sib1x03
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        20     INT. BAGWELL & STITCHLEY'S - BAGWELL'S OFFICE. DAY.     20

               We're watching the corridor via a TV monitor as Chris and

               Twist walk off it. Panning back, we see that the monitor is
               mounted into a desk in a plush office suite, and sat behind
               that desk is BAGWELL, the other owner of the auction house. 

               A tall, slim man with dark hair, a neatly trimmed beard and
               distinguished features, he looks a lot more like the power
               behind the operation than frail old Stitchley does
               downstairs. He studies the monitors for a few moments before
               turning to his side.

                                   BAGWELL
                         And this girl, is she what we're
                         looking for?

               Travers, stood dutifully by his boss' side, nods.

                                   TRAVERS
                         Absolutely, sir. The readers picked
                         her up as soon as she walked in,
                         and when I went to talk to her I
                         spotted a few things that confirmed
                         it - she's a vampire. We're not
                         sure about
                         the man with her - I thought I
                         recognised him but I'm not sure.

                                   BAGWELL
                         Never mind. Concentrate your
                         efforts on that girl. We only have
                         one day before the trace will be
                         lost, and then all our work will
                         have been for nothing!

                                   TRAVERS
                         I understand.

               Bagwell hits a button to pause the screen as it shows a clear
               shot of Twist. His finger presses against the screen.

                                   BAGWELL (V.O.)
                         Bring me that vampire.

               We hold on the flickering freeze frame image of Twist.

                                                             BLACK OUT:



                                   END OF ACT ONE
                                       ACT TWO

                                                               FADE IN:

        21     INT. BODIE'S - PENTHOUSE SUITE. NIGHT.                  21

               Chris has ten books spread on the bed in front of him as
               laptop flickers away, lighting up the concentration on his
               face as he makes copious amounts of notes. 

               Twist, conversely, is on the sofa, hugging her knees and
               flicking through the TV channels, not finding anything to
               watch. Twist stares out through the window.

                                   CHRIS
                         If you're bored, you may as well go
                         for a wander outside, I'm going to
                         be tied up in here for a while yet.

                                   TWIST
                         How long is a while?

                                   CHRIS
                             (indicating the books)
                         Well, this one's written in Demi
                         Kurzan, which is a swine to
                         translate anyway, but I've worked
                         out that it's actually been badly
                         translated from the original
                         Sumerian, so I've got to cross
                         reference it with these two other
                         books, and so on and so on.

                                   TWIST
                         Be still my unbeating heart.

                                   CHRIS
                         You're going to have to learn more
                         about this sooner or later, you
                         know.

                                   TWIST
                         It can wait. I'm not getting any
                         older, and neither are you.

               Twist heads over to the door, picking up her short black
               leather jacket and a wallet off the table.

                                   CHRIS
                             (without looking up)
                         That's my wallet.

                                   TWIST
                         I know. Mine's empty. See ya!

               She leaves. Chris sighs and turns back to his books.

        22     EXT. WASHINGTON - CITY CENTRE. NIGHT.                   22

               A happier look is on Twist's face as she walks into frames,
               tall buildings and neon lights all around her. She's a city
               girl and feels more at home here than stuck in a small hotel
               room. People mill around her as she crosses a road, losing
               herself in the crowds and window shopping, soaking up the
               early evening atmosphere.

        23     EXT. WASHINGTON - ALLEY ENTRANCE. NIGHT.                23

               She walks past the entrance to an alleyway between buildings
               and stops suddenly. She takes her Walkman headphones out and
               tucks it back in her jacket pocket before turning to face the
               alley, sniffing the air a few times and crinkling her nose
               up.

                                   TWIST
                         Uh-oh… trouble!

               She jogs down the alley, disappearing into the darkness.

        24     EXT. WASHINGTON - ALLEY. NIGHT.                         24

               We can just about make out Twist, eyes glinting in the
               darkness, and we hear the sounds of a struggle up ahead - a
               woman's cries for help and two male voices.

