M I L L E N N I U M IT... HAS... BEGUN... NOTHING IS FORSAKEN... Virtual Season Episode #415. "Anthropophagi" written by: Dan Owen TEASER FADE IN: INT. BALTIMORE STATE HOSPITAL - NIGHT We follow a pair of FEMALE LEGS as they walk down a long corridor - high-heels CLICKING on the polished floor. The sound of a THUNDER STORM can be heard outside; RUMBLING like a wild beast. Legend INDICATES: Baltimore State Hospital for the Criminally Insane 11:18 PM INT. HOLDING ROOM - NIGHT The THUNDER STORM is much louder here. The room is quite large, with no window. Charcoal and water-colored drawings litter the whole room, depicting birds. ZECHARIAH COBB (mid-40's, 5'7") is sat on his bed, folding some paper. His head is dropped, concentrating hard on his task. Zech is slim, but with enough muscle to pose a threat. He has a visible bandage across his chest. Zech works in silence, listening to the STORM which echoes around his cell. RATTLING in the lock is heard, as the door swings opens, sending a shaft of bright light across the concrete floor. A FEMALE SILHOUETTE enters the cell... and closes the door behind her. SEMI-DARKNESS. Blue lighting PULSES around the room, followed by a shudder of THUNDER. Zech places his paper creation on the floor: an origami swan, with a long, slender neck. Suddenly, a CLINK is heard from-- A CIGARETTE LIGHTER which produces a burning FLAME. The Woman uses it to light a CIGARETTE. The end burns orangey-red, as she lifts it to her red lips and takes a long draw. She exhales a plume of smoke elegantly into the air. The Woman's face is partially visible from the glow of her cigarette end. And as blue LIGHTNING illuminates the cell again, her features are revealed - it's LUCY BUTLER. LIGHTNING strikes again and, for a brief second her true form is revealed - the hideous LEGION DEMON, its large wings silhouetted across the cell door - then we shift back to Lucy's usual form. LUCY Hello, Zechariah. For the first time, Zech lifts his head to stare up at Lucy. He slowly folds a new sheet of paper in his hands as he studies her. LUCY (CONT'D) I said I'd come... I'll always come for you. I heard they shot you in the back? No answer. LUCY (CONT'D) You're lucky to still be alive. (frowns) What's that you're making? Zech has almost finished his next creation, and raises another origami bird to his lips. His tongue droops out of his mouth and he slices the paper across it. The blood from his tongue's paper-cut soaks into the paper. Zech raises the bird, and flaps its wings. The blood-stain has marked its chest in a messy circle. ZECH A robin redbreast. LUCY (smirks) I bet you'd like to be as free as a bird. Wouldn't you? Zech places the origami robin on the floor, next to the swan. LUCY (O.C., CONT'D) Of course you would. You can't sit in here forever - doing nothing. "The Devil makes work for idle hands", as you well know. Just like you know I'm a woman of my word, and since you accepted my offer... it's only fair I honor your terms... and keep you free to do what you do best: add a darker color to the canvas of civilization. Another RUMBLE of thunder as blue lightning flashes across the origami animals. Lucy drops her cigarette, which lands next to the paper swan, and sets it alight. Lucy squashes the cigarette, the swan and the robin underfoot, causing a gentle SIZZLING sound. FADE OUT. ACT ONE BLACK. "How can we understand humanity without ingesting a few morsels of it?" BLACK. SIX DAYS EARLIER FADE IN: EXT. SEVERNA PARK - DAY FRANK BLACK is walking across the grass, together with LIEUTENANT LEWIS KILNER - 40's, average height, blonde hair, intelligent. Legend INDICATES: Severna Park Baltimore, Maryland 9:44 AM Together they walk closer to the embankment of the harbor, which has been partially cordoned off with yellow tape. KILNER It looks pretty grisly. But I guess you're used to all that. FRANK Did anybody see or hear anything? KILNER No. This place is a kind of meeting place for homosexuals. So I'd say either the killer just happens to be gay, or he despises gay men and seeks them out. Probably the latter. (beat) Here it is. Frank has already stopped and knelt down next to the shoreline. Just peeping out of the ground are the toes of a male human's foot. KILNER (CONT'D) Grisly, huh? There's a partial hand over there, too. We're combing the water for anything else. Frank twists on his heels and sees a human hand; its fingers clawing out of some reeds. Frank stares at the hand, as if about to receive a vision, but nothing happens. HOLD ON his stony features for a while, before he wrinkles his brow in confusion. KILNER (CONT'D) So, what's your expert opinion? In the b.g. a DIVER is wading around in the water. FRANK The killer could be homosexual, you're right... and it's possible he despises his sexuality. KILNER So maybe he chopped this guy up to vent some sexual frustration? FRANK Maybe. But he didn't just sever the body. He ate most of him. These are the leftovers. Frank indicates the body parts, as Kilner reacts intrigued. KILNER I, uh, we're sending all this stuff to the coroner in a few minutes, so-- FRANK (firmly) Good, he'll confirm my theory. Notice the flesh has been *torn* at one end - not cut? Kilner stares at Frank, impressed. Frank notices. FRANK (CONT'D) This could still be an animal attack, Lieutenant Kilner, but I don't think there are many man-eating animals in the city. KILNER Okay... if you're sure - I mean, I respect your opinion Mr Black - I've just never... never had to deal with anything like this before. FRANK Fortunately it's extremely rare. Kilner nods, a little shocked and scared at the preliminary profile from Frank. Frank turns to stare at the wading Diver some distance away. FRANK (CONT'D) I hope you find the victim's skull, but I won't count on it. Most cannibals keep the head as a "trophy", while others realize it can easily identify the victim using layers of clay to simulate human muscle tone. They tend to discard just the hands and feet due to the excessive bone. KILNER (dead-pan) Not very tasty. Frank nods, then moves off. Kilner surveys the expanse of water, as the Diver submerges himself. INT. FARM HOUSE - BEDROOM - DAY Daylight has been restrained by thick curtains, and the bedroom is already a dirty and dingy affair. Wallpaper hangs from the walls, and old furniture has tatty clothes strewn across it. We begin to hear LABORED BREATHING and PAN ACROSS to reveal TWO PEOPLE engaged in sex under a thin white bed cover. The woman, positioned on top, has her face obscured by her dark, shoulder-length hair. The man underneath her suddenly GROANS loudly in satisfaction as the event reaches a climax. The woman flicks her hair over her shoulder, revealing herself: it's Lucy Butler. She smiles down at her lover - JIM GRANT - and begins stroking his chest with her fingernails. Jim is in his mid-20's with short, brown hair, a pale face, and morning stubble across his jaw line. Jim catches his breath as Lucy slides down his body, and rests her head under his chin. He inhales her hair's fragrance. JIM What's the time? LUCY Ten-oh-nine in the morning. JIM Two hours? God, you're insatiable! Even in your condition. LUCY (beams widely) Don't you just love it. Jim tugs on Lucy's hair and she cranes up, staring into his face. JIM You know I do. I wouldn't change you for the world. Lucy smiles, but much weaker. Jim kisses her deeply, then Lucy rests down on his chest again. But now, her sly smile registers slight disgust. INT. COUNTY MORGUE - DAY Frank is present with Kilner, both listening to the CORONER's assessment of the dismembered limbs found at the shore, which are lined out on a counter; two feet and two hands. Maryland County Morgue 10:52 AM The Coroner slightly prods the missing end of a human hand with his gloved finger. CORONER Mr Black was right, these hands were definitely half-eaten. KILNER Could that be the work of an animal, Doctor? CORONER No, the bite marks are easily identified as human because they range in length from 2 to 27 millimeters, and have sharper borders, narrower width and wider spacing. But the limbs were initially dismembered using a sharp knife, before being half-eaten at the wrist - or ankle in the feet's case. It all points to an instance of anthropophagi. Kilner looks confused at this. FRANK Cannibalism. Kilner nods, understanding. Frank just looks sickened at the clarification, but concentrated. INT. MARYLAND COUNTY MORGUE - CORRIDOR - NIGHT Kilner and Frank are walking up the corridor together. KILNER I don't suppose there's a procedure for cases like this? FRANK Not really. We're still looking for a murderer, Lieutenant. Just one with a particular way of killing and hiding victims. KILNER Why return the hands and feet to the crime scene, though? Seems stupid to me. FRANK This may have been his first attack, and the limbs being returned to the crime scene was a cry for help. Or he could enjoy the excitement of watching the inevitable news reports. KILNER An all-round sicko either way. FRANK His preference may be to attack living people, kill them, dismember the body, and then eat. That's the usual M.O. But a few prefer eating their victims alive, before they die of blood loss... while others feel enough shame at their behavior to only target fresh corpses. KILNER (raises eyebrows) I should contact all morgues, funeral parlors, and hospitals in the area, just in case. Frank nods in agreement. FRANK There's not much to go on right now, unless eye-witnesses step forward. Speak to anyone who regularly visits Severna Park late at night. Kilner nods, as they head out of