M I L L E N N I U M IT... HAS... BEGUN... NOTHING IS FORSAKEN... Virtual Season Episode #406. "Hostile Elements" written by: Kevin Patterson (August 2002, re-edited version) TEASER BLACK. The sound of RAIN FALLING, with THUNDER in the background, is heard. FADE IN: EXT. RURAL HIGHWAY 37 (SOUTHERN IOWA) - NIGHT Hard rain pours down upon a rural highway as lightning flashes across the sky. Legend INDICATES: Marlon County, Iowa August 17, 7:10 PM A green pickup truck drives down the road. INT. PICKUP TRUCK - NIGHT The driver is MICHAEL PELLIER (early '40s, average height and build), hunched over the steering wheel. PELLIER (V.O.) From dust were we made and to dust we shall return. But fear not the passing of the things of this world, for soon they will be replaced by wonders ten thousand times greater. EXT. HIGHWAY - NIGHT A particularly spectacular display of lightning CRASHES across the sky as the rain continues to pour. PELLIER (V.O., CONT'D.) Great calamities await us in the days to come. The truck's headlights illuminate a warning sign at the side of the road: 'WARNING: HIGH WATER - LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY.' PELLIER (V.O., CONT'D.) Should you meet death during these times of tribulation, welcome it, and rejoice in the reward that awaits you. For only by our return to the ground shall we finally ascend to heaven above. As his voice-over fades, we hear that his car radio is tuned to a local news broadcast... BROADCASTER (V.O.) Today's storms have, for many Marlon County residents, brought with them fears of further flooding as the Mississippi River crests again, threatening to flood areas that have remained dry ever since the so-called "Great Flood" of '93. However, we have just received word that Sheriff Patrick Delaney, along with a team of engineers, have finished examining the levee, and it appears that last week's massive sandbagging efforts will indeed pay off. The predicted crest of the river will fall a full three inches below the makeshift levee. PELLIER'S TRUCK continues down the highway. EXT. LEVEE - NIGHT Sandbags are piled two feet high along the side of the road. The water on the other side is above the ground's natural height, but below that of the sandbags. A team of ENGINEERS, all wearing rain slickers, are gathering the last of their equipment and loading it into a white van parked just off the road. SHERIFF PATRICK DELANEY (late '30s, 6'0") is talking over his police radio to DEPUTY PETE CARTLEDGE. His police cruiser is also parked just off the road. CARTLEDGE (filtered) Hey, Patrick, I was just listening to the radio. You all are done, then? DELANEY Yeah, we're packing it in. Looks like it's going to be all right. Anything happening at your end? CARTLEDGE Not unless you count a bicycle theft. DELANEY Not tonight, I don't. The engineers are now all packed up and ready to leave. They all get into the van except for one of them, ANGELA RAYFIEL, who calls to Delaney. RAYFIEL Sheriff, we'll check in with you tomorrow. DELANEY All right. (back to the radio) Pete, I'm off duty now, so I'm going to head on home for the night. See you in the morning. CARTLEDGE Okay. Delaney pockets the radio, glancing up towards the sandbags. EXT. RURAL HIGHWAY 37 - NIGHT Pellier's car speeds down the road, which is now drawing closer to the levee. The engineer's van passes him going the opposite way. Now he starts to slow down, pulling over to the side of the road. He makes a sharp right and begins driving the truck up the hill toward the levee. PELLIER wearing a deeply conflicted, distressed look on his face. THE TRUCK speeds up and smashes into the sandbags at high speed, knocking many of them loose! EXT. LEVEE - NIGHT Delaney gets in his cruiser and starts the ignition, driving away in the same direction as the engineer's van. PELLIER'S TRUCK smashes more of the sandbags as WATER begins to pour over the levee. PELLIER struggles to get control of the car as he guides it back to the road. THE ROAD quickly starts to flood as Pellier's car speeds away, its tires splashing in the water. INT. DELANEY'S CAR - NIGHT Delaney catches a glimpse of Pellier's truck driving up the incline of the road and out of sight. Then he sees the water starting to flood the road and looks up at the line of sandbags: a noticeably large gap is evident where Pellier sabotaged them. Delaney floors it, trying to speed past the oncoming water, while pulling the radio out of his pocket. DELANEY (into radio) Pete - Patrick here! I need you to order an immediate evacuation of all surrounding areas, the levee just broke! CARTLEDGE (filtered) But I thought you just-- DELANEY I think somebody just sabotaged it! CARTLEDGE Got that. Are you pursuing him? There is suddenly an unusually large splash of water; it flies up at Delaney's cruiser, shorting out the engine. Delaney's car comes to a halt. He looks out the side window at the rising water, then opens the door and steps out into about six inches of water, then wades as fast as he can up the slight incline of the road to safety, running to the top of the hill as soon as he's back on dry land. CARTLEDGE Patrick?! Are you pursuing him? Delaney looks down the hill bitterly as the waters rush over areas of land that no one had thought would ever be flooded again: farms, houses, and roads all stand in their immediate path. DELANEY (resigned) Negative. FADE OUT. ACT ONE BLACK. "Do not be afraid of the sufferings that are coming to you... Even if you have to die, keep faithful, and I will give you the crown of life for your prize." -- Revelation 2:10 FADE IN: INT. BLACK RESIDENCE - DAY TOM, HELEN, and CHARLIE BLACK are sitting at their kitchen table eating breakfast. FRANK is walking across the living room with the newspaper as JORDAN, still in her pajamas, comes down the stairs. Legend INDICATES: August 19, 9:30 AM FRANK Morning, sleepyhead. JORDAN Hi! Jordan goes into the kitchen as Frank sits down on the couch and starts paging through the newspaper. The TELEPHONE rings. Tom gets up to answer it. TOM (into phone) Hello? Yes, just a moment. (to Frank) Frank? It's Ryan Frost. Frank gets up and picks up another phone that sits on the living room table. FRANK (into phone) Hi Ryan, it's Frank. INTERCUT BETWEEN SCENES: INT. RYAN'S OFFICE - DAY Ryan sits at his desk, some papers and crime scene photos in front of him. RYAN (into phone) Frank, something came across my desk here that I thought might interest you. FRANK What is it? RYAN You hear about the flood levee sabotage in Iowa? FRANK Yeah, I read about it in the paper a couple days ago. RYAN Yeah, well, what they probably didn't release to the media was the letter that came in the mail to several relatives of the people who died in the flood. FRANK What did it say? RYAN Well, it's pretty long, but here's how it starts: (reading from one of his papers) "I am but the servant of the Lord, a tiny stone in his magnificent temple. Mourn not these upheavals; for they are a sign that his kingdom is at hand." FRANK (a beat) The saboteur sent this letter. RYAN Well, that's certainly the most obvious conclusion. (a beat) Another thing I thought you might want to know: Hollis and Finley are consulting on this for the Millennium Group - voluntarily, it seems. The local PD hadn't contacted them, and Hollis wasn't assigned by the FBI. FRANK You think the Group is responsible for the sabotage? RYAN I don't know, but obviously they have *some* interest in this. (a beat) Listen, Frank, I can't join you on this one. I'm still busy with a triple murder investigation in Arlington. But, I did just speak to a Sheriff Patrick Delaney and talked up your record for a while, and I think he'd be more than glad to have you aboard if you want the job. FRANK (thinks for a moment) Yeah... okay, I'll start making the arrangements. Thanks for tipping me off on this. I wouldn't have known otherwise. RYAN Sure thing. Good luck out there. FRANK Yeah, you too. Frank hangs up. EXT. MARLON COUNTY SHERIFF'S STATION - DAY A fairly small building, at the end of a road on high ground that has been unaffected by the flooding. Frank pulls into the lot in a rent-a-car, parks, and walks inside. INT. MARLON COUNTY SHERIFF'S STATION - LOBBY - DAY A RECEPTIONIST sits idle at the front desk as Frank approaches. Frank appears slightly uneasy about the impending