Return-Path: Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 19:45:21 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: Rebel Causes 01/08 To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU usual disclaimers. permission to archive to mel moser. comments to vampwrtr@innocent.com FOREVER KNIGHT "Rebel Causes" ACT ONE FADE IN: INT. PRECINCT NIGHT DETECTIVE NICK KNIGHT AND DETECTIVE JEFFREY PLATT are standing by the water cooler. Jeffrey is trying to get water from the cooler, but as usual, the cooler is not cooperating. KNIGHT How did we get stuck going to this convention? PLATT Best and brightest, Nick. Platt gives the obstinate water cooler a swift kick, nothing happens. Nick just watches his partner, amused. KNIGHT (sighs, re; convention) It's going to be such a waste of time. PLATT Think of it as a mini paid vacation. The cooler still won't give Platt any water. He's getting ticked now, and Nick's amusement at Jeffrey, is growing. KNIGHT I don't want a vacation. And I don't want to go to Quebec. (re: water cooler) Why don't you just get some water from the tap? PLATT (glaring) Because I don't know where that's been. KNIGHT (grinning) Yes, but at least you'd have some by now. PLATT (re: Quebec) You know, I don't think your problem is the convention. KNIGHT Oh no? Platt, becoming exasperated with the water cooler, gives it a swift smack with his hand. Knight begins grinning at his partner's predicament. PLATT No. I think you're afraid of flying. KNIGHT (amused) Really? Platt finally kicks the obstinate water cooler, and is rewarded by a sudden and uncontrollable outpouring of water. Platt sticks his cup under to catch the water, but it goes all over his hand and onto the floor. Nick just begins laughing. PLATT This isn't funny, Knight. The least you could do is help me out here. Nick shakes his head, and starts to walk away. KNIGHT Help you? I don't even know you right now..... As Nick heads away, CAPTAIN JOE REESE enters and almost collides with Nick. REESE Where's your partner? KNIGHT (points behind him) Trying to stay a float, I think. Knight exits. Off Reese wondering about Nick's sanity, we, CUT TO: INT. RAVEN NIGHT LUCIEN LACROIX is in his office, literally buried in papers. There are files all over the floor, on the chairs, and on the desk; and in the middle of all of it, a very irritated LaCroix. By the furrowed brow, we can only assume that he is most unamused. We hear a KNOCK at the door. LaCroix looks up at the door and glares. He says nothing. Another KNOCK. LaCroix sets his jaw. Whoever it is had better be wearing a flak jacket. A third KNOCK. LACROIX WHAT? The door opens ever so gently and MAURICE sticks his head very cautiously into the office. They hold a look. Several beats go by. Neither says a word. LaCroix is becoming more annoyed by the second. Finally, LACROIX (CONT) I presume that you did not disturb me for the sheer joy of it, Maurice? MAURICE That's true enough, boss. LACROIX (impatient) Well? MAURICE Just checkin' to see how it's goin' in here. LACROIX And how does it look as though it is going? Maurice surveys the room. MAURICE You look the way me dear departed grandmother Murphy did the day she fell into the river.... LaCroix glares in the direction of his bartender, who thinks better of staying in the line of fire. MAURICE (CONT) When do you actually have to meet with them? LACROIX Tomorrow night. Now if there's nothing further, and no other relatives whom I must endure, I trust you will excuse me.... MAURICE Of course, boss. Let me know if you need anything. LaCroix just growls in response, and Maurice exits quickly. LACROIX (muttering) Internal Revenue Service indeed. Off an irritated LaCroix, we, SMASH CUT TO: MAIN TITLES INT. AIRPORT TERMINAL NIGHT Nick and Platt are waiting to board their plane. Reese and DR. NATALIE LAMBERT are seeing them off. REESE I'd appreciate it if you'd be sure to get extra hand outs from all of the meetings that you two attend. PLATT Will do, Cap. Nick looks distracted, and he does not look very happy about the upcoming event. REESE Nick, you all right? KNIGHT Yeah, sure, fine. PLATT I don't think he likes flying. NATALIE (sotto) At least not flying *in* something. KNIGHT I don't really like conventions. REESE Right. ANNOUNCER (O.C.) This is the final boarding call for flight 236 to Quebec. Please board at gate 4 immediately. PLATT Well, that's us. REESE Try and stay out of trouble you two. PLATT We'll be at a convention. With cops. What could happen? Platt starts toward the gate. PLATT (CONT) C'mon Nick, let's go. Nat gives Nick a hug. NATALIE Have a good time. KNIGHT I don't like planes. NATALIE Statistically, it's safer than driving. KNIGHT (emphatic) I don't *like* them.... NATALIE You'll be fine. I'll see you in a few days. Nick heads down the ramp, with a look of foreboding. Off Reese and Natalie smiling, we, CUT TO: INT. RAVEN NIGHT Maurice is at the bar, taking care of business, setting up for the night. He looks a little nervous. LaCroix enters. MAURICE (demanding) Where have you been? LACROIX (oh?) I beg your pardon? MAURICE She's here. LACROIX *She*, Maurice? MAURICE IRS Agent Glumm, boss. LACROIX Agent Glumm? MAURICE Yes, that's what I said. LACROIX How.....apropos. (beat) Where is she? MAURICE Your office. LACROIX Mmmm.... LaCroix smiles his shark smile, turns and exits. MAURICE (muttering) I'm not sure which one to pity more.... Off this, we, CUT TO: INT. BOEING 757 NIGHT Nick and Jeffrey are fastened in and preparing for take-off. Platt has the window seat, and Knight the aisle. An empty seat is between them. Nick looks uncomfortable. PLATT You look a little pale, Nick. I mean, more so than usual. KNIGHT No, no I don't. PLATT You have flown before, haven't you Nick? ANGLE Nick; that's a loaded question. He's flown all right, but never in a plane....Nick says nothing. He just swallows hard. PLATT (CONT) Oh man, you've never flown before, have you? KNIGHT Not exactly. PLATT Not exactly? KNIGHT Not in a plane.... PLATT What? KNIGHT (covering) Not in a plane of this... .....size. PLATT So you're saying you'd rather be in a Cessna? Are you nuts? KNIGHT Let's just say I'd rather be anywhere but here and leave it at that, okay? PILOT (O.C.) Flight attendants prepare for departure. Nick looks extremely unhappy. Platt is amused by his partner. PLATT Not to worry, Nick. This airline hasn't had a crash in years. KNIGHT (crash?) Years? (beat) How many? Off Platt rolling his eyes, we, CUT TO: INT. RAVEN NIGHT And the Inquisition begins. LaCroix is sitting on the opposite side of *his* desk. We can only see the back of IRS AGENT GLUMM'S head. LaCroix has his "pleasant" look on, which is to say, he is not glaring. LACROIX I think you'll find everything to your satisfaction. Glumm just grunts. LACROIX (CONT) My accountant is very careful, especially of my holdings in other countries.... We can see Glumm's hands begin shuffling through the papers on the desk. LaCroix is watching her, and he cocks an eyebrow as she tosses files to the floor. Finally, she picks a file and holds it up, almost in his face. CLOSE on LaCroix; he looks as though he would like nothing better than to sink his teeth into her hand, just for the hell of it. REMAIN on LaCroix as the file folder looms ever closer to his nose. His face is a mask, save for the almost imperceptible twitching of his upper lip. LACROIX I take it, Ms. Glumm, that you would like to discuss this file? Glumm just grunts. Oh, joy. LaCroix looks as though he's smelled something bad. Off this, we, CUT TO: end part 01 vampwrtr@innocent.com Return-Path: Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 19:45:10 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: Rebel Causes 02/08 To: FKFIC-L@lists.psu.edu INT. BOEING 757 NIGHT Jeffrey is asleep against the window. Nick is not only awake, but still looking highly uncomfortable. Suddenly the seat in front of him zooms all the way back, winding up almost in Knight's lap. Nick glares. He taps the shoulder of the MAN in front of him. The man turns around, smiling the smile of the mildly deranged. Clearly the man is on something or is not playing with a full deck, or both. KNIGHT Excuse me sir, but would you mind bringing your seat up, just a little? The man continues smiling at Knight, but says nothing. KNIGHT (CONT) Your seat, sir, would you mind? The man says nothing. As a matter of fact, he's still smiling, which is infuriating Knight. Nick taps the seat for emphasis as he continues. KNIGHT (CONT) Your seat, please bring it up a little. The man smiles and nods at Nick, but doesn't have a clue. MAN You're welcome. KNIGHT What? MAN You're welcome. KNIGHT No, no. Your seat. (taps on seat again) YOUR SEAT. MAN (smiling, thick accent) You're welcome. Nick looks over at the peacefully slumbering Jeffrey, and would like to throttle him. Then it dawns on him; he could just make a little suggestion. KNIGHT (whammying) You don't need as much room as you think. Pull your seat back up. The man just looks at Nick, still with the smile of a village idiot on his face. KNIGHT Pull your seat back up. On top of everything else, this guy just has to be a resistor. Or maybe he just doesn't understand what Nick's saying. Nick