               Next to two dumpsters and a lonely streetlamp, two street
               punks are harassing a young WOMAN. As Twist gets closer, we
               see their snarling faces - they are VAMPIRES, trying to get
               their next meal.

                                   VAMP #1
                         Come on honey, don't fight!

                                   VAMP #2
                         Yeah, it'll only hurt for a minute…

                                   WOMAN
                         Oh God, just let me go, please,
                         I'll give you all my money, please…

                                   TWIST (O.S.)
                         Hey!!

               The vamps look up.

               Twist appears, walking slowly out of the darkness towards
               them. She does not look happy.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         You heard the girl.

                                   VAMP #1
                         Hey, lookit that, Petey, fresh
                         meat!

                                   VAMP #2
                         Alright, two for the price of one!

                                   TWIST
                         Well, they say gentlemen prefer
                         blondes, but you two ain't
                         gentlemen…

               With a HISS, Twist bares her own fangs. The woman whimpers in
               fear as the two vamps look surprised - they don't get
               attacked by their own kind very often.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         And I ain't your average blonde.

               The first vamp jumps at her with a roar, she catches him in
               mid-air and SLAMS him face first into the alley wall.

               As he drops, the second vamp throws the woman to the ground
               and steps forward, but Twist is already there, landing three
               quick punches and then grabbing the vamp's  arm, wrenching it
               round and hurling him over her shoulder  to THUD into one of
               the dumpsters.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         Come on! This is the most exercise
                         I've had for days… Fight back!

               With a look of terror, the vamps run off back down the alley.
               Twist throws her hands up in despair.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         Phooey. Punks!

               She turns round to their intended victim, sprawled sobbing on
               the alley floor. Twist reaches out a hand, and the woman
               looks up at it with fear.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         Relax, I'm with the good guys. The
                         rescue ought to have proved that!

               The woman slowly reaches out and Twist helps her up.

                                   WOMAN
                         T-Th-thank you…

                                   TWIST
                         'S cool. It's what I do.

                                   WOMAN
                         W-What are you?

                                   TWIST
                         Me? Vampire.

               Twist realises she should have phrased that a bit better.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         A good vampire, trust me. There's a
                         few of us around. I'm Twist. You
                         are?

                                   WOMAN
                         Josie. J-Josie Brown.

                                   TWIST
                         Well then, J-Josie Brown, you'd
                         best get home and keep more of an
                         eye out for trouble in future. I'm
                         not always going to be around to
                         help you out.

                                   JOSIE
                         Thank you, thank you. Do you know
                         about the other attacks?

                                   TWIST
                         Nope, what other attacks?

                                   JOSIE
                         This has been happening for a few
                         weeks now, people keep being
                         mugged.

                                   TWIST
                         Hate to break this to ya, but
                         nothing new there, sweetheart!

                                   JOSIE
                         It's different. They don't just get
                         mugged, they get… they get killed.

                                   TWIST
                             (puts fingers to jugular)
                         Let me guess, two bite marks here?

                                   JOSIE
                         It's been happening a lot lately,
                         everyone around here's terrified
                         about it. The police aren't doing
                         anything about it either.

                                   TWIST
                         They never do, they're not so hot
                         with things they don't understand.
                         Josie, you get yourself home, I'll
                         check out what's going on here.

               Josie nods, gathers her bag from the floor and heads off,
               jogging out of the end of the alley and off screen.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         And this looks like a job for…

        25     INT. BODIE'S - PENTHOUSE SUITE. NIGHT.                  25

               As before, Chris looking up from the books around him.

                                   CHRIS
                         Vampire attacks?

                                   TWIST
                         She said they'd been happening all
                         over town. Could be a nest.

                                   CHRIS
                         Twist, we don't have time for this.

                                   TWIST
                         What do you mean, 'don't have
                         time'? We're the good guys, aren't
                         we?