the building's main exit. INT. JORDAN'S CLASSROOM - NIGHT CLOSE ON - A GLASS TANK which is filled with leaves, twigs and soil. Through its blurred glass we see CHILDREN walking around their classroom; the sounds of TALKING, LAUGHTER and SCRAPING chairs everywhere. Suddenly, a small girl's abdomen approaches the glass and bends down to stare inside. She smiles. It's JORDAN BLACK. REVERSE ANGLE - WIDER Jordan's head is moving, trying to see something inside the tank. One of her friends, JONAH, walks up to her. Jonah is a pleasant-looking boy, the same height as Jordan, with darker hair, and piercing blue eyes. JONAH What're you doing? Jordan looks up at Jonah. JORDAN Just looking. (returns her gaze) I can't see them. Jonah bends down next to her, and they both stare inside. Jonah points his finger at the glass. JONAH There's one. On the leaf near the top. Jordan looks... and slowly smiles. JORDAN I see it. It looks like a... JONAH A stick. That's why they're called stick insects, stupid. Both LAUGH. JORDAN D'you only like insects? JONAH Kind of. My dad keeps a whole load of bugs in his attic. And spiders, which aren't actually insects, but arachnids. We also have two dogs, two cats, some fish... (dramatically) ... and a snake. JORDAN A snake!? JONAH (laughs) We call him Samson. Jordan resumes looking inside the glass tank. Jonah joins her again. JONAH Do *you* have any pets, Jordan? JORDAN I used to have a dog, but it got run over. Then I got a parakeet, but... it got sick and died. Jordan now looks somberly into the tank, and doesn't notice Jonah turn to look at her in sympathy. INT. ZECH'S BASEMENT - DAY A squalid underground area, with cobwebs flowing across the ceiling and dried paint peeling off dirty brick walls. The most prominent fixture in the basement is an enormous freezer, which HUMMS incessantly against a wall. A stairwell leads up to a wooden door, which CREAKS open, sending partial light down the steps. Zech begins walking down the dusty steps, carrying a black bin-liner containing something solid. Zech walks over to the freezer and opens it with one hand. Bright light bathes his face, as he hurls the bag inside and SLAMS the lid back down in one movement. Zech SNIFFS, before turning round and slowly walking back up the stairwell. He leaves the basement, closing the door, and a few seconds later the gloomy light of his underground sanctuary is plunged into total darkness: only faint light from the freezer remains... as it continues its HUMMING. INT. BATHROOM - DAY Jim Grant is standing in his small bathroom, stripped to the waist, and staring into an oval mirror above a sink. His face is smeared with shaving cream, which he is scraping away with careful swipes of a knife. The sound of RUNNING WATER can be heard to his right. Lucy is taking a shower, with the partition pulled across; her naked form tastefully blurred beyond its frosted glass. CLOSE ON - THE OVAL MIRROR Jim drags his knife up his throat delicately, taking off a column of shaving cream. LUCY (O.C.) Can I help? Jim jumps in surprise and knicks his skin with the knife! A thin line of red blood flows down his throat and onto his chest. JIM Damnit, Luce! Look what you've made me do now! Lucy, strangely having exited the shower making no sound, rests her chin over his right shoulder and talks to him via the mirror. The water from the shower can still be heard running. LUCY Don't be such a baby. It's only a small cut. She takes her finger and runs it up Jim's neck, pooling the blood on her fingertip. Finally, she licks his blood off her finger slowly. Jim watches her in the mirror. LUCY (CONT'D) Here. Let me. Lucy takes the knife from Jim's hand, and pulls his head back into her bosom. Holding him in place, gripping his forehead, Lucy brings his knife to Jim's throat and drags it up the skin. LUCY (CONT'D) See? You have to be slow and gentle with your movements, concentrating at all times. Jim is a little uneasy being in such a submissive position, but also excited. Lucy flashes a smile and pushes him away, handing him the knife again. LUCY (CONT'D) All done. Jim takes the knife, and can't resist a relieved smile at her actions. Lucy arches her eyebrows provocatively. INT. KILNER'S OFFICE - BALTIMORE PD - DAY Kilner is seated at his desk, with Frank stood at the doorway waiting. Kilner takes out a file-folder and opens it out at a photo of MARK PROCTOR; a thin man in his mid-20's with short hair. Kilner passes the file to Frank, who begins studying it. KILNER Mark Proctor, 27. He didn't come home last night to his boyfriend, David Smith. Apparently their relationship had hit a rocky patch, and David suspected Mark was cheating on him with other gay men. FRANK That he picked up at Severna Park. KILNER (nods) Yep. I guess he picked the wrong person to get up close and personal with, huh? Frank nods sternly. KILNER Proctor had a scar on the back of his right hand from a car accident in his teens - it matches one on the severed hand we found. We managed to match the hand's fingerprints to some found in his apartment. So it's definitely him. (beat) So now we know who the victim was, but nobody's stepping forward with anything else. FRANK It's likely Proctor was taken back to the killer's home. The killer would have returned to the abduction site solely to deposit the unwanted limbs for us to find. KILNER I've been reading up on cannibalism, and it says the majority of cannibals *keep* the limbs they don't eat. They bury them in the backyard... deep freeze them, boil them... adorn a private room with them as trophies. Yet this guy *purposefully* dumped the limbs for us to find place? FRANK That's probably the best clue we have. It means the killer has a special agenda, which he thinks is worth risking capture to maintain. Kilner considers this, fascinated. INT. FARM HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - DAY The curtains have not been opened, so the room is cloaked in semi-darkness. The main source of light comes from a laptop computer's monitor. Lucy is seated on the sofa, with the laptop on a low table in front of her. Her fingers are TAPPING the keys furiously. Despite the dingy surroundings, Lucy's appearance is a stark contrast. The door to the room opens and Jim stands in the doorway. JIM Whatta you doing? LUCY Composing a letter. Then I might go to a chat room. Jim raises his eyebrows, slightly perplexed. Technology obviously holds no interest for him. JIM Oh. Right. (notices the gloom) You can open the curtains, y'know. Lucy stops typing and looks up at Jim. She smiles meekly. LUCY It doesn't bother me. Jim doesn't reply. Lucy smiles again, and presses a button on her laptop with finality. She stands and crosses over to him. LUCY (CONT'D) Are you ready for your assignment? Jim SIGHS deeply, as Lucy folds her arms around his neck. JIM I could get in serious trouble, Luce. I mean, you don't want me to wind up in jail, do you? LUCY Don't you worry about all that. *I'm* here... and that's all that matters. Jim takes a deep BREATH and takes Lucy's arms off his neck. He holds them by her side. JIM What's the guy's name again? LUCY Ethan Bridger. JIM (nods) Bridger, yeah. (beat, smiles) Poor, unfortunate, Doctor Bridger. His grin causes Lucy to smirk, and kiss him lightly on the cheek. Jim looks nervous. LUCY Good boy. INT. KITCHEN - COBB RESIDENCE - NIGHT Zech is standing in silence, staring out the kitchen window. In front of him are piles of dirty cutlery in the sink. The room is untidy and grimy, with many appliances looking over twenty years old. ZECH'S POV through the kitchen window we see a DOBERMAN dog, crouched on its hind-legs in the garden, staring straight at Zech with unflinching eyes. Zech turns and crosses to a counter, where a small package rests. The package is circular, deep, and strung together with twine. Zech uncaps a pen and writes on the top in capitals: 'F. BLACK' He recaps the pen and stares down at the writing. INT. LIVING ROOM - COBB RESIDENCE - NIGHT A television is switched on by hand, and Zech settles down in a large armchair to watch. After a few seconds the screen shows a news reporter: REPORTER #1 Angry protesters marched today-- The channel is changed by Zech's remote control - to another news station: REPORTER #2 --that genetically modified food should not-- The channel is again changed to another news report: REPORTER #3 --of this morning. Police have released the name of the victim to the public. An image of Mark Proctor fills the screen, smiling happily. REPORTER #3 (CONT'D) Mark Proctor, aged 27, a gas station attendant working in the area. Details are sparse, but it's believed his body was dismembered before at least parts of it were dumped in the water. Baltimore PD are, of course, urging anybody who was in the area last night to contact them *immediately* with information, on this number-- The Reporter's voice FADES OUT as we focus on Zech's expression; completely blank and unemotional, but then a flicker of a smile ripples across his lips. Zech reclines in his chair, with a low SIGH, and turns his head to the right. He stares at a picture frame on a chest of drawers; it's a black-and-white photo of his mother (PAM COBB, 34). She has struck a pose, stood next to a gas cooker in a kitchen. Zech stares at the photo... remembering... INT. KITCHEN - COBB RESIDENCE - DAY (1964) This is the same house Zech lives in now, but it's a polar opposite to its current state. The kitchen is bright, clean, retro, and sparkling in a mid-day sun, which pours through the window. Legend INDICATES: March 26, 1964 Pam Cobb is