gives up, and leans back into his seat. Only problem is, the man is now staring at Nick. Knight waves the man off, but this does not help. The man just continues to peer around the corner of his seat, smiling at Nick. KNIGHT (exasperated) Why me? Off Nick, we, CUT TO: INT. RAVEN NIGHT The normally buttoned up, immaculate LaCroix, has undone his shirt a few buttons, and he looks a little worse for the wear. He is still sitting at his desk, and we are still eyeing him from the POV of Agent Glumm. Glumm has a calculator that has a running tape, on the left side of the desk, and all the while, she is punching numbers into it. LaCroix glares at the offending machine, then back into her face, which we still can't see. LACROIX I really don't think going over this again will change a thing. As a matter of fact, perhaps we should take a tiny break. Glumm just grunts. LaCroix smiles his shark smile, his face unreadable. LACROIX (CONT) I'll take that as a yes. LaCroix smiles and stands up. We see Glumm digging through files on the desk again, though still, we see her only from the back. LACROIX (CONT) May I get you something? Another grunt. ANGLE LaCroix as his eyebrow raises; does this woman do anything but grunt and play with a calculator? LaCroix forces a smile again, and turns. We FOLLOW him out of the office and into the bar area. As he walks through the club, patrons scatter, to clear a path. ANGLE Maurice; here comes Memnoch himself, fit to be tied. Maurice quickly pours a generous glass of "wine" and as LaCroix stalks up to the bar, Maurice hands it to him. For a moment, not a word is spoken. LaCroix drains the glass and holds it out for Maurice to refill, which he does in silence. LaCroix drains the second and holds it out for a third. Maurice complies. As LaCroix slows down his pace, Maurice braves a question. MAURICE Do I take it that things are not goin' so well? LACROIX (glaring) 'Things', as you put it, are positively dreadful. All the woman does is shuffle through my papers, punch numbers into a calculator, and grunt. MAURICE Grunt? LACROIX Yes, grunt. It's rather like being audited by a constipated mute. This catches Maurice off guard, and the bartender just looks at LaCroix, who returns the stare. Silently, LaCroix sets the glass down on the bar and steels himself in preparation for round two. MAURICE I admire your restraint, boss. LACROIX (edgy) My restraint, Maurice? MAURICE I'm surprised ya haven't made a meal of her. LaCroix makes a very unpleasant face. LACROIX Somehow, Maurice, that is a most unappealing idea. Off LaCroix' exit, we, CUT TO: INT. BOEING 757 NIGHT Nick looks absolutely miserable. He is now sitting in the middle seat, which was empty before: Better than sitting behind the guy with the idiotic grin, who is still stealing peeks at Nick every now and again. Jeffrey is sound asleep. Nick fidgets in his seat, trying to get comfortable. Jeffrey's head, which has been looming ever closer, suddenly lolls onto Nick's shoulder. Nick just glares at the top of Jeffrey's head. Gently, Nick removes Platt's head and leans him back up against the window. Nick readjusts himself and wham, there comes Jeffrey's head again. Nick sighs. He removes Platt's head, and once again leans him against the window. Nick holds his breath for a moment, and luckily no head reappears. Nick sighs again and closes his eyes. Wham, head on the shoulder again. Nick's eyes pop open. Not so gently, Nick removes Jeffrey's head and props him up against the window. Nick looks at the empty aisle seat; maybe he should go back to having his knees squashed. The man in the aisle seat in front of him peeks at Nick through the seats. Hmm, maybe Nick will just stay where he is. Smack, head on shoulder. Nick lets out a huge breath of air. He shakes his head at Platt, giving up. Nick closes his eyes again; if he has to put up with a head on his shoulder, then he does. A few blissfully peaceful beats go by. Jeffrey begins SNORING. Nick's eyes pop open again. Just as Nick is about to do something about the snoring, Jeffrey shuffles in his sleep and snuggles up even closer to Nick. Nick rolls his eyes. Jeffrey's snoring continues in Nick's ear. KNIGHT (sotto, to no one) Next time, I take a train. (looks at Platt) Alone. Off this, we, CUT TO: INT. RAVEN NIGHT LaCroix' shirt is now not only unbuttoned by several buttons from the top, but his jacket is off, carelessly tossed in a chair nearby, and the sleeves of his shirt are rolled up. We are still from the POV just behind Glumm's shoulder, and she is still wildly punching numbers into her calculator. The calculator tape is now so long, that it has curled around a few times, and has fallen off the side of the desk, and is draped along the floor. LaCroix is maintaining a carefully composed face, but who knows for how long. LACROIX (edgy) Are you really going to sit here and go over *every* last, minute little figure that appears upon my return? The fingers on the calculator stop momentarily and Glumm grunts, then she goes right back to calculating. LaCroix is becoming incredibly annoyed. LACROIX (CONT) This is an inconceivable waste of my valuable time. The fingers stop working the calculator again. ANGLE LaCroix; we watch as his eyes follow her as she stands up. REMAINING on LaCroix, we watch in horror with him as yet more file folders are shoved into his face. His nostrils are flaring and we expect at any second that his eyes will change to gold, but they do not. With obvious difficulty, LaCroix plasters a smile on his face as he accepts the file folders. LACROIX (CONT) (re: folders, gritting teeth) How thoughtful of you, but really, you shouldn't have. Off an unhappy ancient, we, CUT TO: INT. BOEING 757 NIGHT Jeffrey is still snoring away, and Nick is tired of the whole scene. He stands up. We FOLLOW him as he walks down the aisle of the plane. Many passengers are blissfully asleep. Nick wishes he were as well. His eyes land on a man, RAUL ESPINOSA, 20's, looks slightly nervous. He and Knight stare at each other for a moment, then Espinosa looks quickly away. On Nick, as, we, CUT TO FLASHBACK: INT. BALLROOM LUXURY CRUISE LINER c. 1962 NIGHT There is much joviality in the room; people dancing, drinking, having conversations. A grand atmosphere. We CLOSE on TWO MEN in the corner of the room; they look suspicious. Nick is dancing with a pretty woman. CUT TO: INT. BRIDGE OF LUXURY LINER c. 1962 NIGHT TWO MEN burst onto the bridge, toting large guns. The officers on the bridge freeze. The LEADER lays down the law. LEADER Stop this ship immediately. Stop it, or die. The officers exchange a look. The man doesn't wait, he points the gun at one of them and shoots, the man falls. The other OFFICER is terrified. OFFICER All stop! Off the Leader's smile, we, CUT TO: INT. BALLROOM LUXURY LINER c. 1962 NIGHT The ship slowly comes to a halt, the reality of which is only noticed by the two suspicious men. The two men pull out machine guns and fire into the ceiling. Screaming ensues, followed by passengers clamoring for cover under tables and chairs. The woman Nick was dancing with is hit by a stray bullet, she goes limp in Nick's arms. CLOSE on Knight as he momentarily vamps out, his anger getting the best of him. He gets the beast under control, and the two men now have the room hostage. The two men have Cuban accents when they speak. MAN #1 We are hijacking this ship in the name of freedom for Cuba. You will all be held here until our demands are met. PASSENGER And just what would those be? MAN #1 We demand that the United States government put an end to Fidel Castro. Either that, or we will blow this ship into tiny little bits of floating flotsam. Off Nick, assessing the situation, we, CUT BACK TO: INT. BOEING 757 CONTINUOUS Nick is still staring at Espinosa, who is becoming irritated. Espinosa is nervously glancing at his watch, and stealing looks up toward the cockpit. ESPINOSA What are you looking at? KNIGHT Sorry. You just reminded me of someone else. (beat) Have we met before? ESPINOSA No. I'm sure we have not. Nick shrugs. He starts to head off. As soon as Nick has moved away, we hear a COMMOTION coming from the forward part of the plane. Nick whirls around, but it's too late, Espinosa has moved into the aisle, and has a rather large gun pointed at the passengers. Two other MEN have stood up and have pointed guns around the cabin. Several people scream, and Espinosa begins yelling at them. ESPINOSA (CONT) Shut up...shut up, or I'll kill you. The passengers are frightened, but manage to quiet down. Jeffrey has awakened, and has turned in his seat. He and Nick hold a look. Knight shakes his head slightly, indicating that Platt should stay put. Nick moves slowly toward Espinosa, who points his gun at Knight. ESPINOSA (CONT) If you know what is good for you, you will stop. KNIGHT Who are you and what do you want? ESPINOSA Who I am is none of your business. What I want is simple: I will return control of this plane and all of her passengers in exchange for the release of political prisoners being held in Paraguay. KNIGHT (sarcastic) Is that all... Espinosa moves toward Nick, and shoves the point of his gun in Nick's face. ESPINOSA Yes, that is all. Go