meeting with Emma and Finley. FRANK Hello, my name's Frank Black. I'm here to see Sheriff Delaney. RECEPTIONIST (pointing toward Delaney's office) Right that way. INT. MARLON COUNTY SHERIFF'S STATION - DELANEY'S OFFICE - DAY Frank enters to find EMMA HOLLIS and CAROL FINLEY sitting opposite Delaney, who is behind his desk. Delaney rises to shake his hand. DELANEY You must be Frank Black. FRANK (shakes his hand) Yeah. DELANEY Glad you could make it. Ryan had quite a few glowing words about you. Frank smiles slightly in appreciation. He turns cautiously toward Emma and Finley. EMMA (nodding) Frank. FINLEY Sheriff Delaney told us you'd be here. DELANEY Yeah, I understand you all know each other? FRANK (deadpan) Yeah. There is a brief, uncomfortable silence. DELANEY (trying to break the tension) Well then... um, I sent the letters on to the crime lab at Iowa City. They should be sending them back later today. Other than that, we don't have much to start from. EMMA No return address, I assume. DELANEY Nope. We talked to the people at the post office, but they don't seem to remember anybody unusual the day after the flood. FRANK Can we get a look at the site where the sabotage took place? DELANEY There isn't really much of a crime scene, if that's what you mean. Everything's flooded out. FRANK I'd still like to see it, if you don't mind. DELANEY Well, sure, we got a speedboat here. (a beat) None of you get seasick, do you? CUT TO: EXT. FLOODPLAIN - DAY Route 37 is now completely underwater, with trees and roofs sticking up out of the waters on the other side of the submerged road. A SPEEDBOAT, Delaney piloting, comes into view. Frank, Emma, and Finley are also on board. DELANEY (motioning toward the submerged areas) All these places were flooded back in '93, but the so-called "experts" said that was a 500-year flood. Nobody really thought the water would get this high again any time soon. I imagine most of the people who got flooded didn't have any insurance. Frank, Emma, and Finley look on sympathetically. DELANEY There was some talk of building a regular levee for a while, but that never happened. So, when the waters started rising again, we had to build this sandbag levee. FINLEY Was there anyone you remember who spoke out prominently against building a levee? DELANEY Nah. The levee didn't get built because the county council didn't have the money. Simple as that. Besides, the sandbags would have held. We had a team of engineers checking it right before this happened. EMMA We should get a list of all the team members. DELANEY I already contacted Angela Rayfiel, she was the one overseeing the whole thing. She's coming by the station later this afternoon. Delaney now slows down just short of the 'WARNING: HIGH WATER - LOCAL TRAFFIC ONLY' sign, which is just barely above water. DELANEY This sign is about half a mile down the road from where the levee broke. FRANK You said you saw a car speeding away from where the water started coming through? DELANEY Yeah. And it hadn't passed me the opposite way. I figure whoever it was came the way we're going right now, sabotaged the levee, then turned around and left. FINLEY Any idea how it was done? DELANEY I'm guessing he drove his vehicle into the sandbags. There was some jerk who pulled the same stunt back in '93. EMMA He'd have to have been driving an SUV, or a pickup truck - something that he could maintain control of off the road. (a beat) Have there been a lot of problems with vandalism around here lately? DELANEY No more than usual. FRANK This wasn't a random act. A vandal wouldn't send religious letters to the victim's families. Delaney brings the boat to a stop. DELANEY If I had to guess, I'd say it was right around here. All four stand up to survey the scene. Plastic from some of the sandbags floats nearby. The water stretches at least half a mile on the other side of the broken levee. FRANK'S INTERNAL POV -- A typical Christian altar, with candles at both ends. -- Pellier's truck SMASHING into the sandbags! -- A bearded man with long hair, his clothes ragged, bent over a table as an EXECUTIONER'S AXE descends toward his neck! BACK TO SCENE FRANK I think he saw himself committing the act of sabotage beforehand. Finley's interest perks up at this. DELANEY What do you mean, he "saw himself"? EMMA (covering for Frank) A sort of premonition? FRANK (nodding) He interpreted it as a command. A directive that this was his duty to perform. DELANEY A religious duty, you mean? He thinks he's serving God? FRANK I don't know. I'd like to get a look at those letters as soon as possible. DELANEY The lab should have them back later this afternoon. (shaking his head as he views the scene) Why would any man think *God* told him to do something like this? Off the view of the flood waters and destruction we CUT TO: INT. MICHAEL PELLIER'S HOUSE - DAY CLOSE ON - AN ALTAR which bears a strong resemblance to the one in Frank's vision. The sound of computer keys CLICKING is heard in the background. CAMERA PANS up from the altar and across a dimly lit room, which seems to be a cross between a study and a personal worship center - there are many bookshelves, the walls are covered with religious artwork, etc. Now we see Pellier poised in front of his computer, typing. CLOSE ON - PELLIER'S COMPUTER SCREEN We see some of what he has typed: "...even as the Lord's commands elude my reasoning, I must trust in his wisdom now more than ever...." PELLIER despite what he has typed, looks very conflicted and uncomfortable. Off Pellier's look we... CUT TO: INT. MARLON COUNTY SHERIFF'S STATION - DAY Delaney, Frank, Emma, and Finley all enter through the front door and walk back towards the conference room, which is down the hall from the office. INT. MARLON COUNTY SHERIFF'S STATION - CONFERENCE ROOM - DAY Deputy Cartledge is in the conference room, taking a statement from Angela Rayfiel. CARTLEDGE And you didn't get a good look at the vehicle that passed you going the other way? All four enter the room as Rayfiel answers the question. RAYFIEL No, I'm sorry, I didn't. I guess I didn't think much of it at the time. Cartledge and Rayfiel look up at Delaney and the others. DELANEY Angela, thanks for coming in. (motioning as he makes the introductions) This is Carol Finley and Emma Hollis, from the Millennium Group, and Frank Black, a private consultant. (to the three of them) Ms. Rayfiel was the head of the engineering team that examined the levee. They all nod to each other and say hello. CARTLEDGE We're just about finished here, unless you all wanted to ask anything. Delaney looks to the others. Frank thinks for a moment. FRANK Were any of the members of your team particularly religious? RAYFIEL Well, I'm Presbyterian. So are Howard O'Donnell and James LaBadie. Lisa Peters is Catholic. (a beat) But like I told Deputy Cartledge, it can't have been anyone on my team. None of them were out of my sight the whole time. DELANEY All right, well unless there's anything else, I think we're done for now. We may want to contact you again later. RAYFIEL Yes, of course. She gets up to leave as the others settle in. Cartledge walks to the other end of the room and picks up a small package. CARTLEDGE This just came in about fifteen minutes ago - the return address is the lab in Iowa City. DELANEY Must be the letters. Cartledge opens the package: inside are three evidence bags, each containing a sheet of paper. The lab's report sits on top of the bags. Delaney removes the report and starts reading it. DELANEY Let's see here... no prints... the paper is standard, can be found at any computer store... envelopes were traced back to the local post office... printing could have come from any home printer or word processor... (sarcastic) All of which tells us... nothing. FRANK Let's see the letters. Delaney removes the three bags and hands one each to Frank, Emma, and Finley. The text on the paper is typed/printed, in a small font size, and takes up most of the one side. FRANK (starting to read aloud) "I am but the servant of the Lord, a tiny stone in his magnificent temple. Mourn not these upheavals; they are but a sign that his kingdom is at hand." (trails off) All three read in silence for a few moments before Frank speaks again. FRANK This is an unusual reference here. He says that those who died in