sib1x16
Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.

[previous | bottom]
        19     INT. SHOPPING MALL - SERVICE ENTRANCE. MORNING.         19

               Twist dashes along a plain corridor, frantically trying every
               door on the way, but finding that every one is locked. 

               Roberts shouts as he rounds a corner in pursuit, and Twist
               starts to dash onwards, towards a pair of glass doors leading
               into the rest of the mall.

        20     INT. SHOPPING MALL. MORNING.                            20

               Twist looks around her, trying to find somewhere to get away
               from the cops, and she groans as she scans the floor.

               The roof of the mall is made up of large window panes,
               allowing all the sunlight above to filter down into the rest
               of the mall.

               She starts forward, carefully hopping from side to side to
               stay in the shadows cast by the window frames, making slow
               progress until Roberts bursts through the glass doors and
               aims his gun at her again.

                                   ROBERTS
                         Freeze! Everybody get down, escaped
                         suspect on the run!

               Twist looks round as terrified early morning shoppers throw
               themselves to the ground all around her. She looks to either
               side - sunlight all around. She flaps her hands in
               frustration.

                                   TWIST
                         Oh, give me a break!!

               Roberts takes one step forward, but Twist JUMPS to the side,
               part of her hair bursting into flames as she lands in shadow
               a few feet away. 

               She starts running for the doors leading outside, but Roberts
               FIRES at her, and she ducks and jinks to one side as the
               bullet shatters a shop window just next to her. 

               She heads for the doors again, but a Japanese tourist stands
               in her way, oblivious to the danger and excitedly readying
               his camera to catch some footage of the US police force in
               action. Twist looks back over to Roberts.

               Roberts is raising his gun to fire again.

               She realises the tourist is going to get shot if he doesn't
               move, so she lunges and throws herself in front of him. 

               There is a BANG off screen, and an instant later a bullet
               PUNCHES into Twist's forearm, missing the tourist's head by
               inches thanks to Twist's save.

               Twist and the tourist crash to the floor, and she gets up,
               wincing and clutching her arm.

                                   TOURIST
                         Ah, arigato!

                                   TWIST
                         Yeah, don't mention it...

               Twist shoves through the mall doors and races off outside,
               sticking to the cover of the awning outside the building. 

               Roberts and Harris enter frame, not paying any attention to
               the tourist as they barge through the doors in pursuit.

        21     INT. NEWS HAT. MORNING.                                 21

               The door opens and Chris and Danyael enter. The entire place
               is in carnage - newspapers cover the floor, the shelves are
               wrecked, glass is everywhere, and there is a stream of blood
               from the counter to the soft drink fridge. Chris throws
               Danyael a concerned look before calling out for the
               shopkeeper.

                                   CHRIS
                         Rashidi?

               They hear a slam O.S. Before they can react, Rashidi walks in
               from the back. His face is bloody, his body bruised.

                                   RASHIDI
                         Thank you, now, shall we...

               Rashidi starts to faint away, but Chris lunges for him and
               grabs him, and he and Danyael lead him over to a chair behind
               the counter. Danyael looks around for something to clean up
               Rashidi's cuts.

                                   CHRIS
                         What happened?

                                   RASHIDI
                         Vampires!

                                   DANYAEL
                             (sceptical)
                         This early?

                                   CHRIS
                         Why would they attack you?

                                   RASHIDI
                         My secret apparently got out, it's
                         now officially hunting season on
                         me. The undead don't take kindly to
                         those who fight the good fight.

               Chris nods, knowingly.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Why would they attack you here
                         though? Why not attack you during
                         the night? Daytime is a risky
                         prospect for us vamps, last time I
                         checked.

                                   RASHIDI
                         Whoever said vampires used reason?

                                   DANYAEL
                             (double takes)
                         Excuse me?

                                   RASHIDI
                         I think I was pretty clear.

               Danyael steps forward, pissed, Rashidi just glares coldly
               back at him. Obviously there's no love lost between the
               shopkeeper and the underworld he deals with every day.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Maybe I want to hear it again?

