M I L L E N N I U M IT... HAS... BEGUN... NOTHING IS FORSAKEN... Virtual Season Episode #420. "Diabolus Ex Machina" written by: David Klein TEASER FADE IN: EXT. DARKENED STREET - NIGHT A light drizzle falls on a cold night. The air has a sense of grim foreboding, one that JONATHAN McKENZIE, 50s, with graying hair, is definitely buying into. He walks timidly up one side of the seemingly deserted street. Legend INDICATES: Seattle, Washington December 9, 10:32 PM PST McKenzie looks almost comically out of place on this night. More the type to curl up in front of a roaring fire with a glass of wine and a good book (a place he would much rather be than this street), he trudges along the sidewalk. He hunches his shoulders in a feeble attempt to keep his head dry. Suddenly, he starts to slow up, glancing concernedly from side to side, focused on his attempts to pick a subtle sound out of the steady spray of the drizzle. He hears FOOTSTEPS behind him. McKenzie stops, then slowly turns around. There is nothing. McKenzie shakes his head and starts to move again. The rain continues to fall, slightly heavier, as he makes his way down the street. Suddenly, McKenzie's ears prick up again. We hear FOOTSTEPS and something that sounds almost like a BEATING OF WINGS... McKenzie spins around. Again, he is greeted with nothingness. As he turns back up the street, a streetlight goes out in front of him. McKenzie SIGHS, then takes a DEEP BREATH. McKENZIE'S POV We can vaguely make out a bus stop ahead. McKenzie continues to trek along towards it. McKENZIE Of all the nights to get stuck at the office... I can't believe this. But believe it he must. Squinting, he cranes his neck up and looks at the rain which cascades down on him. McKenzie approaches the bus stop, stepping into the darkness created by the blown light, as he hears more FOOTSTEPS behind him, quicker this time, as if closing in on him. Once more, he turns to look, eyes wide, and once more, he sees nothing but the abandoned street. He mutters a few words under his breath as he turns around and steps right in a large puddle. McKENZIE Goddamnit. What else...? He looks down at his soaked pant leg. Taking a frustrated BREATH, he looks up and finds himself staring right into the face of MORRIS ROYSON, late 20s/early 30s, possessed of a dark complexion and dark brown hair. Royson is dressed all in black, with black jeans and a dark pullover. McKenzie jumps slightly, GASPING in surprise. ROYSON Excuse me, mister, do you know what time it is? McKenzie, frazzled, twitches his head nervously and looks down at his watch. As he does, he does not see Royson, who stares at him with dead eyes, a glazed-over look. McKenzie looks back up. McKENZIE Uh, yeah, its-- Before he can finish, Royson GRABS him and PULLS him into an alleyway, a sharp knife flashing in his hand as it catches the light. We follow them for a brief moment, then pull out, tracking around the brick wall. Camera pans to reveal the 72 bus rolling up the street. As we watch it near McKenzie's stop, we hear his pitiful pleading from the alleyway: McKENZIE No, please... don't... His voice is drowned out by the increasingly heavy rainfall as the bus pulls past the stop, leaving him behind, and at Royson's mercy. FADE OUT. ACT ONE BLACK. "The difficulty in life is the choice." -- George Moore FADE IN: INT. BLACK RESIDENCE - JORDAN'S ROOM - DAY Jordan lays in her bed, clad in her pajamas. Her light is on. Legend INDICATES: Black Residence Baltimore, Maryland December 10, 6:28 AM EST She is reading a book, "Lord of the Flies." She flips from her place in the book to the inside cover, where there is the inscription, "From Jonah." Her focus is broken by O.C. soft KNOCKING. JORDAN Come in. FRANK enters quietly through the door. Jordan shoves the book under the covers. FRANK I *thought* I saw a light in here. What are you doing up so early? JORDAN Nothing. Frank smiles. He walks over to her bed and sits next to her, pulling out a newspaper. In the Classified section, an entry under "Baltimore County Homes" is circled. FRANK I thought you might want to take a look at this. JORDAN What is it? FRANK It's a house for sale. JORDAN I don't want to look at another house, dad. FRANK I know it's kind of boring, but it's the only way we'll find a new one. JORDAN No, I don't mean that I don't want to look, I mean I don't want to find one. FRANK What? JORDAN I want to stay somewhere for once. I like being here with Aunt Helen and Uncle Tom. It feels nice and safe. Sitting up on the bed, she thinks for a second, then adds: JORDAN (CONT'D) It feels yellow. Frank puts an arm around her. FRANK Well, sweetheart, we have to recognize Aunt Helen and Uncle Tom's feelings. JORDAN They don't want us to stay? FRANK No, it's not that. It's just that this is a little tough