EP #: 117 UNREALITY TV Forever Knight and its characters are the property of James Parriott and Sony/Tristar. This transcript is made available solely for the enjoyment of fans of Forever Knight. Reproduction of this for commercial perposes is expressly forbidden. Dramatis Personae: NICK: Nick Knight, detective and vampire SCHANKE: Don Schanke, Police captain STONETREE: Joe Stonetree JANETTE: Janette, Nick's vampire friend BOBBY: the Cop Watch cameraman TAWNY: Tawny Teller,Cop Watch reporter SULLIVAN: Civil War photographer NATALIE: Dr Natalie Lambert, Nick's mortal friend LACROIX: Nick's master TEASER [through the camera POV, with the cameraman in the back seat of the Caddy, behind Nick. Hold on Schanke, in the front passenger seat, looking back at the camera Nick is driving. The top is down. ] SCHANKE: It's like what they say about a war. Long hours of tedium broken by brief spells of complete terror. [Cop Watch logo is superimposed] TAWNY: [camera POV pans to the passenger in the back right seat, the reporter Tawny Teller, who looks at the camera, with a mike in her hand] [To camera]Tonight we pound a different beat with the men who see perhaps the darkest side of the city at night, the officers charged with bringing criminals to justice. Tonight we ride with Metro Homicide officers, Nick Knight [camera POV pan to Nick] and [pan to Schanke] Don Schanke. SCHANKE: Yup, it's a dark and.... dark and lonely jungle out there with lots of wild animals masquerading as human beings. Just ask Nick. [beat] When you're out there on the street alone , you're definitely up the river without an outboard....you, you're working without a net.....bungee jumping without a cord...it's like, well it's like...what's it like, Nick? NICK: [Camera pans to Nick's face as he looks sideways at the camera] It's like being alone in an alien world. SCHANKE: You really think so? {VO: police radio] 81 kilo, 81 kilo. Possible homicide in progress Shots fired, Eglinton and Yonge. Code three. NICK: [picking up the mike] 81 Kilo. Roger that. [He puts the flashing light up on the dash and starts the siren] SCHANKE: Hold on to your diapers, folks, we're going into the free fire zone [beat] Smell that? Smell that? That's the smell of adrenaline, baby. 'Drenalin NICK: [to camera crew] Please. Stay down, stay out of the way, all right? Just keep low and stay out of the way. [beat] Turn that thing off! Keep...Turn the light off! [They arrive at the crime scene. A man dressed in a business suit, is lying in the street with what seems to be a bag of groceries, bread and a jug of milk spilled onto the ground. There is a rd car beside him, possibly the man's car] NICK: [to the police radio] Dispatch! 81 Kilo We need paramedics. Corner of Victoria and Court. [Nick and Don leap out of the car, followed by the camera team] [at this point, cuts jump from a through the camera POV to 'live' cuts.] SCHANKE: [leaning over the man] I got a pulse. NICK: [to bystanders] Did you see anything? Man: He went that way! NICK: [turns and runs in the direction the man pointed to, gun drawn. Looks around. Other sirens are heard approaching] [to the camera crew] Keep out of there. Go on. NOW! Do it! [to camera/reporter. He pushes them behind a parked car] _Get__ Down_ and stay down! [Nick walks down the middle of the street until he is opposite a couple of parked cars. On the other side of the street is an alleyway. Gunshots from a semi- automatic in the alleyway. Confused screaming from bystanders. Nick dives over one of the cars to take cover and returns fire. Then he gets up, jumps back over the car hood and runs across to the alleyway.] SCHANKE: [yelling to Nick] Where're you going? TAWNY: [to cameraman] Come on. Lets follow him [NICK vamped and snarling runs down the alley] TAWNY: [following him into the alley] Stay with him. [Nick is about to fly off, but with he camera crew right behind him, he can't. He snarls, then turns back to her, looking human] NICK: I told you to stay clear. Fade END TEASER ACT 1 [police station, NICK is talking to STONETREE. They walk towards us along the hall, then turn right to go into the 'bullpen'] NICK: I was against this from the start. They're in the way. They should be on a lower profile case. This is our follow-home killer STONETREE: I know what the case is! NICK: Well, then you know it's dangerous! STONETREE: Well, what do you want me put 'em? Traffic? You know parking violations don't make good television. NICK: They were in the line of fire. STONETREE: Well, they were in Viet Nam and the Persian Gulf and the riots in Los Angeles. It's the Commissioner's idea. It' not my decision. [beat] You know, he wants the public and the budget-slashers and City Council to know what we're up against. It's good public relations. [STONETREE leans against a desk] NICK: Its bad police work. STONETREE: Just... It's you against the world on this one, Nick. That's that. Let's go take a look at what they got. SCENE: [In the editing room. BOBBY and TAWNY are seated at a console. SCHANKE