                                   CHRIS
                         Don't get any ideas, we don't go
                         around doing that 'help the
                         helpless' stuff. We've got a job to
                         do and if we let everything that
                         comes our way distract us, then
                         we're never going to get finished.

                                   TWIST
                         Screw that! I need all the help I
                         can get with my rap sheet, and if I
                         can pay back the world a little
                         every time I help someone out, then
                         you're damn sure that's what I'm
                         gonna do! And you, my stuffy
                         British friend, are going to help
                         me, or I'm walking.

               Twist sweeps the books off the bed, glaring right into Chris'
               face. They stare each other out for a few moments, before
               Chris sighs, bows his head, then nods.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         That's better!

                                   CHRIS
                         I'm not a bad person, Twist. I'm
                         sorry that people need help at all,
                         but the reason I'm still on the
                         road now is because I used to keep
                         stopping to help people on the way.
                         when it's a job to get us some
                         money, that's a different matter,
                         but trying to be the good Samaritan
                         in every city we pass through...
                         That just doesn't work anymore.

                                   TWIST
                         What changed?

               Chris goes very quiet, and Twist rolls her eyes.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         I get it, long story. Never mind.
                         Look, let's just do a sweep, if
                         nothing turns up, we leave it.
                         Deal?

                                   CHRIS
                         Deal.

                                   TWIST
                         Groovy. Now, what she said was-

               CRASH! The room's windows burst inwards and the penthouse's
               door is kicked open. Two black clad ASSASSINS have just
               rappelled down the outside of the building and kicked their
               way inside, with two more in the doorway.

               Chris and Twist look each way, then with one co-ordinated
               movement leap off the bed, Twist towards the door and Chris
               towards the window.

               Chris leaps to the attack, trading blows with the first two
               assassins, who are brandishing taser sticks.

               A jump kick slams the first attacker into the doorframe, and
               as he falls Twist takes a hit off the second.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         Ow! That just bought you a month of
                         hospital food, creep!

               They step to it - the attacker is fast but Twist's boosted
               vampire reflexes kick in as she vamps up and sends a flurry
               of punches, chops and jabs his way.

               Chris scoops up a sword from the floor and swings it round,
               SLICING through the arm of one of his attackers and leaving
               it lying on the ground.

               As that man yells and staggers backwards, clutching what's
               left of his arm, the second lunges forward with his taser,
               but Chris dodges and with an elbow to his chest knocks him to
               the ground.

               Twist lands an uppercut to her attacker's jaw which sends the
               man staggering backwards, out into the corridor and then flat
               on his back. She turns back round to Chris.

               The man with half an arm slumps to the floor, and as the man
               with the taser tries to zap Chris again, he grabs his hand,
               reverses the taser and tags the man with it.

               Electricity courses over his body, and he judders before
               keeling over backwards to the ground, knocking the TV to the
               floor as he falls. Chris rolls his eyes and sighs.

                                   CHRIS
                         They never just fall over, do they?
                         They've always got to hit something
                         on the way down…

                                   TWIST (O.S.)
                         Chris! The other one!

               Twist is pointing out through the doorway. Her first attacker
               is still slumped by the doorframe, but the one she knocked
               out into the corridor is missing.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         Goon number four got away, come on!
                         Vamos!

               She races out through the door after him. Chris makes it to
               the door, sword still in hand, and throws one glance back
               over the now wrecked room before following her.

        26     INT. BODIE'S - STAIRS. NIGHT.                           26

               The assassin bounds down the stairs, taking three at a time
               as he runs for the exit. Seconds later, Twist leaps down the
               steps after him, closely followed by Chris.

        27     INT. BODIE'S - RECEPTION. NIGHT.                        27

               Bodie, behind his desk, looks up as the assassin races past
               him and out through the main doors. He shouts out to Chris as
               the duo race past moments later.

                                   BODIE
                         Hey, Chris! You better not have
                         messed up that room!

                                   CHRIS
                             (over his shoulder)
                         I'll pay for it when I get back!