on them. You have to understand that no matter how much we like it here, we can't stay forever. JORDAN Okay. FRANK Ever since I was a kid, anything I'll make you a deal, super girl. We can stay here a few more weeks, until New Year's, and then we have to move. How's that? JORDAN Okay. Thanks, dad. Frank smiles at her. Just then, his cell phone RINGS. He stands up, pulling it out of his pocket. FRANK Frank Black. EXT. SEATTLE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING - SQUAD ROOM - DAY A high shot, as a thick mist swirls around, to establish. Legend INDICATES: Seattle Public Safety Building December 10, 11:16 AM PST On the ground level, Frank is standing in front of the building, staring up at the clouded sky. He puts his hand out to feel for rain, then walks up the stairs and into the building. CUT TO: INT. SEATTLE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING - DAY Frank exits from an elevator, stepping off at the Homicide office. He looks around slowly for a second, remembering all his travails in it, and then, seeing someone, his eyes light up. The man he remarks is LT. STEPHEN QUIEN, about five years younger than Frank, with dark, graying hair and a business suit covered by a trench coat. He stands over DET. GIEBELHOUSE'S desk, talking to Giebelhouse. Frank smiles, and heads over. FRANK Steve! Quien pulls his head up, and looks at Frank, a look of amazement on his face which is indicative of the long time between meetings. QUIEN Frank. How are you doing, man? What's it been, twenty years? FRANK Way too long. They hug. FRANK So what did you call me out here about, Steve? You weren't too descriptive over the phone. QUIEN Let's go into my office. We can catch up on everything. Frank follows Quien towards the Lt.'s office. Quien opens the door and walks in. Frank follows, looking around him as he recognizes something. INT. SEATTLE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING - QUIEN'S OFFICE - DAY Quien sits at his desk as Frank stands, looking around somewhat uncomfortably. FRANK This used to be Bob's office. When he was a Lieutenant here. Quien nods solemnly. QUIEN I know. It feels weird. People have been telling me there's a curse or something. I'm the third Lieutenant to try to fill his shoes since he died. FRANK (softly) Big shoes to fill. QUIEN Don't I know it. I remember you two working together, after they split us up. I think I remember the arguments best. Those were pretty wild. FRANK We were both pretty hard-headed. He was a good partner. (a beat) I always liked working with you better, though. QUIEN (surprised) Really? Frank nods. FRANK So what've you been doing since I left for the FBI? QUIEN Not a whole hell of a lot. I stayed here for a few years, but it just didn't feel right for me. My head wasn't in it. Or my heart. FRANK I know what you mean. QUIEN Boy, I can't imagine that. I don't think I ever worked a case with you where it didn't seem like it mattered more than anything in the world to catch the guy responsible. FRANK So where did you go? QUIEN Portland, working with the Narcotics division. That was pretty much what you'd expect. It was a job, but that was about it. You can't get any satisfaction out of that, because you know for every guy you bust, there's ten others who'll pop up to take his place. I just focused on other things, like moving my way up the chain of command. I was a sergeant in... Vice, I think, for a few years, and then lieutenant back in Narcotics. FRANK So how'd you get back here? QUIEN Honestly? I got bored. I figured if I was going to be lieutenant, I might as well do it some place where I was around... good work. People making a difference. FRANK And so you moved here? QUIEN Kind of by a happy accident. I was talking to one of my old friends--you remember Soup, don't you? Stuart Campbell? FRANK (nodding) Yeah. QUIEN Well, he's one of the higher-ups here now, an assistant to the commissioner, and when I was talking to him, he mentioned that one of the lieutenants for the Homicide division was leaving, and that they needed someone to fill his spot. I said that I would be interested in it, and here I am. FRANK I can relate. After I quit the FBI, I was looking for a place to go to, to start over, and this just really seemed right. QUIEN So. Enough chit-chat, I think. I guess I should enlighten you on the details of the case. FRANK Okay. Quien opens the drawer of his desk, and pulls out a file. Out of the file, he takes a few crime scene photos, and hands them to Frank. CLOSE ON - CRIME SCENE PHOTOS as Frank shuffles through them. The first shows a man (McKENZIE, from the teaser) laying in an alley. His neck is slashed, and he appears to have heavy bruising on his body. Dried blood trails from his mouth. In another photo, McKenzie is on his back. QUIEN This is some rough stuff. FRANK I see. QUIEN So, I guess the reason I called you out here is that this seems dangerous to me. I know I'm not as much of an expert as you on this, but this doesn't look like an isolated incident to me. This wasn't a stick-up or a guy blowing someone's head off over a card game. This looks like it might happen again. And with me not being here that long, I could really be on the hot seat if this blows up. FRANK I understand. I'll see what I can do. Frank looks back at the photos, seeing McKenzie's brutalized and beaten body. INT. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - CLASSROOM - DAY Jordan and Jonah sit next to each other in their class. MS. KAREN PARKER is at the board, trying to explain a mathematical function. The equation she has written on the board is 561/3. MS. PARKER Long division really isn't that tough, if you know how to break it down. Now who can tell me what division means? A hand shoots up, belonging to ROY. MS. PARKER Yes, Roy? ROY Division is how many times a number goes into another number. MS. PARKER Exactly. So... Her voice drifts into the background as we focus on Jordan and Jonah. Jordan leans across the gap between their desks to talk to Jonah. JORDAN Hey, Jonah. I hope this class ends soon. Where do you want to eat lunch? JONAH Let's sit by the trees. I like it there. JORDAN Okay. JONAH Do you like the book I gave you? JORDAN Yeah. It's cool. MS. PARKER (to Jordan and Jonah) Ahem. Jordan and Jonah, I'm through warning you. See me after class. If you continue to talk, I’m going to have to *divide* you so you aren’t sitting together anymore. The class GIGGLES. Jordan sits glumly in her seat, as she looks over at Jonah, who has turned his attention to the glass tank which houses the insects. INT. SEATTLE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING - SQUAD ROOM - DAY Frank has pulled up a chair next to Giebelhouse's desk, and the two are talking. FRANK So you caught this one? GIEBELHOUSE Yep. And it don't look like it's gonna be closed any time soon. Stone whodunit, as far as I can tell. Guy was a sweetheart. Everyone loved him, and no living family who wanted to off him neither. We got no murder weapon, no prints at the scene, and no witnesses. (a beat) You know how it goes. Some cases just don't work out. I was about ready to move on to the next case before Lt. Quien told me he was calling you down. I didn't even request you on this one. Still, I'm glad to have you. Now at least I got a chance to solve this and that's one more than I had before. FRANK Do you have the coroner's report? GIEBELHOUSE Yeah, that's it right there. He points to a manila folder sitting on the edge of his desk. FRANK You don't mind if I take a look. GIEBELHOUSE Go right ahead. Frank opens the folder. Inside, he sees photos of the naked McKenzie. There is much more bruising evident on his body than was apparent in the crime scene photos. His body is coated in black and blue bruises, and he has what appear to be belt marks on his back. Frank flips past the photos to the pathologist's report. FRANK It says here that the cuts and bruises were postmortem. GIEBELHOUSE Yeah. The guy cut his throat and *then* beat him up. FRANK (to himself) Almost as if he killed him so that he could abuse him with impunity. GIEBELHOUSE What? FRANK The killing may have been perpetrated to lead to the abuse of the corpse. How old was the victim? GIEBELHOUSE Uh, let's see. Jonathan McKenzie, age 56. FRANK'S INTERNAL POV -- A knife slashing McKenzie's neck! -- The face of a middle-aged man! -- Quick shots of the wounds and bruises on the body! -- A shot of similar wounds on a child's body! -- The snap of a leather belt! FRANK No known enemies, you said? GIEBELHOUSE Right. What are you thinking? FRANK McKenzie may be symbolic to the killer. It's not who he is, it's who he seems to be. GIEBELHOUSE What do you mean? FRANK It's unlikely he has any definite connection to the killer. The killer feels anger towards him, but not directly. He feels anger *through* him. GIEBELHOUSE Anger at who? FRANK I'm not sure yet. I don't know what we can do besides wait. Frank frowns as he looks towards Quien's office. INT. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - CLASSROOM - DAY Jordan and Jonah sit bored at their desks. Jordan looks longingly at the clock, which reads "3:08" and 40 seconds. Ms. Parker looks up from the student artwork on her desk at the clock. MS. PARKER ... I know you two want to sit together, and I try to encourage people to do what they like to do, but I need you to show a little responsibility, okay? I certainly don't mean to say that you shouldn't be friendly and interact with other people, I'm just asking that you remember where you are, and have a little respect for me and your classmates. All right? JORDAN and JONA Okay. MS. PARKER All right, you can go. They move quickly past her on their way to the door, without any sign of having learned any lesson from her. CUT TO: EXT. ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - DAY It is overcast as Jordan and Jonah walk through the courtyard. JORDAN Hey, Jonah, do you want to come over to my house this weekend? JONAH Sure. When? JORDAN Saturday. JONAH Okay. They split off as Jordan comes to a short hallway which leads to the outside of the school. As she walks through it, she runs into TOM BLACK, who is moving in the opposite direction. TOM Jordan, where've you been? I've been waiting for ten minutes. I was just coming in to look for you. JORDAN (sourly) Ms. Parker held me after class. Tom turns and walks with her towards the outside of the school. TOM (mockingly) Uh-oh. What did you do this time? JORDAN I was talking during class. TOM Better not let your dad hear about this. They walk in silence for a few steps. Then: JORDAN Is the heating still broken? TOM Yeah. Jordan SIGHS. TOM Sorry, kiddo. They turn a corner of the wall, and start to head out towards the car, which is parked next to the sidewalk. TOM (handing Jordan the keys) Here. Why don't you go let yourself in. As she jogs ahead of him to open the car, the JANITOR (from "Anthropophagi") appears behind Tom. JANITOR Excuse me. Did I hear you say your heating was broken? TOM Uh, yeah. Why? JANITOR Well, I'm trying to get into that line of work, and I'd be willing to do the job for a very, very low price. CUT TO: INT. TOM'S CAR - DAY Jordan sits on the passenger side. JORDAN'S POV We see Tom standing at the edge of the wall, but the Janitor is not visible from Jordan's position. CUT TO: EXT. OUTSIDE OF ELEMENTARY SCHOOL - DAY Tom is still standing and talking with the Janitor. TOM How low are we talking, here? JANITOR I can get it done for seventy- five dollars. TOM Wow. Really? That's amazing. That's less than half what the guy at the last place I talked to quoted me. JANITOR Well, like I said, I'm just trying to break in, and I need all the help I can get. TOM Well, certainly, you can at least have a look around. JORDAN (O.C.) Uncle Tom! What's going on? Tom turns to face her. TOM I'll be right there, sweetheart! He turns back to face the Janitor. TOM So, can you come this Saturday afternoon? JANITOR Sure, whenever's good for you. TOM All right. I'll see you. He smiles at him. The Janitor reaches into his pocket. JANITOR Here's my business card. He pulls it out and gives it to Tom. CUT TO: INT. TOM'S CAR - DAY Jordan is still sitting in the car, her window rolled down. JORDAN'S POV Through the windshield, we see Tom walk back towards the car, smiling at Jordan. He opens the door and gets in. Jordan hands him the keys. JORDAN What was that about? TOM I'm going to have someone look at the heating this weekend. The car starts up and they drive down the street. JORDAN'S POV As they pass the edge of the wall, we see the Janitor sweeping the hall. Jordan stares at him anxiously. EXT. ALLEYWAY - NIGHT CLOSE ON - THE MOON visible in the gap between two buildings. As we track down that gap, we see Morris Royson sitting on a bin in between the buildings, waiting for something. Legend INDICATES: 9:34 PM PST We slowly close in on Royson's face. His eyes are grayish, opaque, clouded-over. His mouth is slightly agape, and he seems in almost a dream-like state. He peers around the gray wall of one of the buildings, seeing a man, JOSEPH PIASENTE, in his early fifties, overweight with a nearly bald head, drunkenly exiting a bar down the street. Piasente moves uncoordinatedly in the direction of Royson, though with no indication of recognition of Royson's presence. Royson steps back into the confines of the alley. In the alley, Royson takes his hands and stares at them, surprised. Then he reaches into his pocket and pulls out a knife. As he stares at it, turning it over in his hand, FOOTSTEPS near. Royson puts the knife back into his pocket and takes a BREATH. On the street, Piasente walks towards the alley. Suddenly, Royson steps out from behind the gray wall of the building closest to Piasente. Piasente almost falls over as Royson does so. ROYSON (flatly) Excuse me, mister, do you know what time it is? PIASENTE (drunkenly) What? ROYSON (with the same tone as before) Excuse me, mister. Do you know what time it is? PIASENTE Oh. The time. He laughs to himself softly as he pulls back his sleeve to unsheathe his watch. As he does this, Royson grabs him with a sudden animal ferocity and pulls him into the alley. Royson's knife flashes as Piasente GURGLES desperately. We pan through the gap in the buildings to the moon again, a silent sentinel. MATCH CUT TO: EXT. ALLEYWAY - NIGHT - SHORT TIME LATER HOLD ON - THE MOON again. As the camera pulls back down into the alley, the legend INDICATES: 10:02 PM PST We pan down to Piasente's lifeless body, face down in the refuse. A small pool of purplish blood is around his head. A pair of hands enter the frame, turning Piasente over to reveal his slit throat. The camera tracks away from the body, moving past a police badge, as it moves further into the darkness of the alley. Behind it, savage yet metered blows ring out, as we: FADE OUT. ACT TWO FADE IN: EXT. ALLEYWAY - DAY We open on Piasente's body, crumpled in the alley. Frank and Giebelhouse enter the frame. Frank, holding a cup of coffee bends down and props Piasente's face up, wincing as he sees the damage. Behind him, Giebelhouse spots a homeless man eyeing him plaintively. Giebelhouse sighs and reaches into his pocket, pulling out a crisp dollar bill. GIEBELHOUSE Happy holidays. Spend it on something nice. HOMELESS MAN Thank you very much, sir. The homeless man shuffles off down the street. GIEBELHOUSE The homeless, huh? I feel bad for 'em, you know? I mean, it's scary, but we're not that far from that. Frank listens with one ear as he methodically probes Piasente. As Giebelhouse continues to talk, Frank looks him over for evidence. GIEBELHOUSE (O.C., CONT'D) Some people, I don't know. They think they're... *evil* or something. I can't figure that. Frank pulls out a wallet, with a driver's license. It has a picture of Piasente, and the DOB on it is 5/11/48. GIEBELHOUSE (O.C., CONT'D) The kind of people who call that evil are the kind of people who think it's an act of the devil when their kid comes home with a 'C' on their report card. Frank looks up and sees Quien approaching the crime scene. He gives a dollar to the homeless man, then pulls the yellow crime scene tape over his head. GIEBELHOUSE (O.C., CONT'D) These white-collar bureau-techno- auto-whatever-crats that wouldn't last for a second in the *real* world. QUIEN (noticing Frank's coffee) Black, no sugar? FRANK Guess I haven't changed as much as I thought. QUIEN (smiling) Not to someone who knows you. Stepping past Frank, he grimaces at the body. Giebelhouse stands next to Frank, shaking his head. GIEBELHOUSE I mean, how could anyone who's seen something like *this* call a guy or a woman pushing a shopping cart around town evil? Am I right? Quien, rooting around in the refuse, picks his head up, a knife dangling from his hands. QUIEN Got something. FRANK What is it? QUIEN A knife. Looks like some dried blood on it. Probably our guy's. He motions to a MAN from the crime lab. QUIEN Let's bag this up. The man from the crime lab walks over and takes the knife from Quien, who steps slowly out of the alley, watching where he steps. FRANK Good catch. Frank sees OFFICER BRANDON SPENCER, mid-20s with a muscular build, the kind of man who looks like he could inflict some serious damage, standing over by the crime scene tape. Spencer seems uncomfortable at the crime scene, looking around himself nervously. Catching Frank's gaze, he looks away quickly. Frank moves past Quien to the spot where he was standing when he found the knife. He takes a BREATH as he stands there, soaking up the essence of the location, its emotions, and its actions. FRANK'S INTERNAL POV -- A knife slashing a throat! -- A police badge! -- A belt cracking against human skin! -- A bruised body lying on the ground! -- A young child's body, bruised in a similar fashion! Frank squats down, mimicking the killer. He stares at the ground. FRANK'S INTERNAL POV -- Piasente lying dead on the ground! Frank, his eyes closed, stands up. He feels around, letting his sixth sense guide him. He turns, bracing himself against the gray wall. Moving down a few steps, he stops and opens his eyes. A small red smear is apparent. As Frank steps closer, he sees it is a bloody fingerprint. As we close in on it, revealing the minute grooves which differentiate it from all others of its kind. INT. BLACK RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM - DAY Tom is sitting on the couch, watching a college football game. Legend INDICATES: 12:37 PM EST As HELEN enters the room with CHARLIE, Tom mutes the television. TOM Hey, what's up? HELEN I'm going to take Charlie to the park. I just get the feeling that he'll get kind of left out when Jordan has her friend over, and I just want him to have something to do. And with the guy coming over to look at the heating, it might be just too much going on. TOM Okay. Helen and Charlie move toward the door. As she approaches it, Helen looks back at Tom. HELEN So... you'll be here when we get back, right? TOM I don't know where else I'd be. They smile at each other as Helen opens the door, and she and Charlie exit. INT. PATHOLOGIST'S OFFICE - DAY Piasente's body is lying on its stomach on a morgue