is standing behind them. ] SCHANKE:: Lemme look, lemme look. [BOBBY freezes image. ] SCHANKE: It's too dark. Can barely make out the guy [As he straightens up, NICK and STONETREE enter. SCHANKE, turning to NICK] They got our shooter on tape. TAWNY: Yeah, well it doesn't look like much right now, but once we run it through the board and do a little enhancing, our computer will give you a picture good enough for his high-school yearbook. STONETREE: Nick, you should take a look . I think your argument just crashed and burned. SCENE: [Nat's lab] [Through camera POV. The corpse is propped up on its side. Nat is digging around in the corpse's back and explaining to TAWNY and BOBBY, what she's doing. TAWNY is standing beside her, looking green] NATALIE: [to TAWNY] Well, we've got two entrance wounds and a big barn door at the back. There could still some lead in there. [to camera crew, who both look like they are about to throw up] You're, uh, okay with this aren't you? TAWNY: Oh yeah, no problem. [gasping for air, looking ill] I've seen lot of gory things in my day. [starting to heave, she turns away from the corpse.] NICK: [behind TAWNY] Are you sure you're OK? TAWNY: Yeah, I'm fine. I...uh, I'm just a little whoosy, that's all. Didn't have any dinner tonight [and sounds like she's glad she didn't] [beat] Oh God, I think I need some air. [to cameraman] Bobby, please! [turns and runs off] Not now! NATALIE: [to BOBBY] Do you want to get a shot of this? [backing away to allow BOBBY to get a closer view of the exit wound] Now what I do, is just open out the entrance wound, just a... [BOBBY runs out of the room holding his mouth] NICK:[Dryly] They were in Viet Nam, they were in the Persian Gulf, and now they're in the bathroom . NATALIE: Well, the sight of blood does strange things to some people. NICK: Tell me about it. NATALIE: Aha![NATALIE holds up forceps which are holding a bullet] M- 16. [NICK takes the forceps from her to take a better look, but...] [NICK turns and goes into FLASHBACK: American Civil War. NICK is a doctor in a field tent behind the lines. Constant explosions and gunfire in the background. Flashes of a battle in progress, though it's at night. He is holding a bullet in his forceps] NICK: [to badly injured man, in whammy mode] Corporal Miller can you hear me? Wounded Man: [something unintelligible.] NICK: Corporal Miller You not feel the pain. You do not feel the pain. Miler: I...don't...feel...the pain [NICK holds Millers head in his hands and is caressing his cheek with his thumb] NICK: You will sleep now. For days. You will rest and you will feel nothing Miller: ....nothing....[NICK closes Miller's eyes] [SULLIVAN enters the tent] SULLIVAN: 'Evening Doctor Knight. Uh, General wants me to photograph as many of the dead as I can. For records. NICK: There are no dead here, Sullivan. [pointing to Miller] This man will make it. SULLIVAN: [doubtfully] Sure, doc? Maybe I should take his photograph anyway seeing as I'm here. Fellow shot up like he is don't usually make it. NICK: Fine. SULLIVAN: Hey, doc, when you're done here, I'd like to see you over at my tent. NICK: Something ailing you, Sullivan? SULLIVAN: Yeah, as a matter of fact. I'm fine, but..uh, I got some photographs I need you to look at. .Something damn strange. [NICK looks nervous. As he speaks, two men bring in another stretcher with a wounded soldier NICK turns to take a look at him] End FLASHBACK SCENE [Coroner's lab, NICK and NATALIE] NICK: The camera was right there. [sighs] I could have nailed him. NATALIE: The killer. NICK: Yeah, but I couldn't let them see the vampire. Probably they would have it all on tape. NATALIE: Sometimes being a vampire is a real disadvantage. NICK: At least in these days of modern technology. SCENE:[BOBBY and TAWNY are seated at the editing console. SCHANKE is hovering over them. NICK is standing behind him] TAWNY: OK, there..that's it. OK, go back to 13825 and lets digitize it. [to SCHANKE] What we're doing is putting the tape into a form that the computer can work with, and then we can monkey with the images a million different ways. SCHANKE: Ain't technology wonderful. NICK: [sotto] not when you're a criminal. [to TAWNY] Listen, when we get a good picture of this guy, can we get a hard copy? TAWNY: [Points to a printer off at one side] That baby will give us a snapshot of any frame we want. BOBBY: OK, all ready for show-and-tell? [Starts tape running. They all look up at a wall of small monitors] So, here's where I chase you down the street Nick... and.... uh, here's where he opened fire....and here's where I hit the deck! NICK: [chuckling and smacking BOBBY in the back of his head] You did the right thing. BOBBY: And, uh, so I panned to the sound of the shots. TAWNY: [ to BOBBY] Freeze that. Run it frame by frame. SCHANKE: [watching the frame by frame] Will you look at that. NICK: He's in the shadows, but you can see his face in the muzzle flash. TAWNY: Exactly. It's kind of like a photographer's flash. Every time he fires, it lights up