               Chris and Twist exit. We stay on Bodie for a second as he
               mutters and picks up his newspaper again.

        28     EXT. WASHINGTON - CITY CENTRE. NIGHT.                   28

               The man runs across a street and into one of the city's main
               avenues, barging people out of the way as he goes. 

               A car screeches to a halt to avoid him as he darts across a
               road, and he slides across the bumper to keep moving. Chris
               and Twist are visible in pursuit behind him.

                                   TWIST
                         Why do they always have to run?

                                   CHRIS
                         Must be in the job description!
                         Come on, don't lose him!

        29     EXT. BAGWELL & STITCHLEY'S - REAR ENTRANCE. NIGHT.      29

               We're looking at the loading bay doors from a distance as our
               would-be assassin races up to the door, fumbles with a set of
               keys and then disappears inside. Staying on the doors, Chris
               and Twist lean into frame.

                                   CHRIS
                         I wonder what he's doing here?

                                   TWIST
                         Well, I'm no detective, but do you
                         think maybe those goons work for
                         Bag Lady and Stitch-Up, or whatever
                         they're called?

                                   CHRIS
                         Looks that way… Why were they after
                         us, I wonder?

                                   TWIST
                         You think they want their stuff
                         back?

                                   CHRIS
                         Could be, it'd be a good gig,
                         wouldn't it? Sell rare items for
                         millions of dollars at a time and
                         then just steal them back and kill
                         the people who won them.

                                   TWIST
                         I hope eBay don't start doing that…

                                   CHRIS
                         Come on, let's go take a look
                         inside.

               The duo scamper across the small gravel courtyard and up to
               the back door of the building.
               Chris tries the door handle but it's locked, so he steps back
               and whispers one magic phrase. We hear the lock CLICK.

                                   TWIST
                         Show-off.

               Chris puts a finger to his lips as they step inside.

        30     INT. BAGWELL & STITCHLEY'S - CORRIDOR. NIGHT.           30

               Chris and Twist pad silently along. They can see lights from
               underneath a service door at the end of the corridor, and
               they take up positions either side of it.

                                   CHRIS
                             (whispers)
                         Ready?

                                   TWIST
                             (whispers)
                         Ready.
                             (beat)
                         Wait, for what?

                                   CHRIS
                         Well, I was going to bust the door
                         open and see what's down there…

                                   TWIST
                         Hadn't we better listen a little
                         first? There could be another few
                         dozen of those half-baked assassin
                         guys down there, and even though
                         they weren't that tough I don't
                         fancy taking on a whole platoon of
                         them!

                                   CHRIS
                         Good point. Okay, give me a second.

               Chris sits down on the floor, facing the wall. Twist looks
               on, wondering what he's doing.

               His eyes are closed and he's subvocalising a long string of
               incantations as the camera draws close to him.

               We head towards the wall, but just as we're about to hit it
               the wall fades away and the camera floats down and into the
               storeroom we saw in the Teaser.

        31     INT. BAGWELL & STITCHLEY'S - BASEMENT. NIGHT.           31

               We're watching the scene through the spell Chris has just
               cast, so the camera appears to be floating in mid-air,
               bobbing gently with a blurred effect. 

               This time there are no hooded cultists in the basement, just
               Travers, on his knees marking out a fresh magic circle on the
               ground. He looks up as the assassin walks up to him, and the
               man tears off his balaclava, looking breathless.

                                   TRAVERS
                         You took your time.
                             (beat)
                         Where are the others?

                                   ASSASSIN
                         Gone. All of them.

                                   TRAVERS
                         Well, that's no good. Mr. Bagwell
                         isn't going to like that at all!

                                   ASSASSIN
                         We surprised them, they were
                         staying in this fleapit downtown so
                         we just broke in, but…

                                   TRAVERS
                         But what?

                                   ASSASIN
                         They… fought back. Took Martin's
                         arm straight off and beat Davies
                         and Hartley to the floor in
                         seconds.