seated at a small table with sheets of paper. She's busy making some origami animals. YOUNGER ZECH (O.C.) Mom! Mom! Look! I found a bird outside! Her son - a YOUNG ZECH (9) - rushes into the kitchen from the dining room, holding a young BIRD in his hand. Pam stops her paper folding and stands back. PAM Oh my God, Zech, where did you find it? YOUNG ZECH Outside, under our tree. I think it musta fell out of its nest. It's just stunned, that's all. Can I keep it? I'll look after it, I promise. Pam isn't sure, but Young Zech looks very sincere and passionate about his find. PAM (to Young Zech) There's an old hat box in the cupboard you can use, and some cotton wool upstairs. YOUNG ZECH Thanks mom! Young Zech rushes out the room with eager enthusiasm, carefully cupping the hatchling in his palms. Pam finishes her paper-folding and places an origami swan on her table. INT. LIVING ROOM - COBB RESIDENCE - DAY (PRESENT) Zech's hands are cupped, cradling an imaginary hatchling in his palms, rubbing thin air with his thumb. Remembering the past intensely. His eyes watery with tears. INT. MEDIA ROOM - BALTIMORE PD - DAY Frank and Kilner are watching a security camera's video tape on a large TV screen. KILNER This footage covers the outer boundaries of the local park, round the corner to the main entrance gate. FRANK Dozens of people must pass up there. KILNER Apparently Mark usually left the house at nine-thirty, which means he'd reach the park on foot at about nine-forty-five. We know he was wearing a black jacket and cap, so he shouldn't be hard to spot, if he came this way. Kilner hits 'FAST-FORWARD' and 'PLAY' whenever someone appears on screen - usually YOUNG ADULTS with light clothing, or trios of WOMEN. He continues fast-forwarding for awhile. FRANK Stop! There. Kilner hits 'REWIND', then 'PLAY'. At the top of the screen, almost out of range, a man in a baseball cap and dark jacket crosses the road. He's only in shot for three seconds. KILNER Fits the description. His boyfriend could make a positive I.D. from this. FRANK Keep going. Kilner hits 'FAST-FORWARD', then stops a few seconds later. A MAN (Zech) wanders into shot, acting normally, but then stops and acts as if he's looking for something up ahead, he then starts a faster pace as he glances behind himself. KILNER (CONT'D) That guy. Acting weird, like he's looking for someone. FRANK Or trying to keep up with someone. KILNER We have a partial profile as he glances back, but it's gonna be a bitch to improve the image. I bet that's him, though: average height, thirties or forties, slim, but well-built. Frank nods his agreement. EXT. SCHOOL PLAYGROUND - DAY Jordan is sitting at a wooden table eating her lunch. Jonah is sat opposite her, also eating. The two friends sit in comfortable silence for a while. Jonah glances up at Jordan, who has glanced down. He keeps his stare fixed on her, until Jordan looks up at him - and they both smile pleasantly at each other. JORDAN (smiles) Is your snake all slimy? JONAH No, it's kind of rough and bumpy. Kind of smooth. But you have to be careful with it. JORDAN Is it poisonous? JONAH I'm not sure. But we do have to feed it mice every day. JORDAN Eurrrgh! JONAH (eyes widen for effect) *Live* mice. Jordan looks stunned, and stops chewing her sandwich. Jonah smiles. JORDAN Really? JONAH Uh-huh. It's only natural for the snake to eat living animals. Jordan returns to her eating, her expression one of curiosity and amazement. EXT. FARM HOUSE - NIGHT Jim leaves the tumble-down farm, shrugging on a jacket. He opens his jacket and inside we see a hypodermic needle, resting in a secret pocket stitched into the cloth. He walks a few steps through the mud, psyching himself with quick breathing. High over his shoulder, a window's curtain is opened and a female silhouette stands in the window. Almost on cue, Jim turns and stares up at Lucy in the window, watching him. He gives a determined smile and crosses to a dirty WHITE VAN parked outside. INT. FARM HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT Lucy watches Jim open the van's door, get inside, then drive off quickly into the darkness. She draws the curtains and turns round. Almost erotically, she inhales slowly through her nose and exhales out her mouth. LUCY (smiles) Not long now, baby. Lucy's hands stroke down her abdomen, and rub in circles around... her very pregnant stomach. Her fingers interlace across her bulging gut and she closes her eyes in maternal pleasure. FADE OUT. ACT TWO FADE IN: INT. RECEPTION - BALTIMORE GENERAL HOSPITAL - NIGHT A late-shift RECEPTIONIST is reading a copy of 'Details' behind her desk. Business is slow at this time of night, but there are still a dozen people waiting in seats. Legend INDICATES: Baltimore General Hospital 11:52 PM DOCTOR ETHAN BRIDGER (mid-40's) steps out of an elevator and marches into reception carrying a briefcase. He nods to the Receptionist curtly. BRIDGER See you tomorrow, Lynne. RECEPTIONIST Goodnight, Doctor Bridger. Bridger passes quickly through the hospital's main exit. EXT. CAR LOT - NIGHT Bridger walks quickly to his parking space, which bears his name on a small plaque; 'DOCTOR BRIDGER, ETHAN'. He disengages his car alarm with his keys and goes to grab the door handle. JIM (O.C.) Are you Doctor Bridger? Bridger reacts in surprise as he turns to see Jim, stood a few meters behind him. BRIDGER (wary) Yes. JIM (nods to the hospital) My wife's in there. I think you operated on her tonight? Bridger thinks, unsure. Jim advances slowly, his hands behind his back. We see he has his hypodermic needle poised in his right hand. BRIDGER Um... Mrs Baxter? JIM (smiles) That's right. I'm Mr Baxter. Jim is now very close to Doctor Bridger, who is still uneasy due to Jim's appearance and false charm. JIM (CONT'D) Tell me; does it hurt to be unconscious, Doctor? As Bridger's face clouds into confusion at the question, Jim's right-hand flashes upwards with the needle and jabs it into Bridger's left thigh. Bridger GASPS in surprise, but drops to his knees. Jim lurches back to watch Bridger falter, his eyes racing, as the drug takes effect and he collapses to the floor. Unconscious. EXT. JIM'S WHITE VAN - NIGHT The sliding door are open as Bridger's body is dragged head-first into the vehicle. Then the doors slide shut quickly. EXT. FRANK'S BEDROOM - BLACK RESIDENCE - NIGHT Obviously this is the spare room, due to its small size. Frank is asleep on a single bed next to the window, where a breeze is flapping the curtains gently. Frank's clock-radio shows the time as '5:09'. CAMERA CREEPS closer to Frank's face, as... FRANK'S INTERNAL POV A series of fast images disturb his sleep, all various angles of the same basic thing: -- Dozens of SNORTING and CHOMPING pigs! SQUEALING and GRUNTING! The group of swine part to reveal a small new-born PIGLET on the ground. -- The smiling face of Lucy Butler DISSOLVES over the image, as the piglet lets out a long SQUEAL! Frank snaps awake, and shifts in his bed. His hand reached over to his clock-radio and turns it to see the time '5:09'. He takes a DEEP BREATH. INT. FARM HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Doctor Bridger is sitting, unconscious, on a wooden chair. His head is slumped to the left and his arms are tied behind him. His ankles are also fastened to the two front chair legs. WIDER A pregnant Lucy is sitting opposite him, sprawled on the edge of the bed in a black night-dress which clings to her large stomach. She considers Bridger with sly interest. TCHSSSH! A beer can is opened, as Jim enters the room. The foamy liquid pours out of the hole and Jim noisily SLURPS it away. He walks up to Lucy and sits on the bed next to her. Both sit watching Bridger in his chair. LUCY He can hear us, you know. He may not recall what we say when he wakes up, but it's all stored inside his head. It's all remembered word-for-word by his subconscious, and affects his general personality without him even realizing it. JIM You learn that in medical school? LUCY I was a nurse for seventeen years. It was a long, long time ago, but I've remained fascinated by the human body. The pain it can endure... the pleasure it can bring. Lucy strokes the inside of Jim's thigh. Jim stops drinking and looks down at Lucy's fingernails, scraping along his jeans. They both look at one another, and Jim sees another lustful glint in Lucy's eye. EXT. PARKING LOT - BALTIMORE PD - DAY Frank is stepping out of his Cherokee jeep, about to start another day's work. Kilner jogs up to him, eager-faced. KILNER Mr Black! You're not going to believe this. Frank looks intrigued. INT. FORENSICS LABORATORY - DAY Frank and Kilner are stood next to a long black counter, surrounded by various medical equipment and instruments. They are joined by DOCTOR STAINTON (mid-50's). On the table rests the brown package Zech Cobb had in his kitchen. The brown wrapping and twine have been carefully removed, revealing a hat box filled with cotton-wool. The lid of the hat box is picked up by Kilner. KILNER This package was hand-delivered to the main entrance this morning. Frank takes the lid and turns it over. The words 'F. BLACK' are written on the lid in pen ink. KILNER (CONT'D) It was addressed to you personally. Guess what's inside. Frank leans over and looks inside the hat box. Inside is a human skull; its black eyes staring out of its final resting place like a macabre phantom. FRANK (to Stainton) Mark Proctor's? STAINTON We checked its teeth against an orthodontist's mould of Mr Proctor's mouth eight months ago. An exact match. It looks as though the skin