his face. [to BOBBY] OK, lets find the clearest shot . [BOBBY scans the images slowly] SCHANKE: That one! That one there looks good. TAWNY: Freeze that one Bobby. NICK: Uh. I don't know. I can't tell this guy from Lee Harvey Oswald. SCHANKE: [to BOBBY] Can you make it a little clearer? TAWNY:[Smugly] Watch this. Bobby, lets try another pixel factor [as BOBBY plays with the keyboard] Brighten it up. Bring it closer. SCHANKE: [Monitor shows a slightly blurry picture of a man, grimacing] Hello, handsome. TAWNY: Print that one, Bobby [to SCHANKE/NICK] OK that should give you guys something to work with. I'll go back over the tape and pull off anything else that night be helpful. SCHANKE: This is great. You know, every cop on the beat should have a video with them? BOBBY: [Rises and goes with SCHANKE off in the background] Oh yeah, it'll happen. Next couple of years. You can count on it. SCHANKE: Those cameras easy to use? [SCHANKE and BOBBY talk in the background] BOBBY: [fading as they walk away] Yeah, anyone can use them... [NICK, remains in the room with TAWNY, sits down beside her] NICK: I think I owe you an apology. TAWNY: For taking me into the autopsy? Hey, it was as much my idea as anyone else's. NICK: No, I wasn't referring to that Um, you know, I was dead set against you guys coming along with us tonight. I thought you'd get in the way. TAWNY: A lot of officers we've profiled on the show had the same complaint. You don't have to apologise. NICK: OK, but if we catch this guy you guys will get a commendation, that's that. TAWNY: Are you kidding? If we catch this guy, we are talking Emmy here. [To BOBBY, in the background] Right, Bobby? [BOBBY holds up two thumbs. A man walks into the room, between BOBBY and SCHANKE. Black hair and a red shirt. He ignores everybody and puts something on the console. NICK, who is about to leave, turns, looks at his back with a 'haven't I seen you before someplace' look, but walks away] NICK: OK, see you later. [leaves] Cut to SCENE [Police Station. ] [NICK is seated at a desk, with a mug shot book in front of him, looking for a match to the picture he has in his hand. He looks at the photograph which reminds him of...] FLASHBACK [NICK and SULLIVAN are in SULLIVAN's tent, looking at some B & W photographs.] SULLIVAN: Big skirmish down by the Run, last night. Whole field was on fire. There was plenty of light, so I start takin' pictures, just to see what would come out. [beat] I couldn't believe what I was seein'. I kept switching plates in and out of the camera as fast as I could . [The photographs are of LACROIX, feeding on a fallen soldier] NICK: Who else has seen these? SULLIVAN: Not a soul. I was the only one there, by then. The rest of the outfit was way up ahead. What the hell is it, doc? An angel? NICK: Yes. [beat] The angel of death END OF FLASHBACK SCENE: [Editing Room. TAWNY is by herself, reviewing the tape. NICK's image shows on several monitors, his VO on tape "Keep out of the way, go on. Now! Do it!....Get down. Stay down!" Gunfire erupts. TAWNY looks intently at the scene which shows NICK turning and ducking the shots] [TAWNY slo-mos a section that shows NICK beside the car, just before he jumps over the car, across the street from camera POV. She starts enlarging a section of NICK's jacket that shows a bullet entering his body] COMMERCIAL BREAK ACT II CIVIL WAR FLASHBACK [gunfire, explosions in background. Battle scenes] [in Nicks tent] VO offscreen: Doctor! [NICK is closing the eyes of a dead man, when he hears something behind a canvas screen. He turns and pull aside the screen. to see a stretcher with a soldier on it. He turns away for a moment, then looks back to see...] LACROIX: This one's fading fast. He won't see another sunrise, poor soul. [offering to share the victim] Shall we? NICK: Get out of here. LACROIX: It's been a long time, Nicholas. Let me see, when was it? The Crimean? War of 1812? NICK: You follow carnage like a vulture. LACROIX: Oh, I don't care for the conflict. It's very noisy, don't you agree? But I love the free food. NICK: You're a sick man, Lacroix LACROIX: Physician, heal thyself.. [They sit down, one on each side of the body] Tell me that you abstain in the midst of this bounty. NICK: I draw only what sustenance I need so that I can work . I do not prey on misery LACROIX: You warm my dead heart, Nicholas. [beat] The man with the camera, he photographed me didn't he? All these marvellous new inventions, Nicholas. They're shrinking our domain. Endangering our secrets. Science may yet reveal us to the mortal world. NICK: He does not know what he saw. LACROIX: Nonetheless he has evidence. He suspects. You know what that means. NICK: No. No, They are not needed here. [looks horrified at LACROIX] Go and tell them... I've taken care of it. LACROIX: Have you? [beat] Will you? [beat] You never could hide your thoughts from me, Nicholas. I'm afraid I was a poor teacher in that area. Or maybe?...yes, we skipped those lessons, didn't we? [beat] The photographer... you know the