to your seat, now. Silently, Nick moves toward his seat, Espinosa shoving him with his gun all the way. Nick sits down, and he and Platt hold a look. KNIGHT (to Platt) I told you I didn't want to go to Quebec... Espinosa quickly shoves his gone into Nick's nose. ESPINOSA Shut up. There will be no talking. If you talk, I will kill you. Off Nick and Platt in the not so friendly skies, we, FADE OUT: END ACT ONE end part 02 vampwrtr@innocent.com Return-Path: Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 19:45:04 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: Rebel Causes 03/08 To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU ACT TWO FADE IN: INT. PRECINCT NIGHT Natalie enters quickly and almost bumps into Reese. They hold a look. REESE (re: Nick and Platt) I take it you've heard? NATALIE (irked) On the news, thank you very much for calling me. REESE Sorry. Reese starts off toward his office, and Natalie follows him. NATALIE Well, what are you doing about it? REESE Doing about it? There isn't much we can do, Natalie, except sit and wait. (off her look) It's not exactly our jurisdiction you know... NATALIE I don't care whose jurisdiction it is. That's Nick and Jeffrey up there. REESE I know. NATALIE Any idea what the hijackers want? REESE Not much information, really. Something to do with political prisoners in Paraguay. In the meantime, that plane is heading further away from us and Canada. Off Natalie, we, CUT TO: INT. LACROIX' OFFICE NIGHT LaCroix looks exasperated. Glumm is still sitting at his desk, still punching numbers into the calculator, and we still can't see her.... LACROIX Just how long do you intend to keep me here going over all of these numbers? Glumm's fingers stop momentarily. LaCroix raises an eyebrow. Glumm just grunts and goes back to her figures. LaCroix rolls his eyes. Off this, we, CUT TO: INT. BOEING 757 NIGHT Nick and Jeffrey are watching in horror, as the hijackers hold the passengers hostage. The two cops hold a look; what should they do? Try something, or wait? Before they can make a decision, one of the hijackers, PEREZ, 20's, approaches a female passenger, across the aisle from them. The WOMAN is in her late 30's, wears no make-up, and is dressed in a dark blue skirt and suit jacket. She also has on a no-nonsense blouse, done up all the way, a large silver crucifix hanging on the outside of her blouse, and a simple wedding band on her left hand. PEREZ Muy bonita... You could help pass the time. He traces the woman's jawline with his gun. ANGLE Nick, he's ready to blow. Jeffrey places a restraining hand on Nick's arm. The two men look at each other. Nick sighs and holds back. On Nick, we, CUT TO FLASHBACK: INT. BALLROOM LUXURY LINER c. 1962 NIGHT The passengers are all sitting around. It is deathly silent in the room. The men with guns are milling, looking as though anything may set them off. One of the men is eying a female passenger. Nick tries to distract him. KNIGHT What makes you think the government will give in to you? The terrorist ignores the question. In answer, he moves closer to the woman, who gets that she might become a diversion for the man. KNIGHT (CONT) Fidel Castro is one of your own. Why should you expect help from a foreign government? The first man gets in Knight's face. MAN #1 Castro could never have come to power if certain factions within the US government had not helped him. Cuba lives in poverty. The people are dying. KNIGHT So you hijack an American cruise ship? That will solve nothing.... MAN #1 It will if we are forced to make an example of all of you to the government. KNIGHT An example of your terrorist mentality? It will only serve to perpetuate the ugly stereotypes already present in the minds of the American people. It will not get you what you want. MAN #1 We shall see. The second man is playing with the hair of the woman. Knight starts toward him, only to find the barrel of the machine gun of the first man shoved in his abdomen. MAN #1 (CONT) A little diversion might be helpful to some of my men. Off Knight feeling defenseless, we, CUT BACK TO: INT. BOEING 757 CONTINUOUS Nick is looking like he's not going to sit still. Jeffrey has a hold of Nick's arm. PLATT (sotto) Don't, Nick. You might get yourself and the girl killed. KNIGHT (sotto) We can't just sit here and watch, Jeffrey. PLATT I know. However, a well timed move will be worth a thousand ill-timed ones. Perez is moving the barrel of his gun down the woman's neck. When he gets to her blouse, he playfully puts the barrel down it. The woman almost jumps out of her seat, causing Perez to shove the gun into her forcefully. PEREZ Stay put, if you want to live. Off this, we, CUT TO: INT. RAVEN NIGHT CLOSE on the door to LaCroix' office. Maurice is standing out in front of the door, pacing. NANCY, 30's, kind of cute, in her own way, waitress at the Raven, enters. NANCY Is he still in there? MAURICE Uh-huh. NANCY How long before we go in after him? MAURICE (looks at watch) If he's still in there in thirty minutes, I'd say we'd better make our move. NANCY Okay. Off the two of them exiting in different directions, we, CUT TO: INT. PRECINCT NIGHT Natalie is sitting at Nick's desk, absentmindedly looking through his stuff. She smiles as she finds a picture of the two of them in his desk. Then her face takes on a rather dark countenance as she pulls out the picture of LaCroix. Why Nick would want to have this in his desk is beyond her. Her attention wanders to Nick's rolodex. She lazily thumbs through it, and stops when it falls open to Janette's listing. It's a local number. Natalie frowns, considers a moment, picks up the phone, and dials a number. Off this, we, CUT TO: INT. JANETTE'S HOUSE NIGHT JANETTE DUCHARME is sitting on her couch. Her demeanor is not one of comfort. Natalie Lambert is sitting in a chair across from the couch, with an equal air of unhappiness about her. There is a silence in the room, which could only be described as stifling. The two women stare at each other. Janette sighs audibly. Natalie just looks to the floor. Finally out of impatience, JANETTE Well, I assume you did not wish to come here for the hospitality. NATALIE (blurting) It's Nick... JANETTE Nicolas went to some convetion in Quebec.... NATALIE Yes, but they haven't quite gotten there. JANETTE What do you mean? NATALIE The plane Nick was on was hijacked. ANGLE Janette: Plane? Nick was on a *plane*? Her distaste registers, some habits being hard to break. NATALIE (CONT) I thought maybe, since the two of you are, well, linked-- JANETTE --You thought I might have some information. Natalie nods. Janette smiles slightly. JANETTE (CONT) I am afraid that at this distance, the only thing I can tell you, is that Nicolas is still alive. NATALIE (relieved) Thank God for that at least. JANETTE What is being done about this? NATALIE The Airline authorities are handling the situation, apparently. There is another awkward silence. These two are not exactly the best of friends, but they do share one thing in common: Nick. Janette's face registers a question. It is a question that she is very hesitant to ask. Finally, JANETTE Does....LaCroix know? ANGLE Natalie; she never even thought about it. NATALIE I don't know. (beat) Why? JANETTE Just wondering. ANGLE Lambert; why is Janette asking *her* if LaCroix knows? This is odd. NATALIE He might not know.... (off Janette's look) I mean, if you can't sense him other than dead or alive from a long distance... JANETTE True. I was just wondering if you had spoken with LaCroix. NATALIE Me? Uh, no. JANETTE (smiling) Yes, I suppose not. He's never been one of your favourite people. NATALIE But he was one of yours... Janette bristles slightly at the implied question. Natalie pushes no further. NATALIE (CONT) Sorry. Didn't mean to pry. JANETTE (yeah, right) No, of course not. (long beat) LaCroix and I..... no longer speak. ANGLE Nat; oh, really? JANETTE (CONT) (pay back time) I am surprised that Nicolas did not tell you..... Natalie glares ever so slightly at the barb. NATALIE Well, if you.....notice anything unusual... JANETTE I will let you know. And, may I assume, that you will do the same? Lambert nods as she stands up. Janette also stands up, and they move toward the front door. Janette opens it for Nat, who steps through it, then turns back. NATALIE Do you suppose someone should tell LaCroix? I mean, he is, well, related, sorta. JANETTE You may if you wish. But be prepared for his interference if you do so... ANGLE Nat; great, thanks a ton. Off Nat, we, CUT TO: end part 03 vampwrtr@innocent.com Return-Path: Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 19:44:56 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: Rebel Causes 04/08 To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU INT. BOEING 757 NIGHT Perez is still terrorizing the young woman. Nick is craning his neck to see. We can hear the WHIMPERS from the terrified woman. Perez begins to lick her face. Jeffrey has to restrain Knight. WOMAN Oh God, please stop. DON'T.... Perez slaps her hard, across the face, and she screams. That's it, Nick can't stand it, he stands up. Espinosa is on him in a second, with the barrel of the gun pointed at Nick's abdomen. ESPINOSA