and underlying flesh were boiled off, then scraped clean and polished. He'd need tools for that. Frank nods, his mind working. KILNER (to Frank) You said cannibals like to keep the skulls as mementoes? Looks like this guy prefers to use them as scare tactics. FRANK Or messages. Frank indicates the skull to Stainton. FRANK (CONT'D) Can I? STAINTON Sure, but put these on. Stainton hands Frank some rubber gloves. Frank snaps them on and gently lifts the skull from its hat box. He begins rotating it in all directions, searching. His fingers scour the inside of the eye-sockets, the nostrils, the mouth. Eventually it looks like he's spotted something. FRANK Here, up on the palette. Frank grabs an overhead lamp and moves it to view inside the skull's mouth. In the roof of the mouth some very small numbers can be seen - inked scratchily with black ink: '5 9' FRANK (CONT'D) Numbers. "Five, nine". Kilner is impressed and cranes for a closer view. KILNER What does that mean? FRANK'S INTERNAL POV -- The SNORTING and SQUEALING of ugly pigs! Frank replaces the skull in the hat box. FRANK I don't know, but it's important. The killer doesn't know me personally, just my name. He obviously doesn't know my address - just that I'm assigned to this case. But he wants to make it personal. He wants me to find him. CLOSE ON - MARK'S SKULL ominous and foreboding in its surreal resting place. INT. FARM HOUSE - BEDROOM - DAY Doctor Bridger is in the exact same position he was last night, still tied to the chair with his head slumped to one side. O.C. we can hear the unmistakable sounds of two people having sex. The low MOANS of pleasure awakened Bridger, as his eyes slowly open and become accustomed to the dim light. Then he jerks awake and finds his hands are tied behind him. In panic he looks ahead BRIDGER'S POV and sees the naked back of a MAN (Jim) pistoning away on someone below him, mostly obscured by the thin bed-covers. Bridger's mouth is open in surprise and shock. He again tries to move his hands and feet, but can't break free of the rope restraints. He looks around and sees four beer cans on the floor... and a hypodermic needle abandoned on the carpet in a stain of drink. O.C. the sounds of a sexual climax end. JIM and LUCY embrace in their bed, Jim on top and still excitedly nuzzling Lucy's neck. Lucy seems bored now, having had her fun. Jim suddenly stops and half-glances over his shoulder. He turns back to Lucy, concerned. JIM I think he's... watching us. LUCY (smiles) Good. I like an audience. BRIDGER can only hear WHISPERING from their bed. He's too scared to make a noise, and just smacks his dried lips in a mixture of terror, nervousness, and excitement. EXT. SCHOOL PLAYGROUND - DAY Jordan is playing hop-scotch with some of her FRIENDS. She rolls the stone, and begins to hop and jump along the chalked ground. She seems to be enjoying herself; smiling and LAUGHING a lot. JONAH (O.C.) Jordan! (beat) Jordan!! Jordan hears, and turns to see Jonah - who is peeping round the side of the school building. He signals for her to follow with his hand. Jordan turns serious and wrinkles her brow. JORDAN (to her friends) I won't be long. Her friends hardly notice as she rushes away toward Jonah. She quickly reaches him. JORDAN (CONT'D) What is it? Jonah "shushes" her with his finger over his lips. Jordan looks intrigued. JONAH Come see what I found. Jonah moves off, with Jordan following. INT. KILNER'S OFFICE - BALTIMORE PD - DAY Frank is holding a sketch artist's drawing of a startlingly accurate sketch of Zech Cobb. Kilner is standing beside him. KILNER Gladys Lane is one of the cleaners here. She alerted us to the package when she saw the killer deliver it. She only got a glance at his face, but she says she had a good memory. This sketch, based on her description, matches the guy we saw snooping around on the Severna Park videotape. Kilner looks satisfied. Frank nods, staring down at the picture of their killer. MATCH CUT TO: CLOSE ON - A WANTED POSTER showing the same sketch of Zechariah Cobb, with the words 'WANTED. HAVE YOU SEEN THIS MAN? CONTACT BALTIMORE PD. NOW' underneath. WIDER EXT. SUBURBAN STREET - DAY The poster has been pinned to a telegraph pole. INT. ZECH'S BEDROOM - DAY Zech is seated at a computer screen, typing. His face is covered in a blue glare from the screen, since his curtains are closed and the light in his room has been dimmed. His bedroom matches the general atmosphere of his whole house; a curious timewarp (except for the computer), with dozens of posters tacked to his wall advertising films and heavy metal bands from the 70's and 80's. Among them; "The Lost Boys", "Guns N' Roses", "Alive", "Metallica", etc. There are also a lot of charcoal drawing of vicious-looking pigs and graceful birds. As Zech types, the faint sound of CHATTERING can be heard O.C. Zech doesn't hear it for awhile, but then notices it. He stops typing, stands and crosses to his window. He peers out of a small crack in his curtains. ZECH'S POV through the dirty glass, a dozen NEIGHBORS have gathered outside his front lawn. Most are GOSSIPING, while others occasionally point at his house. Nobody notices him looking. Zech's face looks shocked and he steps back from the curtain. He takes a few seconds for everything to sink in... then rushes back to his computer and furiously types, GASPING slightly in fear. EXT. SCHOOL BUILDING - DAY A trapped mouse is sat next to a mousetrap. Its blinking eyes show it's very much alive, but probably in a lot of pain because it's hind leg is caught in the trap. The mousetrap had been placed outside the school boiler room. A large gate leads into this ominous area, which heats the school, and a low RUMBLING of power can be heard. Jonah and Jordan approach the trapped mouse, very carefully. Jordan's mouth drops slightly. JORDAN Oh no... JONAH It's caught its back leg in the trap. JORDAN Can you get it out? JONAH I don't think it would survive in the wild now. It'd get eaten by a predator: a snake, or a cat... JORDAN We have to try something. I'll go tell Miss Parker. JONAH Jordan, wait-- MALE VOICE (O.C.) Hey, you two! What you doing back here? Playground's thatta way! Jordan and Jonah are startled as the school JANITOR approached them out of the boiler room. He wears a pair of blue dungarees, has a wispy gray beard and a flat-cap on. JONAH (indicates the trap) We found a mouse, sir. The Janitor glances down at the trapped mouse. JONAH (CONT'D) It's still alive. JANITOR So? JORDAN Can't you let it go? JANITOR (to Jordan, gestures to Jonah) Like your friend says, it wouldn't survive no more. It's weak. And it's survival of the fittest in God's Garden - don't they teach you kids anything in this school? JONAH It's okay, Jordan. Let's just go. Jonah begins to walk away, but realized Jordan isn't following. He stops, looking at her. JONAH (CONT'D) Jordan? Jordan looks up at the Janitor, then back to the scared mouse. JORDAN What're you going to do with it? JANITOR The kindest thing - hit it with a brick. Quick and painless. Jordan looks disgusted. JANITOR (CONT'D) Put the damn thing out of its misery. Here... The Janitor scoops up a nearby brick, which looks a little stained with blood already. JANITOR (CONT'D) You want to help the mouse? Stop it suffering? Go on then... He hands the brick to Jordan, who just looks at it. She looks at the small mouse on the floor, then up to the Janitor - who stares at her with piercingly persuasive blue eyes. Jordan chews her lip, unsure what to do. JORDAN'S POV suddenly the Janitor's face alters so that he has high ridges around his eyebrows, a more pointed nose, higher cheek-bones, angular nostrils and tinted-red skin. Jordan's jaw opens, and she swallows hard. Then she turns and runs off past Jonah. Jonah turns to watch her disappear round the building's corner. Then he turns back to see the Janitor - back to his normal appearance - still holding his brick. Jonah walks up to the Janitor and takes the brick. The Janitor looks happy as Jonah crouches next to the trapped mouse. The boy raises the brick above his head - about to bring it down with full-force on the hapless rodent. HARD CUT TO: INT. FARM HOUSE - BEDROOM - DAY Jim is pacing up and down the room, playing with his shaving knife in his hands. Doctor Bridger is still strapped to his chair, and nervously watching Jim toy with his weapon. JIM So... how many kids have you delivered, Doctor? BRIDGER I don't know. JIM Can't you guess? Estimate for me. BRIDGER Over a hundred, probably. JIM Good, that's good. How many, uh, died? BRIDGER Um, well, eight, ten maybe, I don't know. JIM Those are good odds, then. That everything's going to be fine, I mean. Bridger nods, but then realizes a chance to deflect the conversation in his favor. BRIDGER The odds aren't as favorable with home births... and certainly not with just three people present. No anesthetist, no mid-wife... Jim stops pacing and waggles his knife near to Bridger's face in a threatening manner. Bridger instantly shuts up and closes his eyes. JIM I don't like hospital, okay! And neither does Lucy now. She's had bad experiences in them. And so have I. (calmer) Okay? It took a lot of effort to get you here for this. Yeah. A lot of trouble. I just want you to do your job... deliver my son... and then you can leave. Lucy's a trained nurse, so.. you got plenty of help. Right? Bridger nods fast, eyes still closed. JIM (CONT'D) Good, 'cos I'm warning you, Doctor Bridger... you do *not* want to piss my girlfriend off. Trust me on that. BRIDGER When, uh, when is it due? LUCY (O.C.) Soon. Jim