the flooding are among "those to be given white robes." DELANEY What's that mean? FRANK It's from the Book of Revelation. The martyrs in heaven are given a white robe while they watch the apocalypse take place on earth. DELANEY So, he's some sort of doomsday nut. We kinda figured that already, didn't we? FINLEY Yes, but most apocalyptic enthusiasts tend to fixate on images of destruction, like the plagues, the seven seals, the lake of fire. Frank looks at Finley skeptically, then goes back to the letter. FRANK Look what he says at the end here-- "Soon you shall join your loved ones when you all receive your rewards of eternal life." (a beat) I think this is genuine. He feels compassion for the relatives of the victims, wants them to rest assured that they've all been saved. A more typical fanatic would be intent on warning everyone to repent lest they face eternal punishment. EMMA He's chosen an odd format for a personal message, though. The same letter, printed out on a computer instead of handwritten, full of Bible verses. It's very distant for someone trying to express compassion. DELANEY Maybe he just didn't want his handwriting identified. FRANK No, this person doesn't think like a typical criminal. FINLEY Maybe this *is* his preferred way of communicating, for whatever reason. FRANK (pausing to think) He could be a writer. Almost all of them use computers or word processors. The very nature of their occupation is to record personal thoughts and ideas and distribute them to many different people. DELANEY You think he's a local? FRANK Hard to say. The strength of belief he demonstrates... it would be enough that he'd travel a significant distance to do this, if he thinks this is where he's needed. FINLEY Why here, though? Why not somewhere else? FRANK I don't think he knows. He's just following these things he sees. EMMA Okay, so if he's a writer... someone might recognize his style, if he's published. DELANEY There are a lot more un-published writers than published ones. FRANK What if we focused specifically on religious publishing companies? DELANEY You mean like inspirational literature and things like that? FRANK The saboteur's faith won't be at all superficial, though. This is a person who understands all the complexities of religious belief. I'm guessing he'll have written on a variety of subjects, not just the end of the world. EMMA We could send a copy of the letter to editors that publish Christian literature. DELANEY Sounds like it's worth doing. You want me to start making the calls? Frank nods. FINLEY The Group should be able to help with this too. I'll contact them. DELANEY All right then, I'll get on it. Delaney leaves the room. There is a momentary, awkward silence as Frank, Emma, and Finley are left alone for the first time. FINLEY Well, I can see you haven't lost your touch, Frank. FRANK (ignoring the compliment) What's the Group's interest in this case? EMMA (annoyed) Frank... FINLEY We're here to assist in a criminal investigation, just like you are. FRANK You *volunteered* your services. They didn't call you. FINLEY So did you. (a beat) Look, Frank, you know how these things work - the Group specializes in these sorts of cases. There's no... sinister agenda, here. You and Peter Watts worked religious cases in '97 for the Group. Frank looks down at the floor, conceding slightly, then turns away, walking over towards the window and looking out idly. After a few moments, he finally speaks. FRANK The agenda we need to worry about is the saboteur's. EMMA You don't think he's finished, do you? Frank shakes his head solemnly. CUT TO: INT. MICHAEL PELLIER'S HOUSE - NIGHT WIDE SHOT of Pellier kneeling in front of his altar, speaking in a low voice in an almost incantatory manner. As we DRAW CLOSER, we can hear what he is saying: PELLIER ...as you have chosen me, your humble servant, if it be your will, make known to me now my lot, so that I may do your bidding in the final moments. Make known to me your Light, so that it might shine through me as it shone through John before me, and so that I may make straight your path.... PELLIER'S INTERNAL POV (SLOW MOTION) -- His own view from the seat of his pickup truck, approaching another sandbag levee and smashing into it. -- The floodplain fills with water as houses and other structures are overtaken by the rising torrent. -- Sandbags flip up in the air as the levee breaks, landing back in the water. It is a slow, almost mournful sequence of visions. -- Now an enormous URBAN FLOOD WALL, with high waters on the other side. -- Pellier kneels on top of this flood wall. -- Suddenly there are four EXPLOSIONS at different points on the flood wall! -- The wall collapses as flood water rushes through the city streets. Pellier falls and is washed away by the waves! BACK TO SCENE Pellier is weeping from the intensity -- and content -- of his vision. Off his distraught look.... CUT TO: EXT. ROUTE 37 - NIGHT This is a location north of where the levee had broken. On one side of the street, a sign reads: 'WELCOME TO MARLON COUNTY.' A car is parked off to one side, on the shoulder of the highway. There seems to be little or no traffic. Inside the car, MABIUS sits in the passenger's seat, making a cellular phone call. BLAYLOCK is the driver. INTERCUT BETWEEN SCENES: INT. THE ELDER'S OFFICE - NIGHT THE ELDER is at his desk working when his phone RINGS. Instead of looking at the telephone on his desk, he reaches into a bottom drawer, where a small black cell phone is hidden. THE ELDER (answering) Are things proceeding? MABIUS Frank Black's involvement was unanticipated. It may... complicate the situation. THE ELDER You may want to move ahead more quickly than was planned. MABIUS (a beat) Already done. Mabius hangs up. Blaylock starts up the car and drives away. FADE OUT. ACT TWO FADE IN: EXT. ONE-STORY HOUSE - NIGHT This is a house located further south down the Mississippi. In the distance to one side of the house, a sandbag levee has been constructed to contain the rising waters. Legend INDICATES: Haskatee, Iowa 9:23 PM This levee is higher (and holding off a larger volume of water) than the one in Marlon County. A man, ARTHUR DURANT, is sitting on the roof of the house with his son JEREMY, about 10 years old. A ladder rests against the roof. Arthur is operating a small home video camera, aiming it toward the levee. VIDEO CAMERA'S POV The "night shot" function is activated, giving everything a strange, faint green glow. The objects on the screen seem to be distant and indistinct. BACK TO SCENE JEREMY Is the night shot working? ARTHUR I'm not sure. I'm not getting much of a picture here. JEREMY Let me see. Arthur hands the camera to Jeremy, who looks through the viewfinder. JEREMY You just need to zoom in a little bit. VIDEO CAMERA'S POV A small "ZOOM" light activates in the bottom right corner as the camera zooms in on the levee. After coming into focus, it holds in place for a few moments. Now PELLIER'S TRUCK comes into view, driving down the road toward the levee, then turning off the road and toward the sandbags. BACK TO SCENE JEREMY Hey Dad, what's that guy doing? ARTHUR Hang on... Arthur looks into the viewfinder. VIDEO CAMERA'S POV Pellier's truck smashes into the sandbags; as they come loose, water starts to pour out into the road. He turns the truck and heads away, narrowly escaping the flood. BACK TO SCENE ARTHUR Oh my God... Jeremy, climb down the ladder! We have to get out of here right now. Jeremy sees the water and understands. He climbs down the ladder as Arthur grabs the camera and runs to the edge of the roof, then jumps down and yanks open the front door. ARTHUR (calling inside) Doris! The levee just broke! We gotta go! Arthur runs to the family car, a small station wagon, with Jeremy. His wife, DORIS, emerges from inside, carrying a housecat. They all get inside as Arthur turns the ignition and pulls out of the driveway. THE WATER is roaring past the levee and towards their house. THE DURANT'S CAR speeds down the road and away from the oncoming water, but the water seems to be catching up. Finally they reach an incline in the road - as the car ascends the hill, it clears the water's path as the waves come to a stop at the bottom. THE SURROUNDING AREA is almost completely submerged, with the familiar sight of roofs and trees just