Sit down. He and Nick hold a look. Nick decides to try a whammy. KNIGHT Put down your gun. Put down the gun, and step aside... Espinosa blinks. Then he glares at Nick. ESPINOSA Shut up. Shut up and sit down, now. Nick looks as though he's going to plough down Espinosa. Platt stands up and grabs a hold of Nick. PLATT (sotto to Knight) Don't be foolish, Nick. He'll kill you. KNIGHT But the girl... PLATT (to Espinosa) My friend is concerned about the young woman over there. Espinosa looks toward Perez and the woman. He turns to Platt and smiles. ESPINOSA He should not concern himself with something that is not his business. Platt considers his position for a moment. Then, PLATT But, she's a nun..... ANGLE Espinosa; honour among thugs. Women of the Church are off limits, at least for men of his culture. He glares at Platt, but takes a look for himself. ESPINOSA (to Woman) Are you a sister? The woman nods. ESPINOSA (CONT) What order? WOMAN The Blessed Virgin Mary... Espinosa turns to Perez and smacks the man hard with the butt of his gun, across the jaw. Perez hits the floor. ESPINOSA Perez, you stupid fool. (to nun) I am sorry, sister. We would not wish to desecrate a woman of the Church in this way. The nun just looks down at the floor, relieved. Espinosa turns back to Perez. ESPINOSA (CONT) Go see what Juan is doing up front. Perez slowly gets up, and nursing his jaw, heads forward. Espinosa starts past Nick. KNIGHT (to Espinosa) I don't understand you. ESPINOSA Why? Because I do not wish one of my men to rape a nun? KNIGHT You consider *that* act wrong, but yet you don't have a problem with hijacking a plane? Or killing people? ESPINOSA Sit down, and shut up. If I do kill someone, it is for a good cause. Espinosa moves off. Platt gently guides Nick to his seat. PLATT Try not to push too hard, Nick. I don't think this guy will take much more from you. KNIGHT (re; nun) How did you know? PLATT I took a chance that he might be Catholic. (off Nick's look) I've known a few Catholics in my day, Nick, and I'll tell you, a lot of them break a number of commandments, but most of them would have a tough time messing with Holy Mother Church in the flesh..... KNIGHT No, I mean, how did you know she's a nun? PLATT Oh come on, Nick. Just look at her. KNIGHT (he looks) So? PLATT She may as well be wearing a sign plastered across her forehead.... (beat) You just don't know much about women, do you? Off Nick shaking his head, we, CUT TO: CLOSE on a pair of dark oxford shoes. The Oxfords are pacing across a tiled floor. Back and forth, and back and forth. Occasionally, the oxfords stop in front of a door, then they resume. A pair of black women's pumps enter frame. The oxfords stop again. INT. RAVEN NIGHT NANCY (O.C.) They're *still* in there? MAURICE (O.C.) Uh-huh. The oxfords in frame begin to pace again. Back and forth, clicking on the tile as they go. The pumps move further into the room. NANCY (O.C.) It's been over an hour since we said we'd wait thirty minutes. (beat) Have you heard anything? The oxfords stop again. We PAN slowly up the pant legs attached to the oxfords, then up the torso, finally we land in a CLOSE on the face of Maurice. MAURICE Not a peep. NANCY What should we do? MAURICE I'm not sure. He's either unconscious, or he's had her for lunch. NANCY We can't just leave him in there....*alone*. MAURICE Well lass, if ya have any suggestions, fire away. It's not as if we can go bargin' on in, ya know. NANCY We could ring the fire alarm.... MAURICE Oh, I'm sure the boss would just love to have the fire department down here in addition to his already unwanted company. (beat) We'll have ta do better than that, lass.... Off Nancy's sheepish look, we, CUT TO: INT. BOEING 757 NIGHT Espinosa is staring at nothing. Perez approaches. PEREZ It is time. Espinosa looks at his watch. ESPINOSA (re: Nick and Platt) Watch them. I do not trust them. Then, without another word, Espinosa heads forward, and we FOLLOW him. He enters the cockpit. The PILOT, CO-PILOT, a STEWARDESS and JUAN are already there. ESPINOSA (CONT) (to Pilot) You may break radio silence now. The Pilot picks up his headset and puts it on. PILOT Toronto tower, this is flight 236, do you read us, over? VOICE OF TORONTO TOWER (O.C.) We've got you 236, how is everything up there? PILOT 'Bout the same.... Espinosa swats the back of the Pilot's head as he grabs the headset away. ESPINOSA (to Tower) This is Raul Espinosa. I have commandeered this aircraft, and will kill every passenger on board if my demands are not met. I represent the freedom fighters of Paraguay. TOWER (O.C.) Go ahead, we're listening. ESPINOSA A list will be delivered to you by messenger in twenty minutes. It is a list of political prisoners in Paraguay. You have exactly twelve hours to meet my demands. At the end of that time, if you do not meet the demands, I will begin killing passengers one by one every fifteen minutes until my demands are met. TOWER (O.C.) By our calculations, your aircraft will be out of fuel in approximately three hours. ESPINOSA Yes. You will arrange for us to land at New York in three hours, refuel and take-off again. If there is anything even mildly suspicious on the runway when we land, I will not hesitate to begin killing passengers. (beat) Just to make sure you understand that I do not make idle threats, say good bye to the co-pilot... Before anyone can react, Espinosa places the barrel of his gun to the back of the co-pilot's head and squeezes the trigger. REVERSE ANGLE; Espinosa as blood splashes all over him. We hear the Pilot and Stewardess SCREAM. Off this, we, CUT TO: INT. BOEING 757 CONTINUOUS Nick and Jeffrey hear the shot and Nick bolts out of his seat. Perez runs behind Knight, but Jeffrey leaps at the man, knocking him to the floor. Knight goes after the gunman heading his way, and eyes glowing amber, knocks the man out with a single blow. Realizing the beast has emerged, Nick shakes his head, and clears his eyes. Just as Nick is about to yank open the door to the cockpit, the door flies open. REVEAL from Nick's POV; Espinosa clutching the stewardess, his gun pointed at her head. The meaning is clear. Knight and Espinosa hold a look. ESPINOSA Back away. (beat) Back away, or I'll kill her... STEWARDESS Oh God, please, he's already killed the co-pilot... Nick slowly backs away. Espinosa gets Nick all the way back to his seat. ESPINOSA Sit down. Nick hesitates. Espinosa shoves the gun harder into the woman's temple, she screams. ESPINOSA (CONT) I said, sit down. Nick looks at his seat; no Jeffrey. Unfortunately, Espinosa also notices this. ESPINOSA (CONT) (to Perez) Perez! Where is the other man who was here? PEREZ I....I don't know. Espinosa, still holding the girl, gets into Perez' face. ESPINOSA Take her, and watch him. I'll find the other one. Perez takes the girl from Espinosa, and roughly shoves her into the seat next to Nick. Espinosa stalks off. Nick quietly tries to comfort the Stewardess. He's now in the window seat, and from his POV, we notice the sun through the window, just beginning to peek through the horizon. Nick grimaces at the thought of dawn. The stewardess is much calmer now. She notices Nick staring out the window. STEWARDESS At least it's going to be a beautiful sunrise. KNIGHT Yeah, I'm sure it's going to be a spectacular display all right... Off Nick's concerned look, we, FADE OUT: END ACT TWO end part 04 vampwrtr@innocent.com Return-Path: Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 19:44:49 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: Rebel Causes 05/08 To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU ACT THREE FADE IN: INT. BOEING 757 DAWN The sun is starting to stream in through the windows. Nick lowers the shade of his window, and the ones behind and forward of his. The stewardess looks at him. KNIGHT Sorry, I'm, uh, allergic to sunlight. STEWARDESS Allergic? KNIGHT Yeah, allergic. The stewardess shrugs, whatever. Espinosa stalks by, coming from the back of the plane. PEREZ Any sign of the other man? ESPINOSA He is not anywhere back there, so he must be up front. I'll find him. Espinosa moves away, toward the front of the plane. The stewardess turns to Knight again. STEWARDESS The other man is a friend of yours? KNIGHT Uh-huh. STEWARDESS Where is he? KNIGHT Right now, I hope he's thought of a way out of this mess for all of us... Espinosa comes back into the aft cabin. ESPINOSA Perez, I want all of the window shades closed before we land in New York. I don't want anyone to see inside. Nick looks relieved for his own reasons. Off this, we, CUT TO: EXT. RAVEN DAY Stock footage of the Raven's awning....then, CUT TO: CLOSE on the infamous dark oxford shoes, pacing once again. The black pumps are lying in a pile by a chair, and the bare feet that were in them, are wiggling. The owner of the feet, Nancy, is obviously sitting in the chair, though we see only her feet and shoes. A hand comes into the frame to rub the feet. NANCY (O.C.) My feet are killing me. The oxfords are still madly pacing about the room. MAURICE (O.C.) He's got to come out soon. They've been in there all night... NANCY (O.C.) Has he.....fed? MAURICE (O.C.) Not recently. (beat) Well, at least