               Travers pauses as he considers this for a few moments.

                                   TRAVERS
                         What about the girl?

                                   ASSASSIN
                         That's who fought me. She's pretty
                         feisty, you know! And she's-

                                   TRAVERS
                         She's perfect. She's all we'll need
                         to complete the summoning.

                                   ASSASSIN
                         Yeah, well, vampire or no vampire,
                         I don't get paid enough for this
                         crap.

               The man walks away, leaving Travers with a cheshire cat grin
               on his face.

        32     INT. BAGWELL & STITCHLEY'S - CORRIDOR. NIGHT.           32

               Chris' eyes snap open, and he lets out a breath and falls to
               the side a little, but Twist is there to keep him up.

                                   TWIST
                         Well? What did you see?

               Chris tries to catch his breath to answer.

                                   CHRIS
                         I'm not sure, but I think we need
                         to spend a little more time looking
                         into this place…

               Twist's head snaps round - two voices are approaching.

                                   TWIST
                         Sounds like the night patrol -
                         Travers told me they have a lot of
                         magical protection over the goods
                         in this place.

                                   CHRIS
                         Let's make a strategic withdrawal
                         then, I'll come back in the morning
                         and look round.

               Twist helps Chris to his feet and the two sneak back away
               down the corridor. Chris looks up towards the ceiling as they
               head out.

               Chris missed one thing - the tiny camera mounted high in the
               ceiling that's watched their every move. It's red light
               blinks once.

                                                             BLACK OUT:



                                   END OF ACT TWO
                                      ACT THREE

                                                               FADE IN:

        33     INT. BAGWELL'S OFFICE. MORNING.                         33

               Bagwell is sat behind his expensive-looking desk, sipping a
               coffee and reading the morning paper. He finishes the drink
               and throws the paper down on the desktop, standing and
               leaving the room. 

               We stay on the scene and look up towards the ceiling, aiming
               up at an air vent.

        34     INT. AIR VENT. MORNING.                                 34

               It's cramped up there, and Chris is stuffed uncomfortably
               inside. His bag lies in the tunnel next to him, and he
               retrieves a small electric screwdriver from it, beginning to
               carefully remove the bolts holding the grille in place. 

               He takes the last bolt out and puts the screwdriver away,
               bringing out a small glass ball with a glowing sphere of
               purple energy inside it.

        35     INT. BAGWELL & STITCHLEY'S - SECURITY. MORNING.         35

               A guard sits with his feet up on the control desk, a small
               bank of video monitors opposite him, as he reads the paper
               and sips at his drink. He isn't paying attention to the wall
               of screens.

               Close up on one screen, we see the camera is looking out over
               Bagwell's office. We see the grille start to move as Chris
               removes it, then a line of purple interference runs across
               the screen and everything is back to normal.

        36     INT. BAGWELL'S OFFICE. MORNING.                         36

               Chris moves the grille out of the way and peers down into the
               room, scanning to make sure nobody is around.

               He sees the desk with a closed laptop on top, Bagwell having
               left by the only door and locked it behind him.

               Chris grins and lowers himself down out of the vent, letting
               go and dropping the last few feet to the floor, landing
               lightly on his feet. 

               He steps up to the desk, waves his hand over the laptop once
               and we see a green glow before he opens the laptop.

               Bagwell's screensaver is an image of Britney Spears. Chris
               grins, tuts and shakes his head.

                                   CHRIS
                         What is it with these would-be evil
                         masterminds and their pop tarts?

               With a few deft keystrokes he starts up the laptop, trying to
               open a few folders. Each attempt is met with a BEEP and an
               error message, and he frowns as he realises the terminal is
               locked. He closes his eyes, cracks his fingers and takes a
               deep breath.

               A light green hazy glow starts to form around his fingers,
               and as Chris holds his hands over the keyboard, a pair of
               ghostly hands form out of the mist and start to rapidly type
               away at the keyboard. 