               Rashidi stares down Danyael. He's weak, but not too weak to
               get in a vampire's face.

                                   RASHIDI
                         Vampires are slime. Filth. There's
                         no humanity left in any of them.
                         And yes, I know you're a vampire.
                         Backs up my point. Your entire race
                         is filled with pieces of trash,
                         whose sole purpose is to rape, and
                         to plunder, and to corrupt.

               Danyael shakes with anger, and Chris picks up on this and
               steps between the two of them.

                                   CHRIS
                             (sternly)
                         Both of you, cool it. Rashidi, you
                         know better than to talk to friends
                         of mine like that.

                                   RASHIDI
                             (still glaring at Danyael)
                         Last time I checked, Mr. Chris, you
                         didn't have any friends.

                                   CHRIS
                         Things change.

               Chris turns to Danyael, who is still glowing with wounded
               pride. He pushes Danyael gently back a step.

                                   CHRIS (cont'd)
                         Danyael, go take a look round the
                         shop, see if you can find us some
                         bottled water so I can finish
                         cleaning Rashidi's wounds.

               Danyael can tell he's being sent away to cool off, so with
               one last dark look at Rashidi, he slopes off. Chris waits
               until he's out of earshot then leans in close.

                                   CHRIS (cont'd)
                             (quietly)
                         I told you before, don't pigeon
                         hole all of us, Rashidi. Not
                         everything is what it initially
                         appears.

               Rashidi nods grudgingly. Chris passes him a bunched up wad of
               kitchen roll which Rashidi presses to a cut on his head.

                                   CHRIS (cont'd)
                         Now. Where is Twist?

                                   RASHIDI
                         You mean she never came back to
                         either of you?

               Chris suddenly looks worried - very worried.

        22     EXT. CITY STREET. MORNING.                              22

               Twist jogs down the street, keeping close to the side of the
               mall, looking for a way across the street. The sun is
               overhead now, not giving her many shadows to play with. 

               She comes to the end of the wall and finds her way blocked
               off by the sun. Frantically looking for a way out, we hear
               Roberts and Harris bustle out of the mall doors behind her.

               At that moment, a large truck rolls down the street towards
               us, casting a long shadow across the road. Twist grins and
               hops out into the road, running alongside the truck and
               staying inside its shadow. 

               It shifts gear and starts to accelerate, starting to leave
               her behind. Twist bangs her fist against its cargo hold.

                                   TWIST
                         Hey! Hey! Slow down, I'm not built
                         for sprinting!

               As Twist weaves between the other cars on the road, trying to
               stay alongside the truck, we see Roberts take aim from across
               the street, and Twist ducks as another SHOT rings out,
               pinging off the truck next to her.

               Ducking reflexively as he hears the shot, the truck driver
               curses and swings his truck to the side, starting to lose
               control as the truck begins to skid.

               Twist dodges to the side as the truck starts to slide away
               from her, one eye on the sunlight gleaming over the top of
               the rig, when she hears a SCREAM. Her head whips round.

               Frozen in place in the middle of the road as the truck skids
               towards her, a nine-year old GIRL watches the two-ton rig
               close in on her with big deer-in-the-headlights eyes. Her
               MOTHER, several feet away, is the one screaming.

               She dashes forwards towards the girl, ignoring another bullet
               that flies her way.

               Looking from just behind the girl as the truck cabin looms
               above us, there doesn't seem to be any way out - until Twist
               heroically flies into frame, scooping the girl up without
               stopping and racing off screen, missing the truck by a breath
               as the rig slams grille-first into the screen.

               She starts to smoke again as she runs across the street,
               through the sunlight, to the refuge of a café across the
               street, taking cover beneath the canopy over its tables. 

               Twist, the sports bag still slung under one arm, lets the
               girl go as her mother runs into frame, bundling up her
               daughter with a grateful sob.

                                   MOTHER
                         Oh, thank you, thank you!

                                   TWIST
                             (out of breath)
                         No big, just doing what I do.

                                   ROBERTS (O.S.)
                         Freeze! Stop that woman!