not that I know of.... More pacing. The bare feet are now on the floor, tapping out a little rhythm on the tile. The oxfords stop pacing. MAURICE (O.C.) Could ya stop with the tappin', dear? The feet abruptly stop. NANCY (O.C.) Sorry. Guess I'm kinda nervous. MAURICE (O.C.) Mmm... The oxfords are pacing again, right by the door to the office. Suddenly, the door opens, and we CLOSE on the ugliest most "sensible" pair of shoes ever seen on screen. They are a dull shade of brown, well worn, scuffed and just downright matronly looking. The shoes are attached to nylon clad ankles and calves. Singularly unattractive. Unless LaCroix has suddenly taken to wearing women's clothing, and lost all sense of fashion, this must be Agent Glumm. Besides, LaCroix wouldn't be caught dead in shoes like that, no matter what. The oxfords have stopped pacing, most likely in the shock of the vision before them, and of course, their owner. The oxfords and the brown mucklucks are faced off in frame. MAURICE (O.C.) I take it you're finished for now? Glumm grunts, off camera, of course! MAURICE (O.C.) Alrighty then... The brown mucklucks move past the oxfords, and exit frame. The bare feet come back into frame, and stand right next to the oxfords. Slowly, the camera PANS the floor, from the feet, through the open office door, across the carpet, which is completely littered with papers and files, and then we land on a pair of beautiful Italian black loafers. We PAN up the black pant legs of the Armani suit, and REVEAL; LaCroix slumped in the chair across from the desk. He is completely disheveled. His shirt is untucked, his pants are wrinkled; he looks as though he has just participated in a *war*. He is so wiped out, that he is leaning on the desk, resting his head in his hands. REVERSE ANGLE on the faces of Maurice and Nancy; what happened in here? Maurice and Nancy hold a long look; clearly neither of them wants to be the one. NANCY (re: LaCroix) You've known him longer. MAURICE Yes lass, but he might be more appreciative of a lighter touch just about now. NANCY A Silver tongued devil couldn't talk me into that room, Maurice. No how, no way. They hold another long look. Maurice heaves a huge sigh. MAURICE Very well then. At least be kind enough to fetch me a bottle of his best vintage... Nancy nods and exits. Maurice reluctantly and slowly enters the office. He picks up some of the files and papers on his way. Through all of this, LaCroix does not say a word, nor does he acknowledge the Irishman's presence. When Maurice reaches the desk, he gently sets the papers in his arms down on the top. Ever so carefully, he sets a tentative hand on LaCroix' shoulder, ready to bolt, if need be. LaCroix slowly responds by looking up at his bartender. ANGLE LaCroix; he's one tired puppy. Circles underline his tired eyes, and his face is very drawn. As a matter of fact, he looks, well, rather *glum*.... MAURICE (gently) A bottle of your finest is on it's way. LaCroix just nods, unable to do anything else, in the wake of the session with the tax maven from hell. Maurice indicates the mess in the room. MAURICE (CONT) Dare I ask? LACROIX She's not human, Maurice. MAURICE (alarmed) What are you saying? LACROIX (slightly glazed) She can't be. (off his look) She sat here for over twelve hours. She never once took a break. Not to get a drink, not to eat, not even to-- MAURICE --I, uh, get the picture. Maurice gently pats LaCroix' shoulder. Nancy enters, with the bottle. No sooner does she uncork it, LaCroix grabs it and drains it. LACROIX (shell-shocked) She never did actually say anything. Not with words, at any rate. Only grunts. NANCY Look on the bright side.... (off his look) You'll never have to see her again. LACROIX Would that it were so... MAURICE Boss? LACROIX Round two begins tomorrow evening. NATALIE (O.C.) Whatever you've got planned for tomorrow evening, you'd better cancel it...unless it's to continue with your redecorating..... All three of the vampires in the room are startled at the voice behind them. LaCroix ever so slowly drags his poor tired body out of the chair. He walks toward Lambert, straightening his back as he goes. Natalie observes him. NATALIE (CONT) I must say, LaCroix, I've never seen you looking quite so......lived in. He stops, frowns, takes in his own appearance, but pretends that this look he's sporting is intentional. Besides, LaCroix has, at this moment in time, decided to take out some of his frustrations on Natalie. LACROIX (smoothly) Dr. Lambert. I would say that it was lovely to see you again, but I've given up fibbing for lent... NATALIE Stow it, LaCroix-- LACROIX --I beg your pardon, doctor? NATALIE You heard me. LaCroix is in no mood for mortals, least of all this one, who always over steps her bounds via her mouth. He starts toward her, his face a mask of fury. NATALIE (quickly) Nick's plane has been hijacked. This stops the ancient in his tracks. LaCroix searches his own mind for any feelings that he might be able to sense from Nicholas. He can't sense anything, Nick's too far away. He and Lambert hold a look. He acquiesces at this moment, for Natalie holds the higher cards. He merely looks at the coroner, one eyebrow raising in question. Off this, we, CUT TO: EXT. BOEING 757, TARMAC DAY Establishing shot of airplane being refueled on the tarmac at JFK in New York. Off this, we, CUT TO: INT. BOEING 757 DAY Nick has changed seats with the stewardess, and all of the window shades on the plane are closed. Espinosa is pacing the aisles, no sign of Jeffrey. Perez comes from the forward part of the plane and stops in front of Espinosa. PEREZ There is no sign of the other man. ESPINSOA That's impossible. He must be here. He could not have gotten off this plane at 30,000 feet. Espinosa turns to Knight, the former's gun pointed at Nick's head. ESPINOSA (CONT) I will kill you if he does not show himself. (beat) You'd better call him. You'd better plead for your life. Nick just glares at Espinosa, and says nothing. Espinosa smacks Nick across the head with the barrel of his gun, an open wound on Nick's forehead appears; but still, Nick just glares at his adversary. ESPINOSA (CONT) You have fifteen seconds with which to yell to your friend. If he doesn't show himself, you are a dead man. Nick just smiles at Espinosa, and says nothing. The stewardess is becoming concerned. STEWARDESS (to Nick) Call for him! Are you crazy? He'll kill you..... ESPINOSA Ten, nine, eight, seven, six... (beat) Perhaps your friend cannot hear me.....five, four-- An overhead compartment opens, and Jeffrey quickly slides out of it. PLATT --I'm here. Don't shoot him. I'm here.... Espinosa smiles as he whirls on Platt. ESPINOSA I think you need to be taught a little lesson about hide and seek.... Espinosa begins to beat Platt with the butt of his gun. Platt's ID falls out of his pocket. Espinosa picks it up and reads it. He glances at Nick, then back to Platt. ESPINOSA (CONT) Well, well. It appears to be my lucky day. A couple of policemen on my flight. I was right not to trust you. On Nick, we, CUT TO FLASHBACK: INT. CRUISE LINER C. 1962 NIGHT A mini war is in progress. The sound of gunfire is everywhere. The solution that the powers that be came up with, was to attack the ship, resulting in a stand off. People are using overturned tables in order to save themselves. Many are dead. Many more are screaming. Nick is vamped out, and is headed toward a terrorist. He grabs the man by the neck and snaps it like a twig. He moves on toward another one. The second one shoots at Knight, slowing him down momentarily, but Nick keeps coming, grabbing the second terrorist by the neck and breaking it in one swift movement. On Nick, we, CUT BACK TO: INT. BOEING 757 CONTINUOUS KNIGHT Look, my interest is in saving lives. Including my friend's. ESPINOSA How nice for you.... Espinosa smiles, and continues to beat Platt. Platt is bleeding from the beating, and is in a heap on the floor. Nick is being held in his seat by Perez, who has his gun in Nick's face. After a few minutes, Platt is unconscious on the floor. Espinosa smiles. ESPINOSA (CONT) (to Nick) You'd better get him out of my way, or I may just toss him out when we take off..... Nick and the Stewardess pick Jeffrey up and situate him in between themselves in the seats. Nick tries to clean-up some of the blood from Platt, and some part of him is resisting the smell of the blood. PEREZ We are ready to take-off. (beat) There is no sign that they will give into our demands. ESPINOSA It will be very unfortunate for all of these people if they do not. (re; Nick et al) Watch them. Espinosa heads up front. Nick is still taking care of Jeffrey. The oddball man in the seat in front of Nick peers at Nick, but he is no longer smiling. Nick just glares at the man, and he turns around. KNIGHT Easy Jeffrey....just take it easy. (beat) What did you think you were doing? PLATT (weak) Hoping to find an opening... KNIGHT It was a good try, my friend. But it almost got you killed. PEREZ Shut up! The plane gears up, and begins to taxi down a runway. PILOT (O.C.) Prepare for departure. Off this, we, CUT TO: end part 05 vampwrtr@innocent.com Return-Path: Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 