code in these matters. Handle it, Nicholas, because if you won't, the Enforcers will. [LACROIX rises and flies away] PRESENT DAY [Daylight silhouette of the city] [NICK's loft. NICK is lying on the sofa with a green bottle in his hand. He hears the elevator whine, hides the bottle under the cushions, gets up and disappears The door opens. POV of a camera at the elevator door, looking into the room. SCHANKE, TAWNY and the cameraman enter, filming as they go. The room is empty] TAWNY: You sure this is OK? SCHANKE: Slightest problem , I'll just tell him it was my idea. Even though it was your idea. Personally, I uh...I think it's...what did you call it? TAWNY: High concept? SCHANKE: Yeah, yeah, high concept. That's a show biz term, right? Yeah, slices of a real cops life. BOBBY: Yeah, the man behind the badge. TAWNY: It makes a nice balance with the action stuff. You know, cops on the beat; cops at home. Just being human. SCHANKE: Yeah, it's great. The human side of an inhuman job. TAWNY: Nicely put, detective. [to Cameraman] Bobby, I think we should put that in the script, don't you? BOBBY: Oh , yeah, I'm taking notes. It'll be in the script [SCHANKE is wandering by the fireplace. NICK suddenly appears behind him, putting his hand heavily on SCHANKE's shoulder. SCHANKE jumps] NICK: So. What brings all of you down so early in the day. [SCHANKE gasps in surprise.] SCHANKE: Nick....uh [NICK grabs him and pulls him off to the side] It's called video verite, Nick. I hope you don't mind. Listen, I know I wasn't supposed to use the door code except under emergencies, but we wanted to capture the man behind the uniform, or in this case, out of the uniform. [NICK is looking up, down, anywhere except at SCHANKE] We wanted to capture the reality of the man. Not just the cop on the beat. [SCHANKE holds up his hands, thumbs together as though framing a shot] NICK: [whispers threateningly and grabs SCHANKE by the thumbs] A verite phone call would have been nice. SCHANKE: Oowww! I knew you were going to say that. But, but that's not the way it works, Nick. No, if I had of called you, you would have prepared, right.? You would have prepared and you have cleaned up the place, just like I would when I have company. TAWNY: It's my fault. I did a little convincing SCHANKE: She's, uhm very good at that. BOBBY: [who has been prowling around, camera on shoulder] Mind if I look around? NICK: [resigned] Help yourself. You're doing a pretty good job already. BOBBY: It's kinda dark in here, huh? NICK: Don't touch the blinds. SCHANKE: Uhm Nick's got a skin disease. He's very very sensitive to the light, all right? [to NICK] I'll show'im around. [BOBBY and SCHANKE move off] TAWNY: Cop with a disability. NICK: A small one. TAWNY: Might be a good angle. [beat] So, you feeling a little sore today? NICK: Sore. No, a little angry, maybe embarrassed? TAWNY: No, no, I mean physically. NICK: Why do you ask? TAWNY: Well, I went over the tapes last night, and from what I saw I could swear you took a hit. NICK: [looking down at himself] Well, I look like I'm in one piece now SCHANKE: [comes over to where NICK and TAWNY are standing] Nick! Nick, I knew there was a reason I came over here [pulls out a sheet of paper]. Vancouver PD faxed this artists sketch, and here's our shooter. NICK [looks at papers] Looks pretty close. So you think our guy's a tourist? SCHANKE: Here to paint the town red. We're circulating these photos. I'm going to go out and check hotels and motels and see whether anyone checked in fitting this description, recently. TAWNY: So you can't ride the day shift with us, detective? NICK: No, I think one media star's enough for you guys in one day. SCHANKE: Hey, hey, what do you mean by that? NICK: [pushing SCHANKE towards the door] C'mon, lets go [the camera crew follows] SCHANKE: Just doing my job. NICK: and SCHANKE: [Talking over each other] Yeah yeah....whaddya want me to do?...just doin' my job.... NICK: [to the others as he pushes them into the elevator] Thanks for coming by. Yeah, we'll see you later. Bye. [Door closes, As elevator whines down, NICK goes to the bottle he hid under the cushions and , looking at it, takes it over to the kitchen] SCENE: [Daylight: Car pulls into the entrance to the parking lot of the Rainbow Motel. Camera crew get out. Camera is on SCHANKE as he gets out of the car. SCHANKE: You know being a cop isn't always about chase-chase, shoot- shoot. [closes car door] For the most part, running down clues can be pretty dull stuff. But ya gotta, ya gotta follow every lead, you've gotta go....