               After a few moments, a happy BLEEP is heard, and Chris opens
               his eyes to see that the spell has given him free access. He
               sits down to search through it, his brow creased with
               concentration.

        37     INT. VAMPIRE NEST. DAY.                                 37

               We're looking at the iron door from inside a run down old
               apartment building, graffiti scrawled on the walls and refuse
               littering the floors. Someone is KNOCKING on the door, and as
               the sound echoes around a rough looking VAMPIRE walks into
               frame. He mutters and opens the door.

                                   VAMPIRE
                         Yeah, what?

               A fist streaks into frame, clocking the vamp on his nose. He
               yells and stutters backwards.

               Twist steps inside, shaded from the morning sun outside, but
               wearing shades nonetheless. A stake is in one hand.

                                   TWIST
                         Three guesses. Avon ain't calling.

               The vamp snarls at her, but she just raises an eyebrow and
               doesn't flinch. The vamp can sense that she's tougher than
               she looks and backs up a little. 

               Twist steps into a small, dirty room with a table covered
               with empty food cartons and a patchy sofa spread around the
               room. Twist paces up to the table and inspects one of the
               cartons.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         Chinese?

                                   VAMP
                             (defensive)
                         Hey, I like the sauce! Business is
                         slow, anyway, you know.

               Twist picks up and sniffs one of the cartons. She nods - it
               does smell good, but she puts it back down and walks towards
               the vamp, who backs away nervously. He's quite small and not
               particularly fearsome.

                                   TWIST
                         That's not why I'm here. I need
                         some information.

                                   VAMPIRE
                         What on?

                                   TWIST
                         This is the only vamp nest round
                         here. I know, because I've spent
                         all morning checking, and I'm now
                         tired and more than a little
                         irritable. If I have to ask you a
                         question twice, I will not be
                         happy. Clear?

                                   VAMP
                         G-go ahead, ask what you want.

               The vamp nods and steps back again, tripping into one of the
               sofas and landing in its seat. Twist grins.

        38     INT. BAGWELL'S OFFICE. MORNING.                         38

               Chris is still at work. The laptop screen shows several
               folders are open, and Chris' hand rests against his chin as
               he ponders what he's seeing.

                                   CHRIS
                         What are you up to, Mr. Bagwell?

               Chris hears voices outside and quickly closes the laptop,
               walking back up to stand beneath the air vent. With one
               superhuman jump he leaps upwards and catches on the edge of
               the grille, swinging himself up and out of sight just as the
               door opens and Bagwell and Travers walk back in.

               Chris lowers the grille gently back into place but still
               looks out into the office. We see Bagwell sit down and
               Travers take the seat opposite.

                                   BAGWELL
                         So our retrieval operation didn't
                         go according to plan last night?

                                   TRAVERS
                         No, sir. Our team was neutralised
                         and returned empty-handed.
                         Literally, in one of the cases.

                                   BAGWELL
                         And where is this Chris Berkeley
                         now?

                                   TRAVERS
                         We don't know, he's not at his
                         original lodgings, we've had it
                         under surveillance since the raid.

                                   BAGWELL
                         Well then, Travers, I suggest you
                         find him and the girl quickly. We
                         have several business interests in
                         the area that won't like the idea
                         of some random do-gooder running
                         around, getting in the way. We are
                         rapidly running out of time and I
                         do not want to explain to our
                         employer why we failed in this
                         task. Is that clear?

                                   TRAVERS
                         Yes, sir.

                                   BAGWELL
                         Good. You may go.

               Travers gets up and leaves. Bagwell waits until he's out the
               door and then picks up his phone to make a call.

                                   BAGWELL (cont'd)
                         I need your men to be ready for
                         tonight. We may have someone in the
                         area who could pose a problem.
                             (beat)
                         No, not at all. I intend to deal
                         with it, but to be on the safe side
                         I want everyone assembled here as
                         planned.

               Inside the vent, Chris breathes out, glad that the danger has
               passed, and starts to shimmy back down.
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