twists round to see Lucy enter the room, now properly dressed. LUCY (CONT'D) (to Jim) Everything's going to plan. It's almost time. Lucy places Jim's hand on her stomach, and moves it around seductively. INT. MAIN DESK - BALTIMORE PD - DAY Frank and Kilner are talking, going through a folder's contents, as a YOUNG OFFICER dashes up to them from a corridor. YOUNG OFFICER Lieutenant! We got feedback on those posters! KILNER A name? YOUNG OFFICER Zechariah Cobb. One-eighteen Crescent Avenue. KILNER Let's go. Kilner and Frank rush off, following the Young Officer. EXT. COBB RESIDENCE - DAY Quite a crowd of PEOPLE have appeared outside now, all looking at the house and CHATTING to one-another in fascination. Suddenly, half a dozen POLICE CRUISERS sweep into the Avenue and SCREECH to a halt outside. The onlookers step back as some OFFICERS pile out and immediately start controlling the crowd. An ARMED RESPONSE TEAM pile out of a police VAN, carrying rifles, wearing helmets and bullet-proof vests. Kilner and Frank hang back as the team do their job. They fan out across Zech's lawn and some move up to the front door. The two "doormen" silently count to three, then kick the crumbling door down with just one kick. The men filter inside. Frank and Kilner leisurely walk up, being careful of the windows and other vantage points. KILNER Zechariah Cobb. Known as Zech. Worked as a meat-packer at a local factory. Shift rotations, so looks like he had the night off to kill Mark Proctor. FRANK Was he homosexual? KILNER We're not sure. Nobody really knew him. Frank furrows his brow as they reach the main door. The TEAM LEADER walks up to them from the inside, shaking his head. TEAM LEADER Looks like he's gone. Kilner nods, as Frank steps inside. INT. ZECH'S KITCHEN - DAY Frank is walking around the small room. Passing members of the response team walk through occasionally, while Kilner looks inside a large silver pot on the cooker. KILNER I guess this is where he boiled the skin off Proctor's head. Frank turns to the refrigerator, and finds a strange drawing stuck to the door with a magnet: a cartoon pig with the words '5 9 OINK! OINK!' written underneath. Kilner stands next to Frank. KILNER (CONT'D) Five-nine again. Oink-oink? FRANK'S INTERNAL POV -- Another abrupt sequence of swine SQUEALING and GRUNTING feverishly! Frank opens the fridge and looks inside. Kilner's face sinks into disgust. KILNER (CONT'D) Oh my God... Frank takes out a bowl filled with Jello, but severed fingers are visible - trapped inside the orange substance. Kilner grimaces, as Frank SLAMS the fridge closed, not wanting to be "entertained" by Zech's depravity. FRANK Is there a basement? INT. ZECH'S BASEMENT The large freezer HUMMS like an agitated creature, as Frank lifts the lid, sending a beam of light around the gloomy room. Kilner steps forward from behind and cranes his head inside, then grimaces. KILNER Jesus. Inside are lots of white and black plastic bags, each one tied at the top and stored on top of each other. Ice has frosted over the bags, and wisps of cold air spiral up into Frank's face. FADE OUT. ACT THREE FADE IN: INT. ZECH'S BEDROOM - DAY Frank is snooping around the room, checking the contents of a small bookcase, reading posters, and routing through some drawers. Finally his attention moves to Zech's desk. Kilner enters the room. KILNER We found a shed round the back. Full of equipment covered in blood... sawdust mixed with flesh, stuff like that. I think he used the wood-sander to shave Proctor's skull clean. Anything here? Kilner idly touches a water-color of a bird pinned to the wall. Frank glances back at Kilner, then opens a drawer in the desk. FRANK You can learn a lot from what a man chooses to read. See for yourself. Frank indicates over Kilner's shoulder. Kilner turns and reads the spines of some books on the shelf behind him: KILNER (reading) "Shrunken Heads", "The Anasazi Eaters"... "Benito Cereno"... "Divine Hunger: Cannibalism as a Cultural System". (to Frank) Intense stuff. Frank stands back from the desk and looks across to Kilner. FRANK (elaborating) He detested his own existence, felt guilty about his crimes, but has spent years trying to convince himself what he does is a normal existence. (indicates the desk) Take a look at this. Kilner crosses to Frank, who takes out a large pile of old letters. KILNER Letters. From who? Frank opens one out and glances down at the ornate writing style, somewhat old-fashioned. Each one has been signed simply "L.B." FRANK Signed L.B. KILNER Is there a return address? Frank searched the drawer some more, but doesn't find anything. FRANK Not here. Frank finds something else in the drawer and takes out a thick 1999 Diary. INT. FARM HOUSE - BEDROOM - DAY Doctor Bridger is drinking water from a bottle, using a straw. Jim is holding the container and takes it away from Bridger's parched mouth. BRIDGER (relieved) Thank you. Lucy is reclined on her bed, stroking her stomach. LUCY It's a boy. BRIDGER (nervous) Have you, have you had an ultrasound? LUCY No. I just know it's a boy. I can feel its masculinity growing inside of me. Bridger wrinkles his brow, unsure what to say. Lucy doesn't see, as she's too busy delighting in the feel of her pregnancy. EXT. DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE - DAY Zech is walking down the streets, huddled to look inconspicuous. All around him, CARS pass by. It's raining slightly now, making patches of Zech's black coat turn darker. Zech's cold eyes glance to his right, and he sees TWO BIRDS on the floor, fighting over remnants of a squashed hamburger. MATCH CUT TO: INT. GARDEN - COBB RESIDENCE - DAY (1964) Two birds are fighting over a worm, which Young Zech has tossed to them from the flower bed. Young Zech is knelt on the grass with his hat box. Inside is the hatchling, and Young Zech is feeding it worms he's picking out of the soil. The sound of CHIRPING birds is everywhere. FEMALE VOICE (O.C.) Hello, Zechariah. Young Zech turns to see Lucy Butler, stood on the sidewalk that passes his house. She doesn't look any younger, but does wear '60's clothing and an old-fashioned hairstyle. But the air of polite malice still lingers around her. INT. DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE - DAY (PRESENT) Zech, lost in remembrance, is walking down the wet street. INT. GARDEN - COBB RESIDENCE - DAY (1964) The garden is empty. Eerily silent, with no birdsong anymore. CAMERA CLOSES IN on where Young Zech was kneeling with his hat box... and we find it's been buried in the soil. Only parts of its sealed lid is visible through the dirt. Inside, the faint CHIRPS of the dying hatchling can be heard. INT. DOWNTOWN BALTIMORE - DAY (PRESENT) Zech steps out across the busy main road, not paying attention. Then, a DOBERMAN blocks his path. Zech GASPS and jumps backward onto the road, ready to run. The Doberman is snapped away by its owner's lead. SCREECH! Zech glances up to see a CAR'S hood ram into his legs, and send him flying across the tarmac! Zech lies still on the floor, his cold eyes staring straight up, still alive. In shock he blinks a few times ZECH'S POV a procession of birds fly past overhead, wheeling across the cloudy sky. ACROSS THE STREET A different DOBERMAN sits watching, without an owner. Its cold, silvery eyes staring at the accident scene, where a MURMURING crowd are gathering around the fallen Zechariah. EXT. COBB RESIDENCE - DAY The crowd still remain, now with umbrellas, being held back by a yellow police line. REPORTERS are also on the scene, with OFFICERS guarding the area. A BOILER-SUITED MAN exits the house, carrying two plastic bags from Zech's freezer. He passes Frank, who is reading from Zech's diary and letters. Frank looks up at Kilner, who has just hung up his cell phone. KILNER Frank, we just got a call from the hospital. A man fitting Cobb's description just turned up in Intensive Care - he'd been hit by a car downtown. Frank closes the diary. INT. KILNER'S CAR - DAY Kilner is driving through the heavy rain, which runs in sheets down his windshield. Frank has resumed reading Zech's diary. FRANK Listen to this, from Cobb's diary: (reading) "The lure of her is too strong, her dominance unbeatable. I feel as if the sweet birdsong of my life has been consumed by the snorting of dirty pigs." KILNER The guy's obsessed with pigs. FRANK (nods) His whole diary's filled with abstract phrases describing a controlling force over his life, and his behavior. KILNER Almost all killers try and shift the blame for their actions. FRANK No, this is a real person. He spoke to her many times over the internet, apparently. She's the mastermind calling the shots; sending him letters... forcing him to do things for her. KILNER You think he's like a pawn in all this. Being manipulated. FRANK (nods) In 1963, aged ten, Zechariah Cobb's IQ was 180 - a child prodigy. He was about to attend a school for gifted children in the Fall, but his mother went missing. Her body has never been found. Zech never knew his father, and nobody could find him, so he was fostered by a local family. He attended his special school that year, but was disruptive in class. His behavior was blamed on the loss of his mother, and tolerated for a time. But eight months later a teacher caught him skinning a pet rabbit with a knife - and he was expelled. His foster family were so disgusted that he was sent to stay with someone else. At the age of sixteen, he dropped out of education entirely and started a meat-packing job - which he's been doing ever since. Even winning employee of the month