[goes off his pose]...can you hold it a minute, Bobby? Cut it? BOBBY: What's up? SCHANKE: Can we take it from the top? I...I didn't say it right. TAWNY: Detective, this isn't supposed to be a performance. SCHANKE: Right, I'm sorry. I'll just kind of play it loose and freewheeling. BOBBY: 'Kay Schanke, we're rolling. SCHANKE: Rolling right? [Takes up a pose] _This_ is the city. SCENE [Sunset over the Gardiner Expressway] [NICK's loft. NICK is getting ready to go to work. Picks up his holster, picks up his jacket which in on the piano. He puts it down again and walks back into the living room.] SCENE [Police Station] STONETREE: [to NICK] The picture went out all over town today. We got a tip from a motel down by the lake. Check it out. [beat] with the camera crew. With the camera crew. TAWNY: [to SCHANKE] Really detective, if your shift's over , you should probably just go home. SCHANKE: No sweat, I'll just ride along for a while. I'm used to working overtime. NICK: Just in time. C'mon, Schank, we've got a lead. SCHANKE: See what I mean? Legwork. STONETREE: Miss Teller, I don't have to, um, remind you and your cameraman about the dangers. We'll get you a couple of vests. Play safe. NICK: [to others] C'mon BOBBY: [Eagerly] We get vests Nick? NICK: [to BOBBY] Yeah, your own vest. SCENE [the Rainbow Motel ] [NICK drives in with Caddy, SCHANKE in front seat, camera crew in back. They all get out of the car and walk towards the office] [ Through camera POV, the innkeeper is an elderly frumpy lady holding a small white dog. She looks at the photograph that NICK shows her] I'm not sure it's him or not. He checked in about four days ago? Like I said I wasn't suspicious or anything right away. He's been pretty quiet. NICK: OK, mind if I look at the register? [She turns it to face him. He scans the page] NICK: [to SCHANKE] Morris Peters SCHANKE: From Vancouver, Nick. NICK: [to innkeeper] Do you know if he's still in his room? Woman: Dunno. Saw him earlier this afternoon NICK: What room's he in? Woman: 213. The honeymoon suite [to dog] But I don't think he's on his honeymoon. [All leave the office] SCENE: [In the hallway of the motel, NICK and SCHANKE lead, guns drawn. Crew trailing behind. Both of them have vests. ] NICK: [whispers to others] If this is our guy, we know he's a shooter, so let's be careful [They come up to a door] SCHANKE: Yeah, yeah. [SCHANKE takes the near side and NICK goes to the far side of the door. The camera crew are behind SCHANKE] NICK: [loudly] Mr Peters. Metro Police. Open the door. [gunfire from an M-16. blasts through the door] SCHANKE: Son of a. b...! NICK: [to camera crew] Get back! Get back! [more gunfire] BOBBY: [falling] Ow, my leg! TAWNY: Bobby! NICK: [to SCHANKE] Get 'em out of here and get some backup! BOBBY: [to TAWNY] Take the camera, Tawny. [to Schank.], I'm bleeding! [TAWNY picks up the camera and follows NICK into the room. She sees NICK dive over the balcony railing and runs to the window to see... [NICK, snarling, in full vamp mode flying to Peters and knocking him to the ground] NICK: Sorry, Morris. Honeymoon's over, pal. Anything you say will be used against you in a court of law . [to uniforms who are arriving] Get 'im out of here. [NICK looks back up to the balcony to see TAWNY, looking at him, stunned] COMMERCIAL BREAK ACT III [Police station, interior. NICK is bringing in the murderer. TAWNY is behind him] NICK: [to uniform behind the counter ]Daiter. Book him. Murder one. Take him down to the lockup. We'll question him later. [Cop takes Peters away. SCHANKE walks up to NICK] SCHANKE: Hey, parnder. You made it. I've been waiting for you. [beat] Well, we did it , Nick NICK: Let's make this one stick. How's Bobby? TAWNY: Is he OK? SCHANKE: Yeah, yeah , he's OK. We hustled him over to Mercy Hospital. He lost some blood, the bullet shattered his tibia, but he'll make it A few inches higher , he'd be in permanent post production, right now. Or worse, talking like Topo Gigio for the rest of his life. TAWNY: Look, I don't understand it. He, he wasn't even in the line of fire. SCHANKE: Ricochet, Tawny. NICK: Anyone who's around a gun when it goes off is in the line of fire. I told you it was dangerous. [to TAWNY] We need to talk. SCHANKE: [to TAWNY] All right! Now for the fun part, the paperwork. C'mon Tawny. [SCHANKE Grabs her arm and pulls her away with him, leaving NICK frustrated] STONETREE: You OK, Nick? You look uh, distracted or something. NICK: Nah, nah No, I'm fine. STONETREE: [gives him a file folder] Well, um, write this up and get it on my desk, will ya? I'll call the Crown and tell him not to go to bed just yet. I want an indictment in the morning. NICK: 'Kay [Walks off] Cut to SCENE [Inner office Several cops hovering around a TV watching the end of Cop Watch, the reality TV show ] [VO announcer on the TV: Next Time, Cop Watch stalks a killer on the homicide beat. Reporter Tawny Teller promises some spectacular footage unlike any we've seen so far. [Focus on NICK....] FLASHBACK [Sound of gunfire and cannon. SULLIVAN and NICK are in SULLIVAN's tent] [Whammy mode on] NICK: You must destroy these pictures. You must forget what you've seen. SULLIVAN: [trance mode]...Forget...what I . [out of trance] No, I can't I have proof. NICK: [whammy] Destroy the photographs. SULLIVAN [trance mode] ...I must destroy...