19:44:41 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: Rebel Causes 06/08 To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU INT. TORONTO TOWER DAY There is a lot of movement, people and equipment set up here. Reese, Lambert FAA REPRESENTATIVE FRANK MANCUSO, and FBI SPECIAL AGENT MANNIS are standing near a console. MANCUSO The long and the short of it, is that our hands are tied. Until the government decides what to do about the demands, this guy Espinosa is heading the show.... Mancuso glares in the direction of Mannis. REESE Well Special Agent Mannis, what about it? MANNIS Nice to see you again too, Captain Reese. Can't your boys Knight and Platt stay out of trouble? (off Reese's glare) I can't push here. The powers that be aren't any too keen on letting any of the names on Espinosa's list out of prison. LAMBERT So everyone on the plane dies? Is that what you're suggesting? MANNIS I'm not suggesting anything of the kind, Dr. Lambert. However, I don't think we should hold out much hope for this guy's demands to be met. REESE Don't you people have any procedures in place for this kind of thing? MANCUSO Take it easy, Captain. We do have procedures, and we will do everything we can to bring those people down safely. MANNIS But releasing the prisoners in Paraguay is most likely not going to be an option. The United States government will certainly not go along with any deal involving terrorists-- REESE --What exactly are you doing here anyway? This is a Canadian problem, you've got no juris-- MANNIS --On the contrary, Captain, there are several US citizens aboard the plane, and the plane is a US carrier. That gives me jurisdiction, to a certain extent. REESE (sotto to Lambert) I hate this guy.... MANCUSO The Canadian government is negotiating on behalf of the Canadian citizens on the plane. (eyes Mannis) We're a little more willing to negotiate with terrorists if it means getting our people back alive. Mannis and Mancuso glare at each other. This is definitely not a match made in heaven. Off this, we, CUT TO: INT. RAVEN DUSK LaCroix is pacing in the main bar area. Maurice stands just behind the bar, watching LaCroix. MAURICE How about a drink? (off LaCroix' glare) It might settle you down a bit-- LACROIX (enraged) Settle me down? I don't want to settle down. My son is stuck 30,000 feet in the air Maurice, prisoner inside a hunk of metal. Not even a vampire can fly at 30,000 feet. It's not ......natural. Maybe this will finally teach him to stay away from mortals and their follies. Maurice starts to say something, and then thinks better of it. LaCroix continues his pacing. He looks at his watch. A few more minutes before the sun sets. LaCroix heads for the door. MAURICE Boss? (off LaCroix) The sun.... LACROIX Will be down in a few minutes. I have survived stronger exposure. With that, LaCroix is gone. Maurice picks up the glass of wine he poured for LaCroix, raises it in the direction of LaCroix' departure. MAURICE May the wind be at your back, my friend. Maurice throws back the blood-wine in one gulp. CLOSE on the wine goblet, as Maurice sets it on the bar. MATCH CUT TO: CLOSE on an airline coffee cup slamming down on a tray table. WIDEN to reveal; INT. BOEING 757 NIGHT Espinosa's hand is just coming off the coffee cup, his face twisted in disgust. ESPINOSA When will an airline learn to make a decent cup of coffee? (beat) Perez....the time. PEREZ (looks at watch) Coming on 1900. ESPINOSA They are running out of time, and so are we. Espinosa heads forward. We FOLLOW him into; INT. COCKPIT CONTINUOUS Espinosa grabs the headset from the pilot. ESPINOSA Toronto Tower, this is Espinosa. TOWER (O.C.) This is Toronto Tower. ESPINOSA Why have I not heard from the released prisoners in Paraguay? MANCUSO (O.C.) Mr. Espinosa, this is Frank Mancuso, I represent the airline commission-- ESPINOSA I don't care. Where are the prisoners? MANCUSO (O.C.) I'm afraid we have been unable to meet these demands so far, but we are still working on it. We need more time. ESPINOSA That's too bad. We will land in one hour at Toronto; you will either have the prisoners contact me, or I will begin shooting the passengers on this plane, beginning with the police officers from Toronto..... INTERCUT: INT. TORONTO TOWER CONTINUOUS Reese, Lambert, Mannis and Mancuso all react to what Espinosa has just said. Mancuso switches off the mike in front of him. MANCUSO They know. MANNIS This is not helpful. LAMBERT Captain? REESE It's not good, Natalie. Any advantage that Nick and Jeffrey may have had is obviously gone, and I have to assume that if this guy knows who they are, the reason he discovered it most likely means trouble. Mancuso shushes them with his hand, as he switches the mike back on. MANCUSO If you kill so much as one passenger, Espinosa, any chance you have at negotiation will be out the window... ESPINOSA (O.C.) Don't threaten me, Mr. Mancuso. I have the upper hand, and we both know it. (beat) You have one hour. The air goes dead. There is only silence in the room, no one moves. LACROIX (O.C.) Well, well, that was a stellar performance. And what do you intend to do for your next act? Magic tricks? They all turn quickly to see an unamused LaCroix standing behind them, his hands behind his back. MANCUSO Who the hell are you, and how the hell did you get in here? LAMBERT (covering) He's, um, one of Detective Knight's relatives... MANNIS Well then why isn't he in the waiting room downstairs, with the rest of the next of kins? LaCroix takes a menacing step closer to Mannis. LACROIX (dangerous) Do not speak of me in the third person, Mr...... MANNIS Mannis. Special Agent Mannis. Natalie just groans quietly. This isn't going very well. LACROIX Very well, Mr. Mannis, I thought perhaps I might be of assistance. MANCUSO Really? And just how is that, Mr....? LACROIX LaCroix. Lucien LaCroix. REESE LaCroix, stay outta this-- LACROIX --My dear Captain Reese, I assure you that my intentions are honourable. I merely thought-- MANNIS --Whatever it was you thought, you were wrong. You're 'merely' in the way, now please leave. ANGLE LaCroix; he is not amused at the audacity of this mortal. ANGLE Lambert; Oh s***! LaCroix might just have this guy for dinner.... LaCroix takes another step closer, looking as though he is moving in for the kill. Natalie steps in between them, and gently puts a restraining hand on LaCroix' arm. LaCroix glares at her, an eyebrow raising in irritation. LACROIX Dr. Lambert? NATALIE (to all save LC) Will you all excuse us, just for a moment? Without waiting for a response, she drags the stunned LaCroix into a small anteroom, and closes the door. NATALIE What are you doing? LACROIX Isn't it obvious? These mortals are incompetent. I will not leave Nicholas' fate in their hands. I should think you would not wish me to.... Ouch, that last one was a zinger. NATALIE (how dare you) Now you listen to me, you over-bearing, pompous, outmoded leftover from the Roman army. (on a roll) You are either going to get Nick and everyone else aboard killed with your strong arm tactics, or at the very least, you'll have exposed yourself as a vampire to everyone in this airport; all of whom cannot be hypnotized nor disposed of. (too far gone) You just put that ancient behind of yours in a chair, shut up, and be thankful if they let you stay in the room-- She suddenly notices that LaCroix' eyes are golden, his fangs have descended, and he has eyes only for her. Maybe she went a tad too far......she gulps. He takes a menacing step closer. Natalie takes both of his forearms with her hands, trying to put him off; in for a penny, in for a pound... NATALIE LaCroix.....you can't just kill me, here, with a zillion witnesses a room away. Hello. LaCroix growls at her, unconvinced. He's had it with her mouth and her audacity. He starts for her throat. The door suddenly opens, slams shut, and Janette flies at LaCroix, knocking Natalie free. The Ancient turns on his former daughter, snarling. The two hold a long, vamped out look. LACROIX What are you doing here? JANETTE Apparently stopping you from doing something stupid, that you will later regret. LACROIX I warn you, Janette, I have very little patience left. JANETTE And what will you do LaCroix? Kill us both? I doubt the Enforcers will make light of that. He stops and thinks for a moment. After a few beats, his eyes revert to their normal ice blue, his mask of indifference firmly in place. Janette's features return to normal, and the two hold a look. Reese KNOCKS and then enters. REESE Sorry to interrupt this little .....pow-wow, but we have a problem out here... LACROIX Yes? REESE All the governments involved refuse to give into the terrorist's demands. ANGLE LaCroix, Natalie and Janette; stunned. They will have to lay down their differences, at least for the moment. Natalie follows Reese out of the room. Janette and LaCroix linger, eying each other for a moment. He starts out past her, she gently grazes his arm with her hand, he stops, turns and glares at her. JANETTE LaCroix.... A long beat goes by while he studies her; LaCroix' face fills with several emotions in the span of the moment. Finally, understanding reaches his eyes, as