twelve times. Kilner shakes his head at the irony of the last statement. INT. ROOM - DAY A GUARD stands to attention at the side of the door. Zech lies in his bed, his wrists cuffed to the metal frame - likewise his feet. Outside, the low RUMBLING of the storm continues. Zech is awake, staring up at the ceiling silently. There's a KNOCK at the door and the Guard opens it. In the outside hallway, Frank and Kilner are stood waiting. Another GUARD can be seen stood outside. Kilner flashes his badge to the Guard, who widens the door for them to enter, but Frank stops Kilner in his tracks. FRANK It's better if I do this alone. Kilner nods, bowing to Frank's experience. Frank enters the room. The Guard closes the door and stands to attention again. Frank, a little perturbed by the Guard's presence, walks over to Zech's bed and pulls up a chair. He sits. FRANK (CONT'D) My name's Frank Black. Zech's eyes looks at Frank, without moving his head. Zech stares back to the ceiling. FRANK (CONT'D) You sent me a message. ZECH No. I didn't. FRANK Then you passed on a message. (Zech doesn't refute this) I don't get the meaning. Those numbers don't mean anything to me. ZECH In reading the message in the bottle, you overlooked the bottle itself. Frank crinkles his brow at this. FRANK Mark Proctor's skull? ZECH Mark, yeah. Five-nine. Frank still looks confused. ZECH (CONT'D) You don't read The Bible? Now it dawns on Frank. FRANK L.B. sent the message. Your internet friend. For the first time, Zech's head twists toward Frank, but he says nothing. FRANK (CONT'D) The people out there don't know the full story. They're just after a killer who eats homosexual men. As far as they're concerned, this case is almost closed now you're in custody. (beat) But it's not just about that. You know, and I know, it's about something else. *Someone* else. (beat) I'm not going to pretend I can help you, Zech. You *did* commit those crimes, and you'll be punished for that. Severely. Nothing's open to negotiation... but why end your days sitting on Death Row, while the real mastermind walks free? She doesn't care about you, no matter what she says - or promises. Zech looks at Frank, as he mentions "she". Frank nods. FRANK Lucy Butler; L.B. She just uses you, so why protect her? ZECH (calm, distant) You don't understand. FRANK I understand you're scared. That's her only true power: fear. All you have to do is say "no" to her. Stand up to her for once in your life. She can't make you do anything you don't *want* to do; it doesn't work that way. ZECH We have an agreement. She made me an offer. An offer I can't refuse. (smiles slyly) Did you know some tribes thought devouring a man endowed the eater with characteristics of his victim? That you could literally consume not just his body, but his whole being. His essence, his spirit, his power. (straight at Frank) I am the product of dozens of men. *I* am many. FRANK (quickly) What has she promised you? Zech doesn't answer. FRANK (CONT'D) Where is she, Zech? Tell me, so I can save others like you - people who don't deserve to be corrupted by her. Zech has fixed his stare on the ceiling again. Frank, growing desperate, makes a last effort. FRANK (CONT'D) If you won't help me, at least tell me this: why did you risk capture by taking the limbs back to Severna Park? You made it easy for us from the very beginning. ZECH (staring ahead) Because she told me to. She loves to revel in elaborate plans and deception. She even wants you at her beside Frank, to... (smiles) ... hold her hand, I suppose. She... finds pleasure in you. You interest her, and she enjoys locking horns. Zech smiles and closes his eyes, resigned to sleep. Frank realizes he's not going to get more information. He turns and heads for the door. Zech opens his eyes and watches him go. INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - DAY Kilner is pacing up the corridor, as Frank leaves Zech's room. He dashes up to him, eager for news. KILNER So? FRANK You'll get a conviction, but there's someone else. A woman named Lucy Butler. L.B. She's the brains behind all this, the dominant "controlling force" he writes about in his diary. KILNER If we have her name, we should be able to-- FRANK (interrupting) I need a Bible. Five-nine's a chapter in the Book of Mark; hence the death of *Mark* Proctor. It had nothing to do with his sexuality, it was just a vague message intended for me. Lucy wants me to find her, and Cobb's just an unfortunate pawn in her sick game. KILNER (slightly confused) Uh, I think there's a small chapel upstairs, in case people want their babies baptized in emergencies. It should have a Bible. Frank nods. INT. HOSPITAL CHAPEL - NIGHT A small room, with a small altar and modest decoration. Frank has a small Bible in his hand, which he's leafing through. Kilner is watching with keen interest. Frank's fingers find the correct chapter/verse in The Book of Mark and reads aloud: FRANK (O.C.) (reading) 5:9; "And he asked him, What is thy name? And he answered, saying, My name is Legion: for we are many. And he besought him much that he would not send them away out of the country." EXT. MOUNTAINOUS REGION - NIGHT Dozens upon dozens of PIGS are grazing in the high mountain field. FRANK (V.O., CONT'D) "Now there was there, nigh unto the mountains, a great herd of swine feeding. And all the devils besought him, saying, Send us into the swine, that we may enter into them. And forthwith Jesus gave them leave. And the unclean spirits went out, and entered into the swine:" EXT. MOUNTAIN EDGE - NIGHT All the pigs are stampeding toward the edge of a tall cliff-face, SQUEALING and SNORTING! FRANK (V.O., CONT'D) "And the herd ran violently down a steep place into the sea, they were about two thousand, and were choked in the sea." One last violence SQUEAL for help as the first pig disappears off the edge. INT. HOSPITAL CHAPEL - NIGHT Frank is looking up ahead, thinking. Kilner looks blank. KILNER I don't get it. FRANK Jesus Christ supposedly exorcised a man who was possessed by demons, calling themselves 'Legion' collectively. The demons were cast out into the bodies of pigs, that committed suicide by running off a cliff. KILNER And kids are taught this in Sunday School? Frank isn't listening. FRANK Make sure Cobb's kept under armed guard. Hopefully he'll make the right choice, and talk. Kilner nods in silence, and leaves. Frank takes a deep BREATH, staring down at the small Bible. Then, his cell phone RINGS, and he answers it. FRANK (CONT'D) Frank Black. LUCY'S VOICE (V.O.) Fra-ank, so good to hear your voice again. You never write. Frank keeps his composure, but chews his tongue; seething inside. Kilner watches with interest. INTERCUT BETWEEN SCENES: INT. FARM HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT Lucy is lounged out on her bed, a cell phone tucked under her chin, watching Doctor Bridger who is still restrained to his chair. There's no sign of Jim. LUCY Am I interrupting something? Another grisly murder case, perhaps? FRANK (flatly) What do you want? LUCY How's Zechariah? I heard he was admitted to hospital this evening? Maybe it was something he ate. FRANK He's fine. Or at least he was before he met you. LUCY Now, now, Frank. Nobody is forced into anything they don't want to do. Everyone makes their choice, and learns to live and die by it. (beat) How's Jordan by the way? Frank grits his teeth; angered at her off-hand threats. LUCY (CONT'D) Wouldn't it be nice if she had a brother to play with? You know what they say about only-children and single parent families. Hmm, I don't think Zechariah had any brothers or sisters, actually... *and* only one parent. That's a coincidence, don't you think, Frank? FRANK (changing the subject) I got your message. It's only a matter of time before I find you. LUCY'S VOICE Oh I'm counting on that, Frank. Here's another clue; what's today's date? FRANK (beat) November 12th. LUCY Tell me, what were you doing *exactly* nine months ago? Frank stops and thinks. Lucy is beside herself with expectant joy, waiting, her mouth quivers with anticipation. FRANK'S INTERNAL POV -- Frank lying on a bed, in a room coated in pink neon light. The bed is moving, and he's GROANING slightly. Lucy Butler has straddled him, having non-consensual sex! (scene from "Antipas") Frank's mouth opens, stunned. Lucy somehow knows what Frank has just experienced. LUCY February 12th. Two days before Valentine's Day... lover. Lucy presses a button, hanging up her phone. She tosses it aside, then grips her stomach in shock. Open-mouthed, half-grimacing, she takes a deep breath. Then half-laughs as she reclines further in her bed. LUCY (CONT'D) (to Bridger) It's time to work, Doctor. Bridger says nothing. FADE OUT. ACT FOUR FADE IN: INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - NIGHT The storm is still RUMBLING outside. Kilner rounds a corner, and finds the two GUARDS on the floor. Their throats torn open, exposing red snatches of flesh. Kilner frantically rushes to them, but quickly realizes they're beyond help. The door to Zech's room is open. Kilner stands and enters. INT. ROOM - NIGHT Kilner steps forward slowly, taking out his gun from behind his jacket lapel. He edges closer toward Zech's bed, unable to see much thanks to the gloom. Blue lightning FLASHES across the room, illuminating an empty bed. A silver handcuff, connected to the bed frame, swings idly. GRRRRR-RRR-RRR! Kilner swings round, hearing the low guttural GROWL. He can't see anything. Then, a pair of eyes - like silver marbles - appear in the darkness behind the door. Kilner