[shakes head] What, are you crazy? I can't. These might be the single most important photographs I ever took What'd you think the papers up north would pay if they saw these? NICK: [trying again] Sullivan. Trust me. Listen to me. This is for your own good. [beat] Destroy the plates. and leave this camp SULLIVAN [entranced] I must ...destroy....must leave. NICK: Forget what you saw. [Seems to be working, but then SULLIVAN shakes it off] SULLIVAN: There's a man there flying. How am I supposed to forget that?. [beat] I didn't do no tricks with the camera, doc. There's sumpthing real in these pictures, and it might still be around here, so I aim to find out what it is. [beat] And I don't know why you're trying to hard to convince me otherwise. [NICK grabs SULLIVAN's shoulders as though to shake him, but then backs off] END FLASHBACK Cut to SCENE [in the police station] [Don is walking back and forth We see his shoes as he walks past a quarter on the floor. He keeps looking around, waiting for something. He looks down, sees the quarter and picks it up He looks at his watch, sighs. STONETREE walks up to him] STONETREE: Did you write up the interrogation on the follow-home guy? SCHANKE: [gulp] Interrogation? STONETREE: You haven't finished? SCHANKE: Well, actually, Cap'n I was waiting for the, uh, Cop Watch crew to turn up. I.. figured they might want to be in on it. STONETREE: Oh really? SCHANKE: [defensively] I'm right on it. Cut to SCENE [Editing room. TAWNY is alone. She takes a video tape, puts it into her purse. She's looking at an image of NICK taken at the Motel]. [NICK flies in, startling her] NICK: Sorry. I should've knocked. You just seemed so, uh, involved. [beat] The guard downstairs just sent me up. He said you hadn't been here long. TAWNY: I stopped by the hospital to see Bobby NICK: How is he? TAWNY: He's, uh, a little slowed down. NICK: A bullet will do that. TAWNY: To most people. NICK: Look, I don't know what you think you saw, but... TAWNY: Saw? I have it on tape, detective. Would you, um, take a look? NICK: [whammy mode on] You cannot show those tapes TAWNY: [Shaking it off] What in the name of God are you? NICK: What I am isn't important. Tawny, listen to me [whammy mode on] What you saw through that camera.. it didn't happen... TAWNY: Yeah You tell that to my audience next week. Look, I know what I saw. The camera doesn't lie. NICK: The very existence of those tapes places you in grave danger. TAWNY: This is way too big to let go by . NICK: [whammy] You must destroy those tapes. You must forget what you saw. TAWNY: ....forget...[shakes it off] You're doing something to me You're doing something to my mind! You stay away from me! [She grabs her purse and backs off] I dunno what you are detective, but whatever you are, I have evidence that you exist. That you are real. And it is my responsibility as a journalist to show it to the world. NICK: Tawny, please. ...[TAWNY leaves the room] FLASHBACK [NICK ducks under the flap in SULLIVAN's tent] VO of Soldier: 'Evening, Major. [NICK ducks under the flap] NICK: SULLIVAN... [SULLIVAN is dead on the ground NICK looks around. Bends down and checks his pulse. Looks up and sees two Enforcers snarling at him] LC: [to Enforcers] He has no part in this. The fault is mine. [to NICK] The code, Nicholas. I told you, the code. [Enforcers snarl some more. NICK backs away from the body, and ducks outside. One Enforcer throw the plates onto the floor, smashing them. He pours oil from the lamp around the body. He takes a light from a candle and sets the body on fire and then both stand back and watch as the oil burns They turn away and fly off] Cut to present day SCENE: [JANETTE and NICK are walking together on the street. JANETTE has her hair up/ She is wearing a black dress and a cape. JANETTE: You must fix it, Nichola. They will not allow the code to be broken. NICK: Well, I've tries to control her but she won't submit JANETTE: Of course she won't submit. She has photographic evidence, or worse, video tape. NICK: Well why does that matter? JANETTE: Oh darling, where have you been? All right, it may be just a rumour, but even so, if you had hung around with your own kind more this past century, you would have heard it, too. NICK: Okay. So tell me. JANETTE: It's her proof. The existence of empirical evidence. As long as she has the tape, as long as she _has_ empirical evidence, it will be impossible to make her forget. NICK: Evidence. The photographs, now the video tape... JANETTE: Technology, hein? Why do mortals always seek to complicate the world. Before television and movies, people used to go to clubs and now..