he reluctantly and somewhat stiffly pats the hand holding his arm. LACROIX He'll be all right, Janette. I....promise you that. She nods and starts to reach for his face, but he is gone quickly. On Janette, we, FADE OUT: END ACT THREE end part 06 vampwrtr@innocent.com Return-Path: Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 19:44:35 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: Rebel Causes 07/08 To: FKFIC-L@lists.psu.edu ACT FOUR FADE IN: EXT. BOEING 757 TARMAC TORONTO NIGHT Establishing shot of airplane at ONT. CUT TO: INT. BOEING 757 NIGHT Jeffrey is out cold, Nick looks worried. Most passengers have fear in their eyes; the worst will probably happen, and soon. Jeffrey stirs. KNIGHT Easy, Jeffrey, you're okay. PLATT Where? KNIGHT We're in Toronto. Nick gets that "faraway" look in his eyes all of a sudden. PLATT What is it? KNIGHT Nothing, I just thought I sensed-- (beat) I think a plan might be in the works, Jeffrey. We're not through yet. On Nick, we, CUT TO: INT. TORONTO TOWER NIGHT Reese, Natalie, Mannis, Mancuso and Janette are milling around the console. LaCroix is a few feet away, and he looks as though he were in a deep trance. MANNIS Problem is, we can't get any help from inside, if we can't communicate with Knight or Platt. MANCUSO We'll just have to gamble that they're both okay, and that they'll figure it out. REESE They're smart enough to figure it out, Mancuso. It's just a question of whether or not they're in a position to take action. Natalie looks over toward LaCroix, who appears to be far away in his thoughts. She heads over to him. NATALIE What are you doing? LaCroix ignores her. NATALIE Hello...LaCroix? What are you doing in there? LACROIX (irritated) I am attempting to communicate with Nicholas. NATALIE You can do that? He just looks at her, "well duh".... NATALIE (CONT) Wow. I never knew you guys were *that* good. LACROIX (glaring) If you will excuse me, Dr. Lambert? NATALIE Right, sorry. Natalie moves away, leaving LaCroix to his thoughts. On LaCroix concentrating hard, we, CUT TO: INT. BOEING 757 NIGHT Nick's eyes get that glazed look again. We hear LaCroix' voice with him, in his head.... LACROIX (O.C.) Nicholas? Can you hear me? KNIGHT (V.O.) (looks toward window) Yes. LACROIX (O.C.) Are you all right? KNIGHT (V.O.) Yes. My partner is not. LACROIX (O.C.) They are planning to board the plane soon. (beat) Many will be killed, unless the situation is disarmed. On Nick, we, CUT TO FLASHBACK: INT. CRUISE LINER c. 1962 NIGHT Dead bodies are strewn all about the ship. It was a badly planned attack by the US military, and many died needlessly. Nick is walking through the death and destruction. He comes across one of the Cuban terrorists, dead, in a heap. LaCroix enters. LACROIX There you are. I've been looking all over for you. KNIGHT It shouldn't have ended like this....when are they going to all learn not to try and make their influence felt within foreign powers? LACROIX Nicholas, you must not concern yourself with such matters. Mortals often kill each other in such a manner, and over such rebellious causes. KNIGHT And you probably sat back, loving the entertainment. ANGLE LaCroix; normally, maybe, but even LaCroix prefers an honest fight, as opposed to a slaughter. LACROIX No, no I did not. KNIGHT Altruism does not suit you.... LACROIX (brushes him off) It is time to go. Janette is waiting for us... Off Nick, we, CUT BACK TO: INT. BOEING 757 CONTINUOUS Nick is thinking... LACROIX (O.C.) Nicholas? Did you hear me? KNIGHT (V.O.) Altruism, LaCroix? LACROIX (O.C.) *Nevermind*. Just listen to me..... Off Nick, we, CUT TO: INT. TOWER NIGHT LaCroix is standing very still, clearly working hard to maintain his link with Knight. Natalie starts toward him again, but Janette stops her with a restraining hand. JANETTE Non, you must let him concentrate, what he is doing is quite difficult, even for our kind. NATALIE But I thought you guys spoke through your links all the time... JANETTE Non. We 'sense' each other and our feelings most of the time. One of LaCroix' power can easily block a lesser vampire out. Or, he can completely open himself, and then a conversation is possible; but it is very taxing on the one supporting the connection. NATALIE Is Nick....powerful enough to do it? JANETTE I do not think so, but in this case, LaCroix will support the connection, so Nicolas will be able to answer him. We follow their gaze over to LaCroix, who is standing as still as an immovable wall. He suddenly sways slightly, as though he might crash to the floor. Natalie and Janette exchange a look. Janette doesn't wait, she goes to LaCroix. JANETTE LaCroix....enough. He does not answer her, he is still concentrating. JANETTE (CONT) LaCroix, let go of him. He will be all right, but if you continue, you might not. LaCroix sways, Janette steadies him, then he starts to faint. Janette has a hold of him, but unfortunately, others have now noticed. REESE Is he all right? NATALIE Fine Captain, I just think he's.....tired. JANETTE Is there a place we can take him to rest? MANNIS Yes, there's a room with a couch over there. Natalie realizes he's pointing to the room they were in earlier. NATALIE Okay, I know where it is, thanks... Quickly, Janette and Natalie hustle LaCroix out of the room. MANCUSO Strange.... REESE Yeah, every time that Nightcrawler guy is involved, you can bet it's gonna be at least strange, if not downright creepy. Mancuso and Mannis just look at Reese, but the Captain remains firm. He knows of what he speaks. Off this, we, CUT TO: INT. BOEING 757 NIGHT Nick and Jeffrey are holding a look. Nick's waiting for a moment to say something. Perez walks by, and beyond earshot. KNIGHT Jeffrey, they're going to try and attack the plane-- PLATT --What? How could you possibly know-- KNIGHT --Shh..no time to explain. You've got to trust me. They hold a long look, and the man sitting in front of Nick steals a quick glance. Jeffrey and Nick both glare at him, and the man turns around. Platt does trust Knight, and he nods. KNIGHT (CONT) Good. We've got fifteen minutes to disarm these clowns, or all hell is going to break loose. PLATT Great. They don't look as though they wanna negotiate, Nick. KNIGHT Listen, you're a little worse for the wear, so I'm going to take the lead, okay? PLATT No choice, partner, but I'll follow you.... KNIGHT That's the spirit. Off the two of them plotting, we, CUT TO: end part 07 vampwrtr@innocent.com Return-Path: Date: Thu, 21 May 1998 19:44:26 -0400 Reply-To: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Sender: Forever Knight TV show stories From: vampwrtr@INNOCENT.COM Subject: Rebel Causes 08/08 To: FKFIC-L@LISTS.PSU.EDU INT. ANTE ROOM OF TOWER NIGHT LaCroix is lying on the couch, Natalie is sitting on the edge of it, and Janette is pacing. NATALIE LaCroix? Can you hear me? JANETTE He pushed it all the way, as usual. Who knows how long he's going to be out. He needs blood... NATALIE Come on, LaCroix, we need you. *Nick* needs you. Nice tactic, but LaCroix is out cold. NATALIE (CONT) (to Janette) Isn't there anything you can do? Janette hesitates long enough to convince Nat that something can be done. Is Janette willing? NATALIE (CONT) Janette? JANETTE I am no longer his child. I don't know if it will work... NATALIE But you are of his blood. JANETTE Oui. NATALIE Nick might need him... Janette sighs, but gives in. Natalie gets up and Janette takes her place on the couch next to LaCroix. Janette's emotions are wreaking havoc within her.... JANETTE I don't know if I can-- NATALIE --You've got to try. Janette takes a deep breath. She picks LaCroix' arm up, and before Nat realizes what she's going to do, she has bitten into his wrist. Janette then bites into her own wrist, and puts them together. ANGLE Janette as she reacts to exchanging blood with LaCroix; she enjoys it, to her own dismay. She has missed him. LaCroix stirs, and slowly, his eyes open, the golden orbs staring at Janette. She breaks their wrists, and very quickly, both wounds start to close. Not a word is exchanged between them, but LaCroix looks upset. Janette tries to move off the couch, but he grabs her, his eyes sparkling with a red fury. LACROIX (snarling) How dare you. JANETTE I had no choice. Nicolas might need you.... LACROIX How dare you exchange blood with me without my consent. ANGLE Natalie; did Janette just rape the old cuss or what? Nah..... Janette looks frightened as LaCroix tightens his grasp. JANETTE LaCroix, please...you're hurting me.... NATALIE LaCroix, let go of her! LaCroix' gaze moves to Natalie, and Natalie takes a sharp intake of air, upon seeing the furious vampiric stare that meets her. LACROIX I suggest Dr. Lambert, that you get out. While you can..... NATALIE No. JANETTE Natalie, go. I will deal with him. NATALIE Did Nick understand you? LACROIX (growling) Get out. Natalie holds her ground, but does back away into a corner. LaCroix stands up, Janette still tightly in his grasp. Her fear is getting the best of her. JANETTE Please.....have mercy-- LACROIX (roaring) --You dare beg for mercy after what you have done to me? JANETTE I would not have, if I was not afraid for Nicolas. The truth is the truth, and even a furious LaCroix can