                                   TWIST
                         Oops, time to go!
                             (to girl)
                         See you later, honey. And look both
                         ways next time!

               With one look over her shoulder, where we can see Roberts
               sliding across a car bonnet as traffic backs up around the
               stricken truck, Twist dashes off screen again. 

               The mother watches her go, not knowing what to say as Roberts
               and Harris run past, still in hot pursuit.

        23     INT. NEWS HAT. MORNING.                                 23

               Chris and Danyael are getting ready to head back out in
               search of Twist, readying weapons just in case. Neither
               notices Rashidi reach under the counter.

               He grabs a crossbow duct taped to the bottom, and raises it
               to level it at Chris. Chris freezes, tapping Danyael on the
               arm to alert him.

                                   CHRIS
                         Rashidi? What are you doing?

                                   RASHIDI
                         Sorry Chris. Just logistics.

               Rashidi fires. Danyael pushes Chris to the side, and the
               crossbow PIERCES Danyael's shoulder. Danyael shouts in pain
               and stumbles back as Chris leaps at Rashidi, but Rashidi
               reloads quick and SHOOTS Chris through the neck. 

               He gasps in pain and falls to the floor. Rashidi lays the
               crossbow down and steps round the counter, looking down at
               the two stricken vampires beneath him.

                                   RASHIDI (cont'd)
                         I'm afraid I forgot to mention that
                         these are poisonous crossbows.
                         They'll kill humans, but sadly
                         they'll only knock out vampires.

               Rashidi licks some blood off his palm as Chris struggles to
               rise. Danyael is already out cold.

                                   RASHIDI (cont'd)
                         Ketchup. Surprisingly effective.

               Rashidi laughs, picks up a phone and dials 911.

                                   RASHIDI (cont'd)
                             (into phone)
                         Hello, police? I'd like to report a
                         break-in... just tell them Rashidi
                         has some more trouble-makers
                         rounded up. They'll understand.

               On his insidious grin we:

                                                             BLACK OUT:



                                   END OF ACT TWO
                                      ACT THREE

                                                               FADE IN:

        24     EXT. STREET. MORNING.                                   24

               Twist runs along, a broadsheet newspaper held over her head
               as a makeshift blanket, not helping much against the sunlight
               that hits her as she sprints along, dodging past shoppers and
               pedestrians as she tries to stay under cover. 

               She veers left, and runs towards us down a covered promenade,
               throwing the paper away. She's still smoking slightly,
               attracting some odd looks as Roberts and Harris round the
               corner after her.

               Twist reaches out and snatches an umbrella from a young woman
               she passes, popping it up over her head and darting out into
               the road again.

               With several honks of car horns, Twist dodges between cars as
               they screech to a halt around her, making it to the other
               side of the street safely thanks to the umbrella.

               Folding the umbrella away, she dives into a lingerie store
               nearby, and after a few beats Roberts and Harris jog into
               frame, Harris huffing as he tries to catch his breath.

                                   HARRIS
                         Aw, tell me we're not going in
                         there?

                                   ROBERTS
                         Damn right. Vampire freaks think
                         they can run free round my town?
                             (reloads gun)
                         Not while I'm still breathing. Come
                         on, Harris.

               Roberts steps inside the shop, and with a reluctant gulp
               Harris follows him in.

        25     INT. LA SENZA STORE. MORNING.                           25

               With whispered comments floating around between the ladies
               inside, Roberts stalks through the inside of the lingerie
               store, his eyes snaking round as he searches for Twist. 

               He flashes his badge at the girl behind the till as Harris
               tries not to look at any of the displays.

                                   ROBERTS
                         Police, ma'am. We're following a
                         suspect who just snuck in here,
                         blonde Caucasian female about five
                         eight in height.

                                   TILL GIRL
                         Uh, she just ran through here, I
                         think she went out back...

               The till girl points, and with a nod Roberts walks off.
               Harris has become entranced by one of the posters until
               Roberts barks back to him.

                                   ROBERTS (O.S.)
                         Harris! Get over here!