barely poking out from under the flood waters. CUT TO: INT. MARLON COUNTY SHERIFF'S STATION - CONFERENCE ROOM - NIGHT Frank, Emma, and Finley are seated at the table going over some papers. Delaney is on the telephone. DELANEY (into phone) Yes... okay, well keep us posted then... yeah. Bye. All three look up at him. DELANEY Another levee sabotage further down the river, in Haskatee. We got a break on this one, though. EMMA How so? DELANEY Some guy happened to be videotaping nearby. He called the police from a cellular telephone after he and his family got away, and he's on his way to the station down there right now. FRANK He actually got the sabotage on videotape? DELANEY That's what it sounds like. FRANK Did the saboteur see him taping? DELANEY I don't know. They're going to make duplicates in their crime lab and send somebody up with one first thing in the morning. EMMA What's the man's name? DELANEY Arthur Durant. He's got a wife and a kid, too. EMMA I'll run it through the Bureau database, just to be sure. DELANEY I think we can probably call it a night for now. The Haskatee PD should be able to handle this. FINLEY You have our numbers? Delaney nods. FINLEY All right, well, let's re-group in the morning and get a look at the tape. Finley and Emma pack up their materials and leave the room. Frank lingers for a moment. FRANK Sheriff Delaney, I'm curious... how did the Millennium Group contact you about this case? DELANEY Finley called me. She said they specialize in these sorts of crimes. FRANK You hadn't spoken to anyone else from the Group? DELANEY No. Though I did have one of their people out here on a homicide a few years back. Murphy, I think her name was. Frank recognizes the name, but doesn't say anything. DELANEY You used to work for them, didn't you? FRANK Yeah, just a couple of years. DELANEY Why'd you quit? Frank considers it, and realizes Delaney would never believe anything he could tell him. FRANK A... uh, a dispute over some business practices. (a beat) I'm heading on back to the hotel. DELANEY All right. See you in the morning. EXT. MARLON COUNTY SHERIFF'S STATION - NIGHT Finley is walking to her rental car at the far end of the parking lot, Emma close behind. EMMA Carol? Finley stops and turns around. EMMA I'd like to know something. FINLEY What's that? EMMA What *is* the Group's interest in this case? FINLEY Like I said, we're just assisting the investigation. EMMA Yes, but we volunteered. Or the Group volunteered us. Why? Finley hesitates. EMMA It's no secret the Group takes special notice of these... apocalyptic scenarios. FINLEY Is that what Frank told you? EMMA And Peter Watts. Finley looks uncomfortable at the mention of Watts. FRANK exits the building and sees the two women talking in the distance. He pauses a moment, then thinks better of it, heads for his rental car, and drives away. RETURN FINLEY I can't tell you everything at once, Emma. EMMA Look, I've accepted *every* assignment you've given me without question. I've put aside my suspicions about the Group because I believed that there were answers forthcoming. FINLEY Emma-- EMMA Every day, there's a message on my computer screen, telling me how many "days remaining" there are. And yet I'm still no closer to understanding what that really means, and why we keep this sort of secrecy. FINLEY (hesitant) You want to know what I believe about this case?... I believe the person responsible for this is a lunatic. EMMA No, I want to know what the Group believes is going to happen in whatever hundred-and-thirty-some-odd days it is now. (a beat) And what we're supposed to be doing about it. FINLEY What we do...? (a beat) We do what we can to minimize human suffering, but... the final outcome? I don't know if that can be changed, Emma. Things have to unfold.... EMMA What "things"? FINLEY You'll come to understand that eventually. (a beat) Emma, the best thing for you to do right now is to concentrate on solving this case. I'll file my report with the Group and ask them how we should proceed. Emma is still not satisfied, but decides to let it go. Without a word, she nods slightly, turns, and walks to her car. HOLD ON Finley's troubled expression before we CUT TO: EXT. HASKATEE POLICE CRIME LAB - NIGHT A small, apparently isolated building with a single car parked out in front. A few lights are on inside. Legend INDICATES: Haskatee Police Crime Lab August 20, 2:43 AM Another car - small, black, nondescript - pulls up and parks. Two men get out of this car and approach the front door. INT. HASKATEE POLICE CRIME LAB - NIGHT Officer KAREN DRISCOLL stands in front of a series of television monitors and video cassette decks. On one of the screens, Durant's video of the sabotage is playing. Driscoll pauses the video to try to get a closer look at the license plate. She pulls out a pad of paper and starts to write. CLOSE ON - PAD OF PAPER as she writes, "T Y (?) 7..." BACK TO DRISCOLL unable to make out the final three letters. Suddenly a loud THUMP is heard from outside and a LOUD, RINGING ALARM goes off in the building. Driscoll reacts immediately, drawing her weapon and ducking behind a desk in the corner. A few moments pass before BLAYLOCK enters the room, carrying a briefcase and moving quietly toward the TV monitor. He puts down the briefcase, stops the tape and ejects it. He checks the other cassette decks for duplicates: they're all empty. Driscoll jumps up from behind the desk with her gun aimed at Blaylock. DRISCOLL Hands on top of your head! Now! Blaylock looks back at her, but doesn't move. DRISCOLL DO IT! A GUNSHOT pierces the air! Driscoll falls to the ground, dead. Another Millennium Group OPERATIVE, who had been waiting out of sight in the hallway, enters, carrying a gun. Blaylock hands the pad of paper and the tape to the Operative. BLAYLOCK Destroy these. And dispose of your weapon. The Operative nods and leaves as the ALARM continues to ring. Blaylock opens the briefcase and removes several small threads of fabric, which he tosses to the floor. Then he takes out some strange-looking pieces of tape. CLOSE ON - THE PIECES OF TAPE which are imprinted with human fingerprint patterns. BACK TO SCENE Blaylock carefully handles the pieces of tape as he presses them up against the desk where Driscoll had been hiding. Finally, he produces a small handgun and presses the tape up against the handle and trigger, then drops the gun on the floor. Satisfied with the job, he leaves. The alarm continues to RING... INT. MARLON COUNTY SHERIFF'S STATION - DELANEY'S OFFICE - DAY ...where the sound bleeds into the ringing of the TELEPHONE. Delaney, sitting at his desk, picks up and answers. Frank, Emma, and Finley are also there. DELANEY (into phone) Patrick Delaney here... they what? Oh, Jesus, you gotta be kidding me ...right... okay, we're probably going to come on down and have a look at this ourselves. Yeah. Bye. He hangs up. EMMA What happened? DELANEY (bitterly) Well, at least you've got a crime scene this time. (a beat) Somebody broke into the Haskatee crime lab last night, murdered the officer on duty, an Officer Karen Driscoll. The video tape is gone. Frank, Emma, and Finley react with confused silence. DELANEY (venting) What the *hell* is going on here?! How could this guy have known where the tape was? FRANK I don't think the saboteur did this. DELANEY Well, then who did? The Easter Bunny? FRANK Was there a note left at the scene? DELANEY They didn't say. EMMA How far away is Haskatee? DELANEY About 45 minutes driving. I assume you all want to see the crime scene? FRANK Someone else is trying to obstruct this investigation. We need to get an idea what kind of operation we're looking at. DELANEY Whatever. Come on, we'll take my cruiser. EXT. TWO-LANE HIGHWAY - DAY Delaney's police cruiser speeds down the highway. To the right side of the road is a sign, reading: 'HASKATEE CITY LIMITS.' INT. DELANEY'S CRUISER - DAY Frank sits next to Delaney, with Emma and Finley in the back seat. They look out the window, as the car passes near some of the risen flood waters. Debris and wreckage are strewn about, some of it floating in the water and some of it washed up nearby. DELANEY This is becoming an all-too-familiar sight. EMMA I still don't see how anyone could have known about this tape. DELANEY No one *did* know. Except us and the