recognize it. He backs down, ever so slightly. LACROIX It is very fortunate for you, that Nicholas would be upset by your death. ANGLE Janette; this stings her to the core. Tears well up in her eyes, but she says nothing. LaCroix roughly tosses her to the floor. LACROIX (CONT) You disgust me. How could I have ever loved you as my daughter? Janette slams her eyes shut, and LaCroix storms out, slamming the door behind him. Natalie goes to Janette, and helps her off the floor and onto the couch, tears of pain flowing down Janette's face. NATALIE Why is he so angry? JANETTE Because I exchanged blood without asking him.... NATALIE But, what if he had been dying or something? JANETTE I could have just fed him from my wrist. NATALIE Then why-- (nickel drops) --Oh my God....you wanted to know his feelings, and for him to know yours. Bingo. Janette looks at the floor. NATALIE So his panties are in a twist because he read your thoughts about him? JANETTE (shakes head) LaCroix is angry because I know the truth. NATALIE Which is? JANETTE He still loves me. Even after I became mortal; even though I am no longer a child by his own making. No matter what he says, I know the truth. NATALIE I don't think I'll ever understand that man. JANETTE (smiling ironically) He is completely uncomfortable with his own emotions, Natalie. The fact that I exchanged blood with him, and that I know his true feelings for me; this he cannot beare. NATALIE What a head case. Janette and Natalie hold a look. JANETTE We'd better go see what's happening.... Off their exit, we, CUT TO: INT. BOEING 757 NIGHT Nick suddenly gets up, out of his seat, distracting Perez, who has leveled his gun right at Nick. Jeffrey slowly gets up, and Espinosa swings his gun toward him. Several passengers scream as the doors to the plane fly open. It all happens very quickly, so we go into slow motion. Nick grabs the end of Perez' gun, flinging the man, with the gun, through the cabin, and smashing into the wall. Several swat types enter the airplane, guns drawn, and they open fire upon Espinosa who has turned toward them with his gun. KNIGHT No!! The swat members see Jeffrey not realizing who he is, and take aim; Nick throws himself into his partner, and the two of them go down into the seats. Several other passengers have started to move, and the swat members begin yelling at them. Back into regular motion, as the swat team moves through the cabins, toward the cockpit. We hear the sound of SMASHING GLASS, and a gun being FIRED. The swat team is about to burst through the cockpit door, when it gently opens, revealing LaCroix, holding Juan by the neck. LACROIX (drawling) I believe this is the item for which you gentlemen are searching? The swat team looks shocked at LaCroix, but they relieve him of his burden. LaCroix heads down the aisle toward the back of the plane, where he senses Nick. Meanwhile, another terrorist has crawled on the floor between the seats and is almost out when the Man in front of Nick's seat, sees him and points in the direction. MAN You're welcome!! YOU'RE WELCOME!! Nick hears the rather odd warning, and spots the terrorist. The man whirls on Nick, levels his gun and fires. With vampiric speed, LaCroix appears, and shoves Nick out of the way, taking the bullet in the abdomen. Passengers are screaming, and most have their heads buried in their laps. LaCroix, not even fazed, vamps out, and grabs the man, who fires at LaCroix again. LaCroix is about to throw the man, when he fires a third time, and this time LaCroix hits the floor. Knight, seeing LaCroix hit the floor, grabs the man, and slugs him so hard, he knocks him out cold. He drops him, and goes to LaCroix, gently turning his mentor over. KNIGHT LaCroix? Nick cradles LaCroix' head, and slowly the ancient comes around, irritated that he was out to begin with. He tries to get up, but Nick restrains him. KNIGHT (sotto) Easy....we've gotta make this look good... LaCroix rolls his eyes, but cooperates. PLATT (bending down) How is he? KNIGHT He'll be all right, it just grazed him... PLATT Looked like he took it full on, and more than once. LACROIX I assure you both, I will be fine.... LaCroix starts to get up again, but Nick shoves him back onto the floor. The two of them hold an unpleasant look, but Nick wins out, and LaCroix sighs.....until he gets an idea. Nick sees the slight smile, but before he has a chance to react, LaCroix makes like Sarah Bernhard and moans as he holds his stomach. LACROIX (a la John Wayne) I took one right in the gut.... Nick could not be more embarrassed, if he were a ten year old trying to keep his old man from playing baseball with his friends. KNIGHT (sotto) LaCroix, you're laying it on a bit thick here... LACROIX I'm dyin' here.... KNIGHT (rolls eyes) If only it were so.... LaCroix glares at Nick, just as Natalie and Janette enter. Natalie sees the scene and for a moment, her face registers concern. NATALIE LaCroix? Nick? KNIGHT (sotto) He's fine. He just thinks he's John Wayne. NATALIE I see....making it look good for all the 'little people'? KNIGHT Something like that. LaCroix fakes another moan, causing Nick to roll his eyes again, and Natalie to stiffle a laugh. Janette is the only one who appears unamused. JANETTE Nicolas, are you all right? KNIGHT Fine. Natalie is examining LaCroix and discovers three bullets buried in his abdomen. NATALIE (sudden alarm) Nick, he really has been hit, several times. KNIGHT Yeah, I know. He'll be fine.... NATALIE But I'll bet that smarts.... JANETTE It is the least he deserves. LaCroix just cocks an eyebrow at Janette, an open challenge in the air, but says nothing. Off LC doing his finest performance, we, CUT TO: INT. RAVEN LACROIX' LIVING ROOM NIGHT LaCroix is lying on the couch, and Natalie is removing the slugs from him. He's squirming like crazy, and occasionally, he giggles. Yes, giggles. Nick is standing nearby, amused, and Janette is pacing several feet away. NATALIE (to LaCroix) Would you mind? It's a lot easier when you stay still. And stop giggling. LACROIX I do not giggle. NATALIE Oh yeah? Natalie purposefully tickles his stomach, and LaCroix giggles. NATALIE (CONT) And what was that? LACROIX It tickles. NATALIE What? LACROIX It tickles. NATALIE I'm removing 45 caliber bullets from your abdomen. It can't possibly tickle. LACROIX It does. NATALIE God, you're a baby... Nick laughs at the exchange, but he notices Janette's discomfort. He goes to her and their conversation is unheard by Nat and LaCroix. KNIGHT What is it? JANETTE I hate being in the same room with him. KNIGHT Don't you think it's time to make peace with him? JANETTE He does not want peace. KNIGHT I don't think it's only him. (beat) Natalie told me what happened. JANETTE It changes nothing. KNIGHT Janette, it should change everything. He loves you. You know he does. JANETTE Maybe. But he would control me, Nicolas. He cannot stand the fact that I have tasted mortality and enjoyed it.... KNIGHT Janette, it's possible to live with him, and...love him on your own terms. I ought to know. JANETTE It is different with you. It always has been. They hold a look. We PAN back to Nat and LaCroix. Off Natalie blissfully pulling out lead from a giggling LaCroix, we, CUT TO: INT. RAVEN DAY LaCroix is in his office, which is still a disaster from his bout with the IRS. A KNOCK is heard. LACROIX Yes? The door opens, and cautiously Maurice walks in. MAURICE She's here. LACROIX (smiling) By all means, Maurice, do send her in.... Maurice opens the door wide, and we CLOSE on LaCroix, as his grin grows wider. REVERSE Angle, shooting over the shoulder of IRS Agent Glumm, as she enters the room and walks to the desk. LaCroix stands up, and in no uncertain terms indicates that she is to take a seat on the opposite side of his desk. She sits. LACROIX Agent Glumm, how....lovely to see you again. We hear Glumm grunt off camera. LACROIX (CONT) Yes, I thought you might agree. I called you, because I believe that you've made a mistake on my audit. GLUMM (O.C.) We're the IRS, Mr. LaCroix. We don't make mistakes. LaCroix' shark grin is in full swing. LACROIX (silky) Yes, so I've been told. However, I do believe you just may have made your first one. You see, your agency has listed my occupation incorrectly, and you have misspelled my name. GLUMM (O.C.) You called for a re-audit because of a few typos? LACROIX Why Ms. Glumm, a typo to me is just as much a sin as an incorrectly entered number is to you. Consider me a Rebel with a Clause... (beat) You see, my occupation is not 'radials' as in tires, but in radio, as in the airwaves, and my name is spelled with an 'x', not an 'h'. GLUMM (O.C.) An 'x'? LACROIX Yes. The 'x' is silent. GLUMM (0.C.) You're on the radio? LACROIX (smiling smoothly) Yes, I'm the Nightcrawler, on the Nightwatch, Ms. Glumm, though I don't suppose you ever stay up that late... GLUMM (O.C.) I thought there was something familiar about your voice.... REVEAL Agent Glumm's smiling face. A face that happens to resemble Kathy Bates' an awful lot.... GLUMM ....You see, I'm you're biggest fan. LACROIX Really? GLUMM Oh, yes. Off the smiling, if not scary face of Agent Glumm, we, FADE TO BLACK: THE END end part 08 vampwrtr@innocent.com