[beat] so you must destroy the tape. It is your only hope. And certainly is her only hope. NICK: And I can control her then? JANETTE: Yes. Then you will be able to make her forget. [beat] But you must do it soon. NICK: The Enforcers. The Enforcers will come. JANETTE: They will enforce the code, whatever it takes. You know, Nichola. [she walks away] NICK: [to himself] Yeah, I know. Cut to SCENE [Police station. ] [SCHANKE is hovering in the hall way near a public telephone. He looks at the phone, picks it up then hangs it up again ] SCHANKE: [to himself.] I can't do this. But then again, Don, only once in a lifetime does a man have a moment where fate takes his hand. You gotta follow that dream wherever that dream may lead. Be all that you can be. [SCHANKE puts a quarter into the phone and dials] SCHANKE: [into phone, furtively] Hello. Starsearch Talent Agency? SCENE: Editing room {TAWNY is tapping away at the editing board. A guy, the night operator, sits beside her. This is the guy that NICK had sort of recognised earlier.] TAWNY: [to DANNY, showing him the tape from the motel] There. See that? DANNY: It looks like he's flying. Aw, nobody's gong to believe that these weren't faked. TAWNY: I swear to you. On my dead Italian grandmother, I did not doctor these tapes one iota. That is the video tape of a man who can fly. DANNY: And this guy was in here tonight with you TAWNY: You're going to think I was crazy, but he was actually trying to hypnotise me or something. Something to make be forget about it, I guess. DANNY: A cop? Tawny, how long have you been awake. You could use few zzzzzzzz's TAWNY: I'm serious. DANNY: Well, maybe he'll try something stronger than hypnotism next time. [beat] Did you.... make dupes of the tape. TAWNY: I got the originals hidden DANNY: Where? TAWNY. In this building DANNY: And have the producers seen it? TAWNY: No one but you. I told them I have something very big. But I want to sit on it to the last moment. DANNY: I dunno Tawny, I, I'd be careful. TAWNY: You're my backup, Danny. That why I'm showing you DANNY: I feel like Jack Ruby or somebody. Like I know something I shouldn't. TAWNY: I appreciate it. Just keep it quiet, Okay? DANNY: Oh, I'm not going to breath a word to anybody. I want to keep my job and my neck a little longer. TAWNY: Thanks DANNY: Uh, I'm on OT, I gotta run. You be careful, Tawn, Okay? [DANNY leaves] TAWNY: [to herself] No problem [Cut to the street in front of the building. DANNY carefully looks both ways, then flies up. COMMERCIAL BREAK ACT IV *********************Begin Cdn version******************* SCENE: [Police Station, front counter] SCHANKE: [pacing impatiently].[to himself] Where the hell are they? She said she was coming back [sighs] [to a female uniform walking past] Hey, hey you haven't seen the Cop Watch crew around, have you? Uniform: No. SCHANKE: They're not riding around with anybody else, are they? Uniform: Don't know, Schank. SCHANKE: [to himself ] Don't know, huh? Damn! She said she was coming back with a new cameraman. [sighs] Where the hell are they? *****************End Cdn Version*********************** Cut to [Montage of vampire feeding. Gunfire. They are Tawny's dream. She wakes up with a start. She is lying down on the console in the editing room] EDITING ROOM: [Tawny realises she needs sleep. Packs up to go home. Takes the tape and puts it into her purse. Puts on her coat] Cut to [TAWNY waiting for the elevator She looks around nervously. Snarls heard faintly ] Cut to:[TAWNY enters the elevator. As the door closes, more snarls are heard.] Cut to [shot of Caddy] Cut to shot of FLASHBACK : [The two enforcers, snarling.] Cut to: [Present day: Front lobby , TAWNY exits from the elevator car] Hi, Nelson. [beat, as she nears the reception desk] Nelson, you naughty boy, sleeping on the job? Nelson.... [She hears a sound , turns toward the revolving door, which is still revolving. She realises that Nelson is not asleep, but unconscious or dead. Sound of heavy footsteps approaching.. One of the elevator doors open as she goes towards it. But she turns, runs over to the escalator. Runs up. Footsteps follow. Cut to [Caddy arriving at the building. NICK gets out of the car and runs over to the door.] Cut to [ TAWNY comes round a corner and is caught in someone's arms] TAWNY: [Screams] NICK: Do what I say or they'll kill us both. TAWNY: [catching her breath] Who are they and what do they want? NICK: They are what I am. They are sworn to protect our secret. To keep the world from discovering the knowledge of our existence. TAWNY: They look like vampires or something. [beat] Omigod, that's what you are. NICK: Come with me. Hurry [They flee the Enforcers. As they hurry along a hall:] NICK: The tape, did you copy it? C'mon, did you copy the tape? TAWNY: Yes, but I hid it. NICK: Where? TAWNY: It's locked in a safe, in an empty office that we use for storage. NICK: Who else saw it? TAWNY: No one....except Danny, the night technician NICK: The night technician! The guy's a vampire. TAWNY: Danny? He seems so nice. NICK: Come on we gotta get that tape. TAWNY: [to herself] You think you know somebody.... NICK: Lets go! [They run along hallways, followed by Enforcers who are tracking them by bloodsense] SCENE: [They are in the office, crouched on the floor in front of a large safe. TAWNY is fumbling with the combination lock] TAWNY: [tries to work the combination, but fails] Dammit! NICK: Here, let me. [NICK tears off the safe door. They reach inside to get the tapes] TAWNY: [She's holding both tapes] I can't turn these tapes over. It's