               Harris jogs off screen.

               Roberts has his gun ready, one hand on the service door
               handle, before wrenching it open, aiming his gun inside. He
               steps in slowly, followed by Harris, who pulls the door shut
               behind them.

               The till girl watches the cops disappear from view, as
               Twist's head pokes up from behind the counter. She sighs with
               relief and pats the till girl on the shoulder.

                                   TWIST
                         Thanks, sweetheart.

                                   TILL GIRL
                         Uh, sure, I think... haven't I just
                         committed a felony?

                                   TWIST
                         Hey, I haven't done anything,
                         remember? Those guys just think I
                         have, and they're not in the mood
                         to stop and listen. I've gotta
                         split, try and stall them if you
                         can, okay?

                                   TILL GIRL
                             (uncertain)
                         Well... alright.

                                   TWIST
                             (big smile)
                         Molto buono!

               Twist sneaks off towards the shop entrance, pausing on her
               way, checking round to make sure nobody can see her, then
               snatching up a fancy-looking bra from one of the displays.

               She pushes open the door and steps outside, unfolding the
               umbrella as she leaves.

        26     INT. NEWS HAT. MORNING.                                 26

               Rashidi is still talking on the phone, but Chris and Danyael
               have been tied up back-to-back now.
               His crossbow lies within easy reach, but both of our guys are
               slumped and out for the count.

                                   RASHIDI
                         Relax, I've still got everything
                         under control! These two won't
                         cause a problem. Everything is
                         going to ahead as planned. Just
                         make damn sure you actually manage
                         to contact that vampire. Okay.
                         Goodbye.

               Rashidi hangs up as Chris starts to cough up some blood, and
               Rashidi looks down at him with a smirk.

                                   RASHIDI (cont'd)
                         Ah, good, alive at last!
                             (beat)
                         Technically speaking.

               Rashidi kneels down as Chris starts to lift his head up.

                                   RASHIDI (cont'd)
                         I suppose you want to know 'why'?
                             (no response)
                         It's simple. Logistics, as I said.
                         In this day and age, it doesn't
                         really pay to be good any more. Too
                         many constraints, too many rules
                         you have to follow.
                             (beat)
                         No. It pays to be grey. Not good,
                         not evil, but a kind of beige. I'm
                         not sure really what the exact
                         colour is, I never really liked art
                         at school.
                             (wistfully)
                         Maybe red. I do kinda have a thing
                         for red. Blood, like you're
                         coughing up... red-headed girls
                         always make me turn twice. There
                         were three of them once...
                             (dismisses gesture)
                         ... don't worry, you'll get the
                         gist sooner or later.

                                   DANYAEL
                             (weakly)
                         Hey!

               Rashidi stands as Chris' head slumps down again.

                                   DANYAEL (cont'd)
                         I'm... talking... to you...

               Rashidi walks over to Danyael. He's barely conscious,
               fighting the effects of the poison.

                                   RASHIDI
                         Recovering as well, good for you!

                                   DANYAEL
                             (through gritted teeth)
                         If you touch... one hair... on her
                         head... I'll make damn sure... you
                         die a slow, painful death, you back
                         stabbing-

                                   RASHIDI
                         Is that so?
                             (kneels by Danyael)
                         Truth is, I don't know where your
                         friend Twist is. Can't say I really
                         care. She doesn't factor into the
                         plan.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Plan?

                                   RASHIDI
                             (smirks)
                         Oops. I said too much.

               He CRACKS the crossbow down onto Danyael's head. The force of
               the blow knocks him out instantly, and he slumps down.

                                   RASHIDI (cont'd)
                         But what is a Master Plan that you
                         keep to yourself?

               He laughs and walks back over to the counter, laying the
               crossbow down again, grabbing a Pepsi from the fridge cabinet
               behind him and taking a gulp from it.

        27     INT. EMPTY SHOP. MORNING.                               27

               Twist sits cross-legged on top of the counter inside what
               appears to be an army surplus clothing store as she dials in
               a number on the store phone. 

               The steel shutters over the windows are down, but a few of
               the internal shop lights are on. 