squints for a better view, just as a large Doberman rushes out of the shadows at him! Kilner panics and instinctively FIRES twice at the pouncing dog! INT. HOSPITAL CORRIDOR - NIGHT Frank hears the two GUNSHOTS and rushes round to find the two dead Guards. Leaving them, he enters Zech's room. INT. ROOM - NIGHT A dead Doberman lies on the floor. Kilner is leaning against Zech's empty bed, clutching his left arm, which is bleeding. KILNER Damn thing bit my arm! How the hell did a dog get in here?! Frank sees the empty bed. FRANK (abruptly) Where's Cobb? KILNER Gone. Call the front desk, get security to block all the exits. Frank whips out his cell phone and dials. EXT. BALTIMORE HOSPITAL - NIGHT A WHITE VAN screeches out of the car lot at high-speed. INT. WHITE VAN - NIGHT Jim is driving, with Zech sat on a low bench in the back, rubbing his wrists where the tight handcuffs were. Jim watches him nervously from the rear-view mirror. Zech sees his eyes in the mirror and smiles. ZECH Don't worry. I've already eaten. Jim swallows, afraid and embarrassed. Zech clambers up to the front, so he can see out the front window. Jim's scared at the presence of Zech, inches from his right shoulder, but tries not to show it. Zech senses his fear and looks down at Jim's hands, gripping the steering wheel. He smiles ever so slightly. ZECH (CONT'D) You have such pretty fingers. HARD CUT TO: INT. FARM HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT Lucy, clutching her stomach in pain, and PANTING to control her breathing, is untying Bridger from his chair. LUCY You go anywhere, Doctor, and you won't live long enough to regret it. Bridger's hands come free and he begins untying his own feet. Shakily, he gets up, as Lucy stumbles over to her bed and collapses on it with a GROAN. Bridger stands, flexing his stiff arms and stretching. Regaining some movement, he looks in two minds about staying or leaving. His gaze lingers on the bedroom door... then back to Lucy, MOANING in labor pains. LUCY (CONT'D) Need I remind you of the Hippocratic Oath, Doctor Bridger? Bridger SIGHS - but his good side wins, and he goes to Lucy's side. He moves her up the bed into a comfortable position. BRIDGER I'll need to use your bathroom. You have towels? Lucy nods quickly, still PANTING and MOANING from the pains. Bridger leaves quickly. Lucy, through considerable pain, grabs her cell phone and dials. INT. HOSPITAL - FRONT DESK - NIGHT Frank SLAMS his fist on the desk, after having spoken with a RECEPTIONIST. He spins round as Kilner arrives with some SECURITY GUARDS. FRANK No sign. He's just vanished. Frank's cell phone RINGS. He answers is very quickly. FRANK (CONT'D) Yeah. LUCY'S VOICE (weak, pained) It's getting close now... Frank... very soon. If it's a girl... I promise to name it Catherine, after your *dead wife*. (laughs falteringly) But it's not. I know it's not. So, perhaps Henry, after your dead father? FRANK (flatly, firmly) You told me you lost the baby after your car accident. LUCY Hmm, I faintly recall that. But, maybe I lied. I'm not the most honest person. FRANK It can't be mine, and you know it. You *lost* your baby, Lucy. That night together was just a-a dream anyway! A trick! None of it was real. LUCY'S VOICE Spare me... the melodramatics, Frank. I did you a favor by saying I lost my baby after the "accident". But don't you *dare* say we never shared a moment together. I left you proof... remember? FRANK'S INTERNAL POV -- Frank lying on the neon-lit bed, as Lucy's finger nail digs into his wrist! (scene from "Antipas") Frank holds up his left wrist and sees a small white scar in the shape of a crescent moon. LUCY'S VOICE You must be... getting old. Don't think I didn't notice the gray last time we met. The Frank I first met... would have found me by now. FRANK Just tell me where you are! LUCY'S VOICE Sorry, I have to go now. There's someone at the door. DIAL-TONE. Frank hangs up, annoyed. EXT. HOSPITAL CAR LOT - NIGHT Kilner, now with a make-shift bandage wrapped round his bite wound, helps Frank roll out a city map across his car's hood. Frank uses a torch and surveys the chart. He places the chapel Bible on the hood. KILNER So we're looking for somewhere to do with pigs; like a slaughterhouse. Frank nods. Kilner points out something on the map. KILNER Clayton's Slaughterhouse, just there. FRANK No... Frank's finger stops on a building on the outskirts of Baltimore, called "Gadarenes Farm". FRANK (CONT'D) ... here, "Gadarenes Farm". Frank consults his Bible - his finger taps on a paragraph. FRANK 5:1 - "And they came over unto the other side of the sea, into the country of the Gadarenes." KILNER That farm house is on the other side of Liberty Lake. FRANK Call for backup. Frank hastily folds the map across, switching off his torch. INT. FARM HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT Dr Bridger is knelt between Lucy's legs, delivering her baby. Lucy is sweating, her hair stuck to her forehead with perspiration. Lots of hot towels are strewn around the bed, as Lucy pushes with a long GROAN. BRIDGER Okay, okay, we'll see the head soon. Keep pushing. Push! Lucy pushes again, straining hard. Bridger looks at her and his mouth hand open at what he sees: BRIDGER'S POV Lucy's straining face has altered so she has high cheek-bones, ridges around her eyebrows, a pointed nose, etc, much like the Janitor from earlier. Before Bridger can say anything, the door to the room opens and Jim enters at high speed. JIM Oh, damnit!!! Jim slides across their double-bed and lays next to Lucy, holding her hand and kissing her face. JIM (CONT'D) It's okay, it's okay, I'm here, Luce. Jim is so caught up in his infatuation, he doesn't notice Lucy slightly turn her head away from him, her brow wrinkled. Bridger notices, but focuses on his task. Then, something catches Bridger's eye and he sees Zech, stood in the doorway watching. Zech moves further into the room, still rubbing his sore wrists. Lucy notices him, and smiles through the pain. LUCY Hello, Zechariah. Come closer. BRIDGER Push now, push! Lucy MOANS as she pushes with all her strength. Zech is watching in intense fascination. He passes behind Bridger, able to see the birth in all its glory. Jim scowls. JIM Hey, watch where you're looking, man! Zech doesn't bat an eye-lid. Jim is unimportant to him, and all Zech's attention is focused on Lucy. INT. KILNER'S CAR - NIGHT Frank is driving, due to Kilner's arm wound. Kilner has the map and is giving directions. KILNER First left, then sharp right. EXT. COUNTRYSIDE - NIGHT Their vehicle SURGES through a large puddle, spraying up water. INT. FARM HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT Lucy seems to be coping with the pain simply by looking at Zechariah - his expression awe-struck. Lucy smiles, then GROANS at the pain. Jim squeezes her hand. JIM You're all right, it's okay. Bridger's face turns pale, motion-less. Jim notices. JIM (CONT'D) Doc! Come on, get on with it. BRIDGER No... I-I can't. Jim bounds off the double-bed and takes out a shaving knife from his boot. He waves it near to Bridger's face - more for show than a threat. JIM Get on with it - NOW! Lucy lets out a final MOAN of pain, anguish and sorrow. Bridger turns away, falling back on his heels. Zech remains stoic. Lucy just lies back and breathes. JIM (CONT'D) NOW, GODDAMNIT!!! Bridger is shaking his head, massaging his jaw. BRIDGER It's over. Lucy's eyes open and she sits up on her elbows, staring down between her thighs. Jim is quiet, but moves forward to look. Zech just stands still, entranced. JIM Oh... oh, no. No. Please, no. Lucy's frustration begins to grow, her face shivers to fight tears, and contorts to produce an unearthly SCREAM of immense anger! Then silence. BRIDGER The baby didn't... survive. Stillborn. There was nothing I could do... not without the proper equipment! (to Jim, softly) I'm so sorry. Jim quakes, his hand shaking. Bridger tenses as Jim thrashes out with his knife and slices Bridger's lower-arm! Bridger falls back, cowering. Zech grabs Jim's attacking hand and twists him round. Jim's face GASPS as Zech punches a hypodermic needle into the back of his thigh! Jim collapses onto the bed, and Zech throws the needle to the floor. Bridger is WHIMPERING with fear, holding a blood-stained shirt. Zech quietly walks over to Lucy's side and kneels beside her bed. Lucy half-smiles as she strokes the side of his face. LUCY Good boy. I suppose you still want our agreement to be honored? Zech looks sheepish, but nods. LUCY (CONT'D) Okay. It's okay. I freely offer my pound of flesh to you. In gratitude for your hard work over the years. She strokes his head in a motherly fashion. LUCY (CONT'D) Eat as much as you can, I can tell you're famished. You'll feel much better for it. EXT. FARM HOUSE - NIGHT Dozens of PIGS are SQUEALING and GRUNTING inside a pig-pen, as Kilner's car slides to a halt in the wet mud. Both doors open as Frank and Kilner exit. They rush through the sloppy mud to the front door. In the distance the WAIL of police SIRENS can be heard, approaching fast. INT. FARM HOUSE - BEDROOM - NIGHT Lucy is standing up, the crotch of her dress a hideous blot of afterbirth. She walks up to Bridger, who is still WHIMPERING to himself. Outside, the SIRENS can be heard getting closer. LUCY The back door's unlocked. Go. If you can make it. Bridger shakily gets to his feet and sluggishly heads out the door. Lucy turns to survey the empty room. There's no sign of Jim or Zech, just a bundle of covers in the center of the bed, next to a patch of blood. Lucy walks up