Haskatee PD. EMMA (to Finley) You filed a report with the Group last night, didn't you? FINLEY Yes, but... I mean, I'd be surprised if anyone's even read it yet. Frank is skeptical, but doesn't say anything. Delaney isn't paying much attention to the exchange. DELANEY'S CRUISER turns off the main road and onto a side street. EXT. HASKATEE POLICE CRIME LAB - DAY The cruiser pulls into the parking lot out in front. Another police car is there, and the area is closed off with crime scene tape. Delaney, Frank, Emma, and Finley get out of the cruiser and are greeted by Officer MARIA PORTER of the Haskatee Police Department. PORTER Sheriff Delaney? DELANEY Yeah. PORTER Maria Porter, Haskatee PD. DELANEY (motioning) Frank Black, Emma Hollis, and Carol Finley. They're consulting with me on the sabotage investigation. PORTER (nods) I'll show you the crime scene. INT. HASKATEE POLICE CRIME LAB - DAY All enter the A/V room where Driscoll had been working. White masking tape forms the outline of where her dead body was found, and also the outline of where the handgun was left on the floor. PORTER We have some promising leads - a handgun was found on the floor here, with one bullet fired. We've got prints on the gun and on the desk over there, and we also found some trace evidence on the floor. Frank looks down at the taped outline of the body. FRANK'S INTERNAL POV -- A GUNSHOT! -- The pieces of fabric falling the floor. BACK TO SCENE Frank shakes his head. FRANK Have there been any messages found here? PORTER Messages? FRANK Any sort of letter left here, or sent to Officer Driscoll's family? PORTER (regretful) Karen didn't have any family. They all died in a boat accident when she was young. (a beat) And no, there was nothing like that here. DELANEY Have you determined how the killer breached the facility? PORTER He probably just figured out Karen was the only one here and decided to risk tripping the alarm. We don't have much staff here, so unfortunately we can't afford extra security for this place. And frankly, most of the criminals we deal with aren't sophisticated enough to try anything like this. FRANK This wasn't our saboteur. This was a deliberate, planned attempt to hamper the investigation. PORTER An accomplice, then? FRANK No. Someone working separately. Emma and Finley look slightly uncomfortable. They know Frank is probably right but realize how far-fetched this sounds. DELANEY Why would anyone do that? FRANK I can't answer that yet. But I do know that we're wasting our time here. All this evidence has been planted, to throw us off further. PORTER Now hold on just a second-- EMMA Officer Porter, even amateurs wouldn't be so careless to leave the murder weapon lying on the floor. I think we may well be looking at a second perpetrator. PORTER Maybe they were just in a hurry, with the alarm ringing and all... Porter trails off, looking down somberly at the body outline. The uncomfortable silence is broken by the RINGING of Delaney's cellular phone. DELANEY (answers the phone) Delaney... What's that? He takes out a notepad and scribbles something down with a pen. DELANEY (CONT'D) Right... Okay, that's fantastic, Pete, we're on our way right now. He hangs up. EMMA What now? DELANEY Something that's not a dead end, for a change. An editor from a small publishing company called in, thinks maybe he recognizes one of his writers. It's a Michael Pellier, lives just inside Marlon. PORTER You think this guy is the levee saboteur? DELANEY Well, he's the only suspect we have so far. We'll handle this - he's on my turf. PORTER I'm still going to run the prints we found here. Delaney nods, sympathetically. DELANEY (to Frank, Finley, and Emma) Let's get going. EXT. MICHAEL PELLIER'S HOUSE - DAY A small, one-story house in a rural location. The exterior has not been kept up very well, and there is an unpaved, gravel driveway outside the house. No one appears to be home. Delaney's police cruiser pulls into the driveway and stops. He jumps out, followed by Frank, Emma, and Finley. DELANEY The editor was a Joseph McGregor, works for a place called Liturgical Publishing in Nebraska. This guy Pellier writes one or two books of essays and reflections on Christianity every year. Does his own illustrations too. Not real popular, but I guess it turns a profit. FRANK Did he provide a sample of the writing? DELANEY Pete didn't say. But apparently some of the stuff in the letters sounds like it came from Pellier's most recent book - "The Last Moments," or something like that. The four of them approach the front door. Delaney knocks. DELANEY Mr. Pellier? There is no answer. Delaney tries the handle - it's unlocked. INT. MICHAEL PELLIER'S HOUSE - DAY A very modestly furnished house, with only four rooms - a bedroom, a kitchen, a living room, and the study seen earlier. Things seem slightly unkempt - a pillow lies on the floor in the living room, there are dirty dishes in the sink, etc. DELANEY Mr. Pellier? Still no response. The four of them proceed to INT. MICHAEL PELLIER'S HOUSE - STUDY - DAY ...and immediately notice the altar, its candles still carrying a tiny flame. EMMA Well, he certainly takes his occupation seriously. Frank notices the computer, left sitting on. He goes over and moves the mouse, deactivating the screen saver. CLOSE ON - COMPUTER MONITOR A downloaded graphic, displaying the blueprints for four interconnected explosive devices and a remote controller. FRANK Look at this. All three come over to look. DELANEY (nervous) Um... is that what I think it is? FINLEY Blueprints for a bomb. Frank looks down at the computer setup, noticing an external modem hooked into the CPU. FRANK This man is not a technical expert. He got this information from somewhere else. We need to track his Internet activity over the past few days. We'll need phone records, credit card bills, anything we can get. He's aiming for a bigger target now and we need to figure out what that is. Frank glances over again at the blueprints for the explosives. MATCH CUT TO: INT. PELLIER'S TRUCK - DAY where the explosives themselves sit in the passenger's seat. Pellier looks over at them nervously, then turns his attention back to the road. PELLIER (V.O.) Lord, in your mercy, grant that those to be martyred may soon enjoy their eternal reward, and grant me the strength to carry out this final duty. From dust was I made, and to dust I must return. THE TRUCK speeds off into the distance. FADE OUT. ACT THREE FADE IN: INT. MICHAEL PELLIER'S HOUSE - EARLY EVENING Frank is in the house, apparently now alone, looking through Pellier's study. He walks to the bookcase, where he finds numerous Bibles and scholarly commentaries, along with a considerable quantity of traditional classic literature (i.e. Shakespeare, Milton, Dickens, etc.). His eyes wander down to the far corner of the shelf, where he notices Pellier's own published works pushed to one side. The most recent appears to be a short book called "The Final Moments." Frank picks up the book and flips it open. CLOSE ON - "THE FINAL MOMENTS" On the first page, above the text proper, is a drawing of specks of dust falling from an outstretched hand in front of a dark-bluish background. There follows an introductory quote in bold face, narrated as Frank reads: PELLIER (V.O.) From dust were we made, and to dust we shall return. But fear not the passing of the things of this world, for soon they will be replaced by wonders ten thousand times greater. Frank scans further down to where the text itself begins: PELLIER (V.O., CONT'D.) Every day I give thanks to the Lord that I have been given this gift, such that his Light may shine through me as it shone through John. FRANK'S INTERNAL POV -- A CROWD OF PEOPLE walking through an open desert plain. -- A MAN standing at the edge of a river bank, bending over and immersing his head in the water as a SECOND MAN stands over him. -- The SECOND MAN bent over a table as an EXECUTIONER'S AXE descends toward his head! BACK TO SCENE Frank flips to the end of the book. On the last page is a drawing of a grassy field, split in half in the middle by an earthquake, with a bright light shining from above. Frank reads the last paragraph: PELLIER (V.O.) Remember above all that we are called to keep our faith during the tribulations of the final moments. For it is in the Lord's