               Twist looks across to a dummy standing nearby and grabs a US
               Marines cap from one of the displays, wearing it lopsided as
               she drums her fingers on the counter, waiting for the call to
               connect.

        28     INT. NEWS HAT. MORNING.                                 28

               We hear Chris' mobile RING, but he and Danyael are both still
               out cold. Rashidi walks back into the room, looking for the
               sound, and kneels down by Chris, locating the phone in his
               jacket pocket. He takes it out and answers it.

                                   RASHIDI
                         Hello?

                                   TWIST
                             (filtered; through phone)
                         Chris? You're not Chris, who the
                         hell is this?

                                   RASHIDI
                             (smirks)
                         I'm afraid Mr. Berkeley can't come
                         to the phone right now.

        29     INT. EMPTY SHOP. MORNING.                               29

               Twist hops down off the counter, looking alarmed.

                                   TWIST
                         Rashidi? Is that you? Since when
                         did you start sounding like a bad
                         guy? And where's Chris?

                                   RASHIDI
                             (filtered; through phone)
                         It would take me a long time to
                         explain my reasoning all over
                         again, Miss Twist, so let's just
                         say I had an epiphany a while ago
                         about my direction in life, and I'm
                         making my first positive steps
                         towards it.

               Twist paces up and down the shop, getting more and more
               concerned as Rashidi speaks.

                                   TWIST
                         You rotten baumgartner, you sold
                         him out!

                                   RASHIDI
                         It's just business, Twist, just
                         business.

                                   TWIST
                             (seething)
                         I'm gonna take you apart in
                         alphabetical order when I get my
                         hands on you, you stinking-

               Twist is disturbed by the loud SCREECH of metal grinding
               against metal outside, and looks up to see what's happening. 

               The first steel shutter over the shop's windows suddenly
               lifts up, sending a beam of bright sunlight into the store. 

               Twist yelps and hops backwards out of the way, throwing the
               phone away and looking round frantically for a way out. 

               The second shutter creaks up, leaving Twist even less room to
               move in, but as she turns she sees a large display board next
               to the counter. 

               With a grunt and a heave, she tips it over, running alongside
               it and using it as a mobile sunguard as the third and final
               shutter is raised, flooding the shop with light. 

               Twist drops into a roll as the display hits the floor, making
               it to safety on the other side of the shop. Catching her
               breath, as she readies her umbrella again.

                                   TWIST (cont'd)
                         This is already turning into a very
                         long day...

               Twist tries the shop's front door and opens it.

        30     EXT. OUTSIDE EMPTY SHOP. MORNING.                       30

               Stepping out onto the pavement to a surprised look from the
               teenager opening the shutters to open up the shop, Twist
               stays in the shade cast by the building and pops up the
               umbrella. She notices the teenager and flashes him a smile.

                                   TWIST
                         Sorry about that, just needed to
                         make a call. Ciao!

               She heads off down the street, with the teenager blankly
               watching her go.

        31     EXT. CITY STREET. MORNING.                              31

               Twist walks to a junction in the road, the only path she can
               take being through the shadow of a building cast over the
               road straight ahead. She checks both ways then starts to walk
               forward.

               A Porsche is racing towards the junction, and as we see Twist
               walk into frame, the driver slams on his brakes and starts to
               skid to a halt.

               She tenses as the Porsche bolts towards her, realising that
               if it hits her she'll be thrown straight out into the
               sunlight. 

               She waits until it's inches away from her, then deftly JUMPS
               up onto its bonnet, skipping across its roof and landing on
               the road again as the car finally slows to a halt several
               feet away from her. 

               As the car's driver jumps out and shouts over to her, she
               starts running again.

        32     INT. POLICE CRUISER. MORNING.                           32

               Roberts and Harris are back in their patrol car, searching
               the streets for any sign of Twist. Harris is clutching a La
               Senza bag, much to Roberts' annoyance.