my story, it's the biggest story of my career. NICK: The only story here will be about your murder, Tawny TAWNY: I'm sorry, Nick. Look, it's my journalistic responsibility. I just can't. [The Enforcers enter the room, two uglies with the biggest fangs you every saw. They approach, snarling] TAWNY: Stay away from me! NICK: [Struggles with one of the Enforcers who grabs him by the throat, and throws him aside. TAWNY has dropped the tapes onto the floor. NICK grabs them] No! Here! [to TAWNY] Tell them! those are the only tapes. You can't lie to them, they'll know. TAWNY: [to Enforcers] I swear they are the only tapes. [She gives them the tapes. The Enforcers, snarl at her, but refrain from attacking her. NICK crawls over to her and takes her in his arms] NICK: Now listen to me. You have to forget everything that you've seen. TAWNY: How can I forget everything? NICK: [over heartbeat] Surrender your will to me. Submit! [beat] You have to forget. TAWNY: I..I have to forget. NICK: Now sleep[TAWNY collapses against him] [to Enforcers] It's done. Its over. [One of the Enforcers moves to NICK with a wooden stake. The other Enforcer restrains him and they both fly off] [NICK relaxes and hugs Tawny] SCENE [NICK lays TAWNY down onto the editing room console, as though she has fallen asleep there on the console. He makes a small noise and she wakes up ******************************Canadian version only*********** TAWNY: Nick! Geez I'm sorry. You shouldn't have let me crash on you like that. NICK: It's okay. You needed the sleep. It's been a long night. TAWNY: You know, I was having the weirdest nightmare. Some one was chasing me, trying to kill me. NICK: [Indifferently] Really [beat] How's the show coming.? TAWNY: Oh, right, the show. Well, uh, I dunno...I forget where I left off. NICK: Good. TAWNY: hmm? [There's a swoosh. NICK flies off] TAWNY: Nick...? [There's another swoosh. DANNY arrives in the hallway outside the editing room. DANNY looks around nervously without seeing anyone. Then NICK arrives. DANNY and NICK are vamped out, snarling at each other like two strange cats, circling each other. But DANNY's no match for the older, stronger vampire] NICK: [grabs Danny by the throat and slams him up against the wall] Time to move on, Danny! [They snarl at each other. NICK lets up, giving DANNY the opportunity to escape] **********************End Cdn version***************** COMMERCIAL BREAK TRAILER [NICK's loft. It's a party: BOBBY is on the sofa with large cast on one leg, SCHANKE is sitting beside him, pen in hand. NATALIE, TAWNY, and STONETREE are standing round. NICK is seated at the dining room table, looking at a book. As he leafs through the book, he stops at a formal portrait of SULLIVAN standing beside his camera] SCHANKE: [to BOBBY] Would you hold still, Bobby? Someday this is going to be worth big money. BOBBY: I'm not moving STONETREE [with tray in his hand ] Hors d'oeuvres , ladies? Try the little weenies, they're great. BOBBY: [screams in pain] Aaaaaaagh! [SCHANKE is writing something on his cast] Don, didn't I mention that I'm in a lot of pain? What are you writing, your yearbook. SCHANKE: There, there, finished! [reading off the cast] Show business is my life, henceforth. Yours in crime prevention, Don Schanke. BOBBY: Thanks a lot, Don. SCHANKE: Wait, wait, I forgot the date [writes something on the cast] BOBBY: Ooowwww! Easy, didn't I just tell you that I'm in pain? SCHANKE: [indifferently] Yeah, I heard you STONETREE: [to NICK] Where'd you get the little pizza roll things. They're a big hit. NICK: [Sitting at the kitchen table, looking at a large book] Yeah... STONETREE: What 've you got there? NICK: [reading the cover] '100 Years of Combat Photography' It's a gift from Tawny. A little momento of the time we've spent together on the front lines. [NICK looks at SULLIVAN's photograph ] [VO of announcer on TV set : Cop Watch stalks a killer on the homicide beat.] SCHANKE: Hey, the show's on! NATALIE: Hey, c'mon Nick, c'mon it's on! TAWNY: More champagne! [NICK closes the book and stands up] SCHANKE: C'mon, Knight, you're going to miss my fifteen minutes of glory. SCHANKE: [to TV] Yeah! Woohoo! SCHANKE in VO: It's a dark and lonely jungle out there....[SCHANKE's speech continues under subsequent conversation in the loft] SCHANKE: Do I have the quality or not, huh! Yup! NICK: [whispers to TAWNY]: Let s go out there [NICK and TAWNY move away into the kitchen] TAWNY: [To NICK, privately] Thanks, Nick For everything [NICK pours champagne in to glass for TAWNY] NICK: You're welcome. [phone rings, Nat answers] NATALIE: Hello? Yeah! Schank, it's for you [hands over the phone] SCHANKE: Hey, Nat, could you turn it down, it's my agent. [to phone] OK, Marty baby, how much money are we talking about here? ...Uhhuh....yeah....hair's looking good....sideburns......wait a minnit, Marty, whaddya mean? Whaddya mean you're dropping me? No, no, Marty, this is not kosher.. You cannot do this to me? I'm your star client!....You can't do that! FADE ROLL CREDITS.