truth, in the acceptance of the future he has made, that we find the only real victory. Frank puts the book down and walks over to the computer, which is still on. He closes the blueprint file and looks at Pellier's desktop files. One of them, in particular, catches his eye. It is marked "Personal Records." Frank double-clicks the file; it opens in a word-processing application. At the top, the date is noted: 'August 1, 1993'. Frank starts to read: PELLIER (V.O.) It has been difficult for me to gather my thoughts on this matter. Today, as I was praying, I was suddenly filled with a sensation that I was "seeing" things in a new way. Images came to my head with a frightening intensity... Frank scans down the rest of the file to the most recent entry: August 18, 1999. The previous voiceover fades into the next one: PELLIER (V.O.) I am nearly overwhelmed by my sorrow for those who have died. Though I know they have received their reward, still there persists the feeling that what I did was wrong. CUT TO: EXT. DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS FLOOD WALL - EARLY EVENING A tall structure, mostly concrete with metal gates closing off street intersections. High flood waters are present on the other side of the wall. There is a street closed off by a particularly large gate; to one side of the street is a hill which ascends and stops near the top of the wall. Legend INDICATES: St. Louis, Missouri Pellier's truck is parked along the side of the street nearest the hill. He sits inside, watching as a police car patrols. PELLIER (V.O.) But even as the Lord's commands elude my reasoning, I must trust in his wisdom now more than ever, and not let my own weaknesses lead me to inaction. As the police car turns around the corner and out of sight, Pellier grabs the four explosives from the passenger seat, as well as a small hand-held device. He gets out of the truck and sprints toward the gate. PELLIER (V.O.) I know above all that I must make straight his path, as he prepares for his return and the things of this world pass from existence. When he reaches the gate, he quickly uses the device's built-in metal clamps to attach two of them to the gate's frames, placing them as high up as he can reach, then places one to the gate at the far bottom corner where it is attached to the concrete wall. He turns back in the other direction towards the hill. CUT TO: INT. ST. LOUIS PD SQUAD CAR - EARLY EVENING The officer is heading away from Pellier's direction when he glances up in his rear-view mirror and sees Pellier running up the hill. PELLIER on top of the hill, now attaches the fourth explosive to the opposite corner where the gate meets the concrete wall. THE OFFICER furrows his brow in suspicion and turns the car around. He parks it just short of where Pellier has attached the explosives. As he gets out of the car, PELLIER steps carefully onto the flood wall itself and waits. OFFICER Hey! What are you doing up there?! The Officer looks at the devices attached to the wall, then back up at Pellier, who doesn't respond and has his back turned. Off the officer's confused look... CUT TO: INT. PELLIER'S HOUSE - EVENING Frank steps away from the computer and walks toward the small altar, where the candles have finally gone out. He notices a small book of matches on a nearby table, strikes one, and uses it to light the candles. He kneels down in front of the altar, a pensive look on his face. FRANK'S INTERNAL POV -- LIGHTNING striking the side of a mountain! -- As before, a man immersing his head in water, followed by a second man about to be beheaded with an axe! -- A VINE swaying slightly in the breeze. -- SEEDS being sprinkled upon the ground. BACK TO FRANK still kneeling at the altar. FRANK'S INTERNAL POV -- A sensation of MOVING through a DARK VOID. -- Pellier's vision of his truck smashing into the sandbags, with a BUZZING SOUND in the background! -- Pellier's vision of the flood wall exploding and himself being washed away in the water, as the BUZZING continues! -- A FLY now revealed as the source of the BUZZING, which grows louder and louder as the other images fade... - A brief glimpse of the GEHENNA DEMON! FRANK snaps back to reality as he hears a KNOCK at the front door. He gets up and looks out through the peephole: it's Emma. He hesitates, then opens the door. EMMA Frank. I was hoping maybe I'd find you here. (a beat) I was wondering if we could talk. FRANK (suspicious) About the Group? EMMA In part... and about this case, and what it means. I... must admit, Carol isn't always very forthcoming. And like I told you once, I have trouble taking "no" for an answer. Even if it means I have to ask someone else the question. Frank now backs away a few steps, allowing her the space as she enters the house. EMMA What have you found here? FRANK I've just been working on my profile. What's going on at your end? EMMA Well, we got a record of his internet access from his service provider. The people at the computer crimes lab are going over it. (a beat) So how's your profile turning out? FRANK (takes a breath) He believes he's been receiving... revelations, for a very long time. He's fixated on the character of John the Baptist, and he sees himself as a sort of modern-day equivalent. Making straight the Lord's path, to prepare for the end. The ideal of martyrdom, of giving yourself over completely to serve the divine, is central to his life. As far as he's concerned, this is destiny playing itself out. He has no choice but to fulfill his role. EMMA Sounds like a pretty determined individual. FRANK He has doubts. These experiences he's had, though, they've been intense enough to overwhelm his misgivings. EMMA You think he really... sees things? Like you do? FRANK (uncomfortable) I think he once had a certain sort of "insight," yeah. (a beat) He's been manipulated, though, his abilities twisted around to suit another purpose. An apocalypse - but with a different outcome than the one he believes in. EMMA Why would someone want to do that to him? FRANK Not "someone." EMMA You think the Group is responsible. FRANK This goes beyond the Group, whether they realize it or not. EMMA (puzzled) What do you mean? FRANK The balance is tipping. Good intentions are being perverted to serve evil ends. A man like Pellier searches for divine guidance, and instead... EMMA Do you really think it's inevitable, like this man Pellier believes? Everything is just destined, and we can't change it? FRANK (hesitates) Peter Watts once told me that "possible futures exist like branches on a tree." (a beat) I believe that a choice will soon be made between two of those branches. Emma nods, a mix of emotions - confusion, regret, fear - running through her mind. FRANK You won't find your answers in the Group, Emma. They'll tell you what they want you to know. Nothing more. Emma's cellular phone RINGS. She pulls it out of her pocket and answers. EMMA Hollis. (listening) Right. We're on our way. (hangs up, turns to Frank) They've tracked down Pellier. He's planted explosives on the downtown St. Louis flood wall. INT. MISSOURI ATF OFFICE - NIGHT Sheriff Delaney and Finley are talking with ATF Agent DANIEL STAMER, with papers spread out over a conference table. Legend INDICATES: Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms Missouri Branch Office Frank and Emma enter. Delaney notices them first. DELANEY Glad you two made it. Frank, Emma, this is Agent Daniel Stamer with the ATF. Agent Stamer, Agent Emma Hollis of the FBI, and Frank Black. STAMER Well, the more the merrier. (a beat) Anyhow. Here's the quick rundown on these devices. The four explosives themselves are identical. They're controlled by a single hand-held device, which is capable of sending out two different types of signals. The first signal activates the explosives and automatically starts a timer, at the end of which it will transmit again and cause the bombs to detonate. The user can also send that signal again manually by the touch of a button. Now, the second signal deactivates them, provided the correct key sequence has been entered. The explosives themselves are rigged to detonate if anyone touches them and the deactivation signal hasn't been sent. DELANEY So much for "red wire, yellow wire." STAMER Strategically, the only thing we can do is to try to talk