

I'm sorry. I know how difficult this must be for you.

PHOEBE

(crying)

Mollie has - was here since I was a child. To see her like that...

WEST

Phoebe, are there any secret doors near where she was found?

She mops up her tears with a handkerchief. But she fails to answer his question - or even try to.

PHOEBE

You know, it's strange. For my father those passages are escapes from the monsters in the childhood stories he read. For me -

She moves in and wraps her arm around his neck.

PHOEBE (CONT'D)

Escapes from the prying eyes of a frightened father on nights such as this -

And she kisses him.

Because he's James West, dammit.

INT. WINE CELLAR - DAY

A small room with shelves of wine bottles against the walls. They stand upright, unlike usual storage of wine. Dominating the room are the two bodies on planks, covered with sheets. The Mayor is pulling back the sheet on the body of the Doctor.

He raises an AXE and prepares to strike when -

We HEAR the door open above and VOICES. Jackson is torn, wanting to finish his task. He thinks better of it, and, frustrated, pulls the sheet back up.

He quickly goes to the wall, pushes a panel open, and disappears behind it.

The Sheriff makes his way down the stairs, leading West and GORDON - in disguise

SHERIFF

Mister West, Barnaby Lower here is the Doctor's assistant.

GORDON/Lower

(cackling to himself)

Assistant? Clean up the messes and dig the graves is what I do. Yesssir.

Gordon continues muttering to himself as he lifts the sheets and checks over the bodies.

GORDON/LOWER (CONT'D)

Doc don't need much more help than that.

He peers under the sheet covering the Doctor.

GORDON/LOWER (CONT'D)

Now he will. Yessir. Horrible, horrible way to end.

West interrupts the conversation Gordon is having with himself.

WEST

Can you tell us anything about these people?

GORDON/LOWER

Yessir. They're dead!

Some help he is. Neither West nor the Sheriff has a reply.

Gordon goes back to wandering and talking to himself.

GORDON/LOWER (CONT'D)

Gonna half to dig two graves this day. Yessir. No rest for the weary. Gotta get 'em up and outa here first. Yessir.

He turns to the Sheriff with annoyance. Doesn't the man know the difference between a rhetorical question and a real one?

GORDON/LOWER (CONT'D)

(indignant)

Well, you gonna get me some help to get these fellers on the wagon?

West chuckles, while the put-upon Sheriff shakes his head and complies: climbing the stairs and EXITS.

WEST

I hear the grave digger doesn't have much work in this town.

GORDON

Don't be fooled by newspaper reports, Jim. People die here, just like everywhere else.

He's examining the bodies as he talks.

GORDON (CONT'D)

Town drunks, bums, drifters..

WEST

And former slaves.

The conclusion is obvious - and not pleasant.

WEST (CONT'D)

Someone is killing off people that won't be missed. The Sheriff is proud of how clean this town is. Why do we usually find that these kind of sheriffs have their own "methods" of ensuring that?

GORDON

I can't tell you what they are. I've searched the Doctor's records high and low and - nothing.

This is most perplexing. Gordon's frustrated.

GORDON (CONT'D)

And I mean nothing, Jim. He didn't make any notations at all as to how any of them died.

WEST

Well, this man died of a bullet in his chest.

GORDON

Did he?

He pulls back the sheet and opens the man's shirt.

WEST

Artie, I put it there myself...

SHOT - ON THE DOCTOR'S BARE CHEST

- and the healed gunshot wound.

SHOT - FULL

West reacts.

WEST (CONT'D)

I've never seen anything like it. Artie, dead men don't heal!

Gordon pulls up the sheet -

The laws of science don't seem to apply in this town.

GORDON

I've got something even better -

- and goes over to the woman.

GORDON (CONT'D)

There's no blood left in this woman's body.

WEST

There was no blood where she was found. She must have been moved after she was killed.

GORDON

No, no. That doesn't account for this. No one bleeds out every drop. It's like she was - drained. I found perfectly circular puncture holes on her neck.

He pulls her arm out from under the sheet.

GORDON (CONT'D)

And here, on her arm. I found a record book the Doctor was keeping on some project he was working on.

(confounded)

I can't make hide nor hair of it. It's in some code I've never seen.

This town appears to have a reason for their "awesome" security. And it's problematic.

WEST

This town is hiding something. The Mayor's afraid of monsters, Artie. I'm beginning to think he has a reason to be afraid.

GORDON

Monsters, huh? Well, I've got a theory, Jim - but I've got more investigating to do before I say anything more.

WEST

Artie, you do your investigating. Just make sure you bury these bodies first - now that the Doctor's dead, we don't need you getting fired.

INT. MAYOR'S OFFICE

SHOT - CLOSE ON MUDDY SHOES AS THEY WALK ACROSS THE CARPET

SHOT - CLOSE ON A WOODEN TRUNK or suitcase

Dirt-covered hands unlock and open it. It contains a strange steam-punk gun (Nerf Maverick painted), an assortment of bottles, an axe.

The hands place in it a wooden mallet and a handful of wooden stakes.

INT. KITCHEN

A single COOK is preparing the evening meal.

West ENTERS on his search for clues to last night's murder - specifically the weapon. He looks at the hanging pots - touches, then dismisses them.

SHOT - the cook's KNIFE as it cleanly, swiftly, chops root vegetables.

SHOT - FULL

West opens the china cabinet.

He moves to the counter and continues the search.

He examines the cutting board and the various knives and utensils on it - picks them up and considers them.

He opens a drawer, pokes through its contents, closes it.

He opens another and does the same.

He moves closer to where the cook is working.

SHOT - the KNIFE as it cleanly, swiftly, chops.

SHOT - FULL

COOK

'Efen you be hungry, mister, I ken fix you a plate.

West picks ups a cookie from the counter, flashes her his charming smile.

WEST

This will be fine. Was Mollie helping you in here last night?

COOK

No sair. She be doin' the washin'.

WEST

When did you see her last?

COOK

'Round about sundown. She be takin' the bed clothes off the line outside.

West holds up the cookie.

WEST

Thank you.

He moves past her, but just as he comes round the other side he stops, his eye caught -

SHOT - A GLASS TUBE, AN INCH IN DIAMETER WITH A PLUNGER, FILLED WITH REDDISH BROWN LIQUID

SHOT - FULL

She stops and glances over at him curiously because he stopped.

He glances back at her and smiles charmingly.

He serendipitously slips the tube off the counter as he EXITS.

INT. HALLWAY

SHOT - CLOSE ON THE CARPET WHERE THE BODY WAS FOUND

West's hand brushes over the carpet.

SHOT - FULL

West brings his hand up and rubs his fingers together, testing for wetness - blood. None.

He stands and looks around.

West is still searching for clues.

He moves to the wall and runs his hand along the wood panelling.

He steps slowly down the hallway, his hand searching the wall for any signs of a secret opening.

He turns around and retraces his steps - still searching.

He stops at the wall sconce: feels around the sconce - its shade, it's metal arm and knob.

He checks the wall sconce's facing - and stops. It's moving slightly.

He grabs it with both hands - and turns it.

A panel on the wall slides open.

INT. PASSAGE

West makes his way along a narrow hallway of plain wood walls.

INT. PARLOR

Shot - on wall panel

It opens and West steps out. He stops.

SHOT - WEST'S POV

Hustin is kneeling over the body of Clara.

END ACT ONE