to the small bundle... and strokes it lightly. INT. FARM HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Jim opens his eyes and immediately realizes he's strapped to the same chair Bridger was, but placed in the center of the dark living room. Jim frantically bucks against his bonds, which have tied his wrists to the chair arms. His ankles tied to the legs. EXT. FARM HOUSE - NIGHT Frank and Kilner are at the main door. Frank tries the door, but it's locked. He stand back and barges into it - it buckles slightly. He gets ready for another hit. Behind him, POLICE CARS are appearing. INT. FARM HOUSE - LIVING ROOM - NIGHT Jim is bucking again, panic-stricken. JIM Lucy? Lucy, what's going on? What the hell's goin' on! LU-CY! OINK! OINK! Jim stops fidgeting. O.C. the sound of the main door being barged is heard - wood splintering... but inside the living room - someone is making pig noises in the dark. OINK! OINK! JIM (CONT'D) Hey! OINK! OINK! Jim's head darts around, trying to find the source of the snorting. Then he sees Zech on his hands and knees, pressed against the wall in front of him. Zech smiles, his mouth smeared with fresh blood. ZECH Have you ever eaten afterbirth? Chewed on a mother's warm placenta? It tastes good. Fills you up inside. He makes another series of SNORTS, like a wild boar! Jim can say nothing, just swallow his disgust in horror, tears in his eyes. Zech madly shuffles across the floor like an animal - OINKING like a pig all the time. He quickly reaches Jim's right hand, which is bound to the chair arm by some rope. JIM Oh, God, please! Please, don't! I promise I-I won't say anything if you ju-- Zech reaches up and grabs Jim's thumb, which fights to get away, but can't under Zech's grip. ZECH Such pretty fingers. Jim is CRYING. Zech raises his thumb... ZECH (CONT'D) This little piggy went to market... (raises the forefinger) This little piggy stayed at home... (raises second finger) This little piggy had roast beef... (raises third finger) ... and this little piggy had none... (raises small finger) ... and *this* little piggy went... Zech bites down hard on Jim's small finger-- HARD CUT TO: EXT. FARM HOUSE - NIGHT Jim SCREAMS O.C. as Frank finally BASHES down the front door and piles inside, followed closely by Kilner. Kilner has his gun raised, and they both hear a HOWL of agony from the living room. Kilner kicks open the door and sees Zech knelt in front of Jim on the chair, SCREAMING! Kilner FIRES a shot into Zech's back, and he collapses onto Jim's lap. Jim continues to CRY in pain from his finger-wound. POLICE OFFICERS spill into the house, all armed with short rifles. Frank turns to one in particular. FRANK Check upstairs. The Police Officer nods and gestures for his men to rush upstairs. They do so, and the Officer turns his attention to Frank. POLICE OFFICER We found some guy round the back. Dead. Looks to have been attacked by an animal - a dog, or somethin'. Frank nods and stands back as Jim is helped out of the farm house, clutching a missing finger wrapped in a handkerchief. Jim glances up at Frank as he passes, a look of deep shock in his crest-fallen eyes. JIM All I did wrong was... love her. Frank nods ever so slightly as Jim passes. EXT. FARM HOUSE - NIGHT (LATER) Frank is leaning on the hood of Kilner's car. Kilner walks up to him. The scene around them is full of flashing lights from police cars and ambulances. KILNER They found a dead baby upstairs, wrapped in a blanket. And the dog attack victim round the back? We checked his wallet. It's Ethan Bridger, a doctor who went missing last night. Frank remains still, contemplating... then sees something O.C. and moves past Kilner. Kilner turns to watch Frank march up to Lucy Butler, being led out of the house by THREE OFFICERS. FRANK Lucy. Lucy looks up at Frank through tear-stained cheeks. LUCY Better late than never. She pushes past Frank, led curtly by the Officers. Frank watches her go. Kilner walks up behind Frank. KILNER Well, so long as we got Cobb again. Y'know, judging from the state of his mouth it seems he actually *ate* the afterbirth, and the baby's placenta. Can you believe that? Frank takes a deep, unsatisfied breath. He rubs his face in fatigue. FRANK Ancient tribes believed you could inherit the spirit of someone by eating them. (beat) Devouring a physical body meant you consumed the power of the metaphysical soul. Frank stands up off the car hood and walks round to the driver's side. Kilner moves to the passenger door. Frank opens the door, but before he gets in he notices something in the corner of his eye. Turning, he sees a Doberman - sat about 50 meters away - looking at him. The animal just stares... and Frank stares back. After a few seconds, the Doberman turns and runs off across the farm yard. INT. HIDDEN ROOM - DAY Through a one-way mirror, we see Lucy seated at the table, dressed in new clothes and looking much better a day after her ordeal. Kilner is talking to her mutely. Frank is watching through the mirror at her, intensely. Kilner gets up and leaves the room. Lucy turns in her seat and stares at Frank - even though she should only be able to see her own reflection. Kilner enters through a small door into the room, holding a clipboard. KILNER That's one cool customer. FRANK What did she tell you? KILNER That she's the victim in all this. She denies knowing Zechariah Cobb personally, and that her boyfriend - Jim Grant, a down-on-his-luck farmer - hatched a plot with Cobb to eat her baby as part of some cannibalistic ritual. But after the child was stillborn, Cobb got angry and blamed Jim, leading to sick revenge in the form of the "finger incident". Frank watches Lucy through the glass... as she smiles. KILNER (CONT'D) The D.N.A. test on the dead baby doesn't match either Jim Grant or Zech Cobb. Which means the father's a mystery. Frank looks at Kilner sharply, concerned. FRANK Was the child premature? KILNER By six weeks, yeah. Which means conception occurred around, uh, late-March. Her medical reports confirm she'd lost a previous child after a car accident, which made it dangerous for her to have any more children. (scoffs) Guess she chose to ignore that warning. And she's not saying who the father was. Frank SIGHS in relief at this news. KILNER (CONT'D) Lucy also denies knowing Bridger was abducted by Jim. Instead, she says she thought he was legitimately called for, since Jim was nervous inside hospitals after his wife died in one after a farming accident four years ago. So they both favored a home birth. FRANK What about the skull's message? KILNER (shaking his head) Nothing. It doesn't relate to anything connected to Miss Butler, just our initial Severna Park case. The initials 'L.B.' throughout Cobb's paperwork must just be a coincidence. I mean, the first letter this L.B. sent was in 1964, post-marked from Washington. Lucy would have been seven years old then. Her story checks out perfectly. FRANK (beat, almost to himself) And the only person who could have swung a jury's decision would have been Doctor Bridger, who witnessed it all... but was conveniently killed in a dog attack. Kilner frowns, unsure what to make of Frank's implied "conspiracy" of the events. Frank just stares ahead, disenchanted and angered at everything. FRANK (CONT'D) What about Zech? KILNER Bullet missed all his vital organs. Obviously we've enough evidence to keep him in the nuthouse for life. Frank doesn't look satisfied as he SIGHS and quickly leaves the room, brushing past a stunned Kilner. Through the one-way mirror, Lucy simply smiles to herself, reacting to what she should not be able to see or hear. INT. BALTIMORE STATE HOSPITAL - NIGHT We follow a pair of FEMALE LEGS as they walk down a long corridor, high-heels CLICK and ECHO on the polished floor. The sound of a THUNDER STORM can be heard outside; RUMBLING like a wild beast. INT. HOLDING ROOM - NIGHT The THUNDER STORM is much louder here. The room is quite large, with no window. Charcoal and water-colored drawings litter the whole room, depicting birds. No pigs. Zech places a origami robin on the floor, next to a swan. LUCY (O.C.) Of course you would. You can't sit in here forever - doing nothing. "The Devil makes work for idle hands", you know that. You also know I'm a woman of my word, and since you accepted my offer... it's only fair I honor your terms... and keep you free to do what you do best: add a darker color to the water colored world we live in. Another RUMBLE of thunder as blue lightning flashes across the origami animals. Lucy drops her cigarette, which lands next to the paper swan, and sets it alight. Lucy squashes the cigarette, the swan and the robin underfoot, causing a gentle SIZZLING sound. Zech looks up to Lucy, who raises her eyebrows - waiting. LUCY Well? What's your answer? Are you coming with me? Zech grips his lips together, gathering strength inside himself, then steadies himself with a quick intake of breath through his nose. Lucy waits patiently. ZECH (firmly) No. Lucy remains still, chewing her tongue a second, containing her anger. Zech stares up at her, rigid and firm, his eyes unblinking. Lucy takes a gentle DEEP BREATH and nods slowly. LUCY I can't say I'm not disappointed in you, Zechariah. But it's your choice... and you've chosen to end your days like a... caged *animal*. ZECH ... and I've never felt more free. Zech smiles disparagingly. Lucy sneers slightly, but turns and leaves through the door. It SLAMS shut, echoing around the cell. Zech's still smiling as he picks up a clean sheet of paper and begins folding it. FADE OUT. THE END