him into giving us the key sequence. They've started evacuating St. Louis, but Pellier isn't talking to the cops on the scene, and we don't know when the bombs are going to go off. A secretary from elsewhere in the building pokes his head in the doorway. SECRETARY Special Agent Emma Hollis? EMMA Yes? SECRETARY Fax for you. The secretary hands Emma the fax paper and leaves. She begins to read. FRANK (to Stamer) Is there a way I could get to speak to him? STAMER I'm just about to board a helicopter to go to St. Louis, it should get there in about half an hour. You're welcome to come along for the ride if you want. FRANK (nods) I'll be there. Tell the St. Louis PD to keep their distance. If he feels threatened, he'll detonate the bombs early. DELANEY (to Emma) What's the fax about? EMMA This is strange.... Emma walks over and sets the fax down on the conference table. It is a list of Internet web addresses and servers, with handwritten notes on the side. EMMA They took the record of his online activity and traced the web sites he'd visited. Right here-- (pointing to a spot on the paper) --is where he put in a search for explosive blueprints. But-- (reading the notes) --the link he selected isn't where he went. His transmission was intercepted by another server and re-directed here. She points to a server address on the list. All look at it. Finley takes special notice and appears uncomfortable. EMMA Unfortunately, when our people went to take a look at it, the server was gone altogether. In any case, that was his last online activity, so whatever he got from that server must have been what he was looking for. FRANK They wanted to make sure he found this information quickly enough. STAMER Who did? No one seems to have an answer. STAMER Well, in any case, we'd better get on that helicopter if we're going. FINLEY I'll stay here and follow this up with Sheriff Delaney. (to Emma) Emma, why don't you accompany Frank and Agent Stamer? EMMA Right. We'll keep you posted. STAMER Let's go. Frank, Emma, and Stamer leave. EXT. DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS - NIGHT An ATF HELICOPTER speeds across the nighttime sky. The downtown streets are lifeless, having been mostly evacuated. INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT Frank and Emma ride behind Agent Stamer and the Pilot, looking out the side windows. AERIAL VIEW of the flood wall, holding off massive quantities of water. BRIGHT HEADLIGHTS from another helicopter shine in through the windows. EMMA Is that St. Louis PD? STAMER Should be. (picks up his radio) St. Louis PD chopper, this is Agent Daniel Stamer with the ATF. RADIO (crackling) Agent Stamer, Captain Mike Wallace, St. Louis PD here. We're just waiting so we're ready to grab this guy when he comes down. STAMER We can handle it from here, thanks. RADIO Got it. Over and out. THE ST. LOUIS PD HELICOPTER turns away from the flood wall, heading back into the city proper. INT. THE ATF HELICOPTER - NIGHT STAMER (to the pilot) All right then, take us down. THE ATF HELICOPTER descends toward the flood wall, its headlights illuminating Pellier kneeling on top of the wall. PELLIER is in an almost trance-like state, oblivious to the helicopter and everything else around him. He is praying quietly to himself, his speech brisk and incantatory. PELLIER ... but deliver us from evil, Amen. Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil, Amen. Our Father, who art in Heaven... FADE OUT. ACT FOUR FADE IN: EXT. DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS FLOOD WALL - NIGHT The helicopter lands briefly at the base of the hill, and Frank jumps out, wearing a headset and microphone, before it ascends back into the sky. STAMER (through headset) Make this quick, Frank. Any trouble and we're getting you out of there. FRANK Yeah. Frank ascends the hill, climbing up until he, too, is standing on top of the flood wall. He approaches the kneeling Pellier cautiously. FRANK Michael? Suddenly Pellier comes out of his trance; for whatever reason, Frank's presence seems to command his attention. FRANK Michael, I need to talk to you. PELLIER You have to get away from here. FRANK I just want to talk to you. PELLIER No! You have to leave. This isn't the way it's supposed to happen. I've seen it! FRANK How is it supposed to happen? PELLIER I die. But not you. You aren't here. FRANK Michael, listen to me. You don't have to do this. PELLIER It'll go off at midnight. Please, just go. You only have a few minutes. Frank checks his watch: it's 11:55. INTERCUT BETWEEN SCENES: INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT where Stamer, Emma, and the pilot are all listening. Emma watches them through a pair of binoculars. STAMER (into radio) Frank, did he say midnight? FRANK Yeah. STAMER (to himself) Perfect. We get here five minutes before the whole damn thing blows. (to Frank) We have to get you out of there. FRANK No. Not yet. BACK TO SCENE FRANK Michael, if you let those bombs go off, hundreds of people will die. You don't want that. I *know* you don't. PELLIER I DON'T HAVE A CHOICE! (near tears) Don't you understand? The future is written! (a beat) All we can do now is trust in God. FRANK God doesn't want you to kill these people, Michael. PELLIER But I've *seen* it! I've seen everything! I must make straight his path! CUT TO: INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT EMMA This isn't working. (into radio) Frank, they've got almost the entire city evacuated. There's nothing you can do. CUT TO: EXT. HIGH RISE ROOF - NIGHT On a top of a building near the flood wall and to the left of Frank and Pellier, Blaylock is aiming a rifle towards them as he looks into the eyepiece. BLAYLOCK'S POV - CROSSHAIRS He is drawing a bead on Pellier. CUT TO: EXT. DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS FLOOD WALL - NIGHT FRANK I know, Michael. I know what you've seen. But you've been deceived. There are other forces at work here - you know that. Pellier looks at Frank, an expression of doubt crossing his face for the first time in the conversation. Frank is starting to get through. PELLIER The servants of the Beast? FRANK They want to claim the apocalypse as their own. PELLIER But I saw... I mustn't stray from his truth. FRANK But what you saw wasn't the truth. (a beat) It was a lie, told by those who stand opposite everything you believe in. PELLIER (weakly) It's meant to be.... FRANK If it's meant to be, then it's not for you or anyone else to decide. INTERCUT BETWEEN SCENES: INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT EMMA (into radio) Frank, if we're going to get you out of there, it has to be now. Frank takes off the headset, letting it fall around his neck. Emma watches through binoculars in dismay. EMMA Frank! The pilot turns to Emma. PILOT Look, I'm sorry. I've got to get us to a safe distance. A piece of debris sticks in the rotor and we're in the drink too. EMMA (resigned) Right... THE HELICOPTER rises to a safer distance as EMMA continues to look on through the binoculars. BLAYLOCK'S POV - CROSSHAIRS Holding steady, square in the middle of Pellier's chest. CUT TO: EXT. DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS FLOOD WALL - NIGHT FRANK They see only a future of violence and chaos, orchestrated under their rule. If you let those bombs go off, you'll be helping them. Pellier still looks deeply conflicted. Frank checks his watch: 45 seconds until midnight. BLAYLOCK tightens his finger around the trigger of his rifle. PELLIER looks down at the remote device. FRANK Type in the code, Michael, so no one else has to die. (a beat) Don't let the balance tip. Pellier finally gives in and starts to type in the code. Suddenly a SHOT rings out! Pellier is hit in the chest, killed instantly! He stumbles backwards, and falls into the high water on the other side of the wall, the device along with him. Frank lurches forward to reach for him, but it's too late, as his body washes away. BLAYLOCK is satisfied that he's accomplished his mission, and turns away from the edge of the roof. INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT EMMA Oh my God, they shot him... STAMER *Who* shot him?! What the hell's going on here?! EMMA Can we get to Frank? The pilot looks at his watch: 25 seconds left. He shakes his head solemnly. EXT. DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS FLOOD WALL - NIGHT Frank rights himself and watches Pellier's body float away, a distressed expression on his face. He stands straight and looks at his watch: 15 seconds left. Frank steps backward a few paces, then kneels down where Pellier had been kneeling, his eyes on the watch as it counts toward midnight. He knows this is the end. FRANK'S WATCH reads 11:59:55... 