                                   HARRIS
                             (off bag)
                         Cheryl's gonna love this, she's
                         always trying to get me to go into
                         that place, but I always wuss out,
                         because it's all, you know, so,
                         well, girly and everything so I-

                                   ROBERTS
                             (interrupts)
                         Harris, gotta stop you there. 
                             (beat)
                         No reason, just gotta stop you.

               Roberts reaches for the CB radio as Harris pouts.

                                   ROBERTS (cont'd)
                         Dispatch, this is 225, over.

                                   DISPATCH
                             (filtered; through radio)
                         Dispatch, over.

                                   ROBERTS
                         Any leads on that suspect we've
                         been tracking? We lost sight of her
                         downtown and were hoping somebody
                         else had spotted her.

                                   DISPATCH
                         Afraid not, 225, but we had a call
                         for you from a Rashidi Deepak,
                         proprietor of the News Hat kiosk
                         over on 4th and Rosenberg, he says
                         he's captured two intruders and
                         wants you to swing by and pick 'em
                         up.

                                   ROBERTS
                         We're kind of on the trail at the
                         moment, can't somebody else go?

                                   DISPATCH
                         He asked specifically for you,
                         Officer Roberts. He said it was a
                         special case.

               Roberts pauses, and he and Harris exchange a look.

                                   ROBERTS
                         Copy that, Dispatch, we're on our
                         way. 225 out.

               Roberts replaces the CB receiver and accelerates away.

        33     EXT. OUTSIDE NEWS HAT. MORNING.                         33

               Roberts' police cruiser is parked up next to a second,
               unmarked car outside the shop, and as we watch Chris &
               Danyael are hauled out the shop doors, blankets wrapped over
               their heads. 

               Chris is squashed down into the back seat by Roberts, but
               Danyael kicks up a bit more of a fuss as Harris tries to
               shove him in, twisting to avoid the sunlight creeping across
               the scene.

                                   DANYAEL
                         Hey, careful, man, I burn easy!

                                   HARRIS
                         Keep it quiet, freak. Get in there!

               Rashidi watches from the doorway, still sporting the crossbow
               as CURRY (45, no nonsense), the Police Chief, appears next to
               him. He momentarily eyes the crossbow, but quickly dismisses
               it.

                                   CURRY
                         Good work Rashidi, nice to have two
                         wanted criminals in custody.

                                   RASHIDI
                         Criminals?

                                   CURRY
                         As far as I'm concerned, all of
                         these vampires are criminals the
                         moment they stop being human
                         beings.

               Rashidi chuckles as Curry steps towards the cruiser.

                                   RASHIDI
                         So what will you do with them?

                                   CURRY
                         We'll question them, maybe beat
                         them a bit, and then send them
                         packing from town. They ever come
                         back, we'll do the same as we did
                         the last bunch of nightcrawlers we
                         caught sneaking around.
                         Chain them to the statue of our
                         benevolent governor, and let the
                         sun do the dirty work for us.

                                   RASHIDI
                         Try to go easy on Chris, though,
                         would you? I know we're not exactly
                         friends any more, but he's done me
                         a few favours in the past.

                                   CURRY
                         Okay, fine, we'll just run them out
                         of here under cover of darkness.
                         You happy?

                                   RASHIDI
                         Very. Oh, and there's one more of
                         them too, a girl. Blonde. Pretty.
                         But armed with a bag full of my
                         merchandise.

                                   CURRY
                         That's kind of sloppy, Rashidi,
                         why'd you let her leave with that
                         kind of firepower?

                                   RASHIDI
                         Well, I was hoping she'd lead me to
                         Chris and his pale friend in there,
                         but as you can see they came to me
                         instead. You'll be able to find her
                         with this.

               He tosses a small black box to Curry.

               Curry holds up the box - a small GPS map of the city is
               displayed on its screen, with a flashing red dot in the
               centre. Curry pockets the box and nods.

                                   RASHIDI (cont'd)
                         There's a tracking device hidden in
                         the bag. That'll lead you straight
                         to her.

               They nod their goodbyes, and Curry steps towards his unmarked
               car as Roberts' cruiser drives away.
[top | previous | next]

Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.