11:59:56... 11:59:57.... INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT Emma turns away, unable to look. BACK TO FRANK'S WATCH Now reading 11:59:58... 11:59:59... FRANK is ready for the inevitable, when... A MYSTERIOUS LIGHT envelops him, total silence filling his ears as time seems to "stop." The light is present everywhere, though it is focused most prominently on Frank. Then, just as suddenly, it disappears. EXT. DOWNTOWN ST. LOUIS - NIGHT still intact, with the explosive devices attached. None of them have detonated. CLOSE ON - TOP CORNER EXPLOSIVE Its slight hum turns silent, as suddenly the clamp holding it in place comes loose and it falls to the ground. It makes a LOUD CLANKING SOUND that echoes through the empty city street. BACK TO FLOOD WALL The other three explosives attached to the gate also fall. CUT TO: FRANK looking around, then down at his watch: 12:00:14. He stands up and sees the explosives lying on the ground, amazed that the wall is still standing and that he is not dead. He looks up at the helicopter, then puts the headset back on. EMMA (filtered) Frank? FRANK Yeah. INTERCUT BETWEEN SCENES: INT. HELICOPTER - NIGHT EMMA What happened? FRANK I don't know. EMMA Do you think Pellier lied about the time? Frank looks down at the explosives lying on the ground. FRANK No. The devices all just fell to the ground. The impact should have set them off. EMMA We're coming down. EXT. CITY BLOCK - NIGHT Frank stands before the scene as the helicopter lands and Emma, the pilot, and Agent Stamer jump out. The explosives lie on the ground several feet back from the gate. STAMER Everybody keep back. Stamer walks up toward one of the explosives and kneels down to examine it, listening closely. He then nudges it slightly; nothing happens. Emma looks at Frank inquisitively. Frank looks puzzled. CUT TO: INT. MISSOURI ATF OFFICE - DAY The four explosive devices, along with numerous blueprints and papers, sit on a table in the center of the room. Agent Stamer, Frank, Emma, Finley, and Sheriff Delaney are all present. Legend INDICATES: August 21, 8:05 AM STAMER We haven't recovered the remote device, and I suppose it's pretty unlikely anyone will find it in the river at this point. I did go ahead and examine all the devices. Without going into a long lecture on the technology... frankly, these things should have exploded. All the internal mechanisms had activated in the appropriate sequence to cause detonation. FINLEY They *weren't* defused, then? STAMER No. My best guess would have been that the appropriate keys were somehow inadvertently pressed when Pellier fell into the water, but my examination doesn't bear that out. If the signal had been sent, none of the internal mechanisms would have even activated. EMMA So what happened? STAMER (shrugs, bewildered) I haven't the slightest idea. By all rights, half of St. Louis should be underwater right now. FRANK Did... anyone else see a light? When the bomb was supposed to go off? Stamer and Emma look at each other, puzzled. STAMER Uh... no... EMMA (shaking her head) Sorry, Frank, I didn't see anything.... Frank nods, content to let it drop. DELANEY What about the shooting? Are we looking at some sort of falling-out with an accomplice? FRANK No, he was working alone. The people who had him killed were the same people who sent him the blueprint for the bombs, and who murdered Officer Driscoll in Haskatee. DELANEY I talked to the St. Louis PD - they're all over this thing, but there was literally no trace evidence left. And with the body gone, there's not much to go on. The Driscoll murder turned out to be a dead-end too. EMMA I've asked our people at the Bureau Computer Crimes Lab to continue looking into the Internet transmissions. FRANK They won't find anything. There is a brief silence in response to Frank's statement. Finley, in particular, looks uncomfortable, though no one seems to notice. FRANK I'm going to go book a flight home. (to Delaney) I'll be in touch. Delaney nods and smiles in response as Frank leaves the room. STAMER Strange guy. DELANEY Can't say I minded having his help, though. FINLEY (aside to Emma) I talked to McClaren - he's got a multiple in Oregon, and he wants you out there ASAP. EMMA And the Group? FINLEY They think we've done our part here. I'll write up the report tonight. HARD CUT TO: INT. THE ELDER'S OFFICE - DAY CLOSE ON - FINLEY'S REPORT as it is set down on the desk by The Elder, having just finished reading it. Finley sits opposite the Elder, on the other side of the desk. THE ELDER Well, everything seems to be in order. You and Hollis did some fine work out there. FINLEY Sir? THE ELDER Something else? FINLEY (with trepidation) That server address... that was one of the Group's high-security archives. (a beat) The Group was involved all along - those reports I filed were just dirty work. We were the ones who intercepted Pellier's transmission, gave him those blueprints. We would have been complicit in all those deaths. And the shooting... THE ELDER Events have to be set in motion, Ms. Finley, you know that. Certain evils must be accepted, for the sake of the greater good. Finley nods, but is still unsatisfied. The Elder looks at her curiously. FINLEY Sir... where was the greater good here? Twenty-seven people died, and we did nothing to prevent it. Hundreds more could have died, *would* have died, if things had gone according to plan. We weren't just accepting the evil: we were perpetrating it. THE ELDER (falsely conciliatory) I don't need to tell you that we aren't perfect, Carol. We may have put our eggs in the wrong basket this time. FINLEY May I ask why we put our eggs in this particular basket in the first place? THE ELDER (hesitant but firm) I'm sorry, I can't discuss that. Some things have to stay secret, even from members as experienced as yourself. FINLEY (nodding in acceptance) Well... I suppose I should be going. The Elder nods. Finley turns to go, then stops before reaching the door. FINLEY Sir... what Frank Black saw... it's a good sign, don't you think? The elements are converging. THE ELDER (putting on a poker face) Indeed. Finley is puzzled at the Elder's lack of enthusiasm, but decides not to make an issue of it. She walks out of the office and closes the door behind her. After she's gone, the Elder reaches for Pellier's "The Final Moments," a copy of which he has to the side of his desk. As he opens the book and begins reading... CUT TO: EXT. MISSISSIPPI RIVER - DAY Wide shot of the river flowing through an uninhabited area. CAMERA ZOOMS in on one side of the river bank where PELLIER'S BODY slightly decayed from the water, has washed up on the shore. PELLIER (V.O.) From dust were we made, and to dust we shall return. But the Lord in his generosity and love has made it so that we might rise up out of the dust, and our spirits ascend to his kingdom in heaven. EXT. THE BLACK RESIDENCE - DAY Frank is arriving home in his red jeep, repaired since the events in "Shophetim." He parks it in the street outside his brother's home, then jumps out and walks toward the door. PELLIER (V.O., CONT'D.) But first shall appear a man, like John before him, a voice crying out in the wilderness, not the Light itself, but a witness through whom the Light will shine in all its holy splendor. By abiding in the truth, he shall make straight the path of the Lord. Frank enters the house and is greeted by Jordan, who has evidently been waiting for him. He kneels down to give her a hug. INT. THE ELDER'S OFFICE - DAY The Elder is still reading. His expression betrays a certain discomfort. PELLIER (V.O., CONT'D.) Know now that the day of the Lord is near, and fear not what is to come in the final moments. Even as the servants of the beast conspire not against our bodies but against our very souls, stand firm. Abide in the truth, and they shall be vanquished. As we pull back from the uneasy Elder... FADE OUT. THE END