slab as Frank, Giebelhouse, and Pathologist Massey stand over it. MASSEY The M.O. seems almost exactly identical to the McKenzie killing you brought me two days ago. As you can see, the death stroke came in the form of a severed jugular, but there was plenty of post-mortem abuse. Lots of nice stuff. However, we have something interesting. GIEBELHOUSE What's that? MASSEY Like I said, the murders seemed similar. So similar I checked my notes on the McKenzie killing. The post-mortem physical defilation of the body is almost a carbon copy. McKenzie had a broken collarbone and a hairline fracture in his right wrist; so does Piasente. He holds up an autopsy photo of McKenzie's back with a distinct pattern of purple and black bruising, which fills the frame. As he pulls it away, he reveals a nearly identical pattern of bruising on Piasente. MASSEY I'd call it extremely improbable, bordering on the realm of impossible, for this kind of damage with this degree of similarity to be inflicted by two people unaware of each other's existence. Frank bends over the body of Piasente, looking closely. FRANK'S POV We see a mark on Piasente's back which appears similar to that made by a belt and its buckle. FRANK'S INTERNAL POV -- A belt whipping through the air, with a loud CRACK! Frank stands up and points to the mark on Piasente's back. FRANK In your medical opinion, what object would you say most likely caused this mark? Massey bends over the body. MASSEY Well, based on eyeball evidence, it looks like a belt. Frank nods. FRANK I think what we are seeing here is a man acting out a pattern of abuse from his childhood. Both victims so far are middle-aged men, the kind of people who might remind him of his father. Both victims were in their fifties, meaning that our killer is probably in his mid-20s. It's very likely that his father beat him when he was a child, and now he's repeating that pattern as an adult. (a beat) He's trying to get back at his father for all the pain he's caused in his life by attacking men similar in age and possibly physical appearance to his father. It's possible his father is still alive, and he lacks the courage to confront him, so he takes out his frustration on those whom he connects with his father. GIEBELHOUSE (dryly) So we got to put a warning out to all men between the ages of 45 and 60? FRANK Our best hope now is that the knife and the fingerprint turn up some evidence so that we can catch the killer before he attacks again. The three stand uncomfortably for a moment, the horror of the scenario Frank has just described hanging ominously in the air. FRANK When will we have anything from the crime lab? GIEBELHOUSE I don't-- Before he can complete the sentence, Quien rushes into the office. QUIEN Frank, Giebs. A man named Morris Royson just took a floor full of hostages in a downtown office building. He asked for you specifically, Frank. FRANK Me? QUIEN And listen to this: I just got the information back from the crime lab. The prints on the knife we found at the Piasente crime scene match one Morris Royson. FRANK Let's go. I think I know what he wants. The three quickly shuffle out of the morgue. EXT. DOWNTOWN OFFICE BUILDING - DAY The sun shines down as a squad car bearing Quien, Frank, and Giebelhouse screeches to a stop. They exit, and JOHN LIGHTENER, a QRT (Quick Response Team) official, runs towards them. QUIEN What's the situation here, John? LIGHTENER Royson is on the fourteenth floor, right in the middle of the room. We think he has between seven and ten hostages. He's got an automatic rifle. If you look up there, you can see we have a couple of sharpshooters on the roof across the street, and we might have a shot at him. ON SHARPSHOOTERS squatting on the roof opposite the office building, guns drawn, squinting through the cross-hatches at it. As we PAN ACROSS the space between the two buildings, we see a large glass window which is the entire wall of the office building. QUIEN What's going on with the hostages? LIGHTENER Nothing seems to be happening to them. The word I'm getting is that Royson is just standing in there with his gun. He's not talking, not giving orders, nothing. Like he's waiting for something. FRANK Me. (a beat) You can't take the shot. He wants me. Let me try to talk to him. LIGHTENER Are you nuts? We have a chance to get out of this without anyone getting hurt-- FRANK Without any of the hostages getting hurt. I think I can help to save Royson as well. He may not be responsible for his actions. LIGHTENER (to Quien) You can't let him do this. This is insane. FRANK I know what he's afraid of. You have to trust me on this, Steve. Quien looks back and forth from Frank to Lightener. He takes a BREATH, and then fixes his gaze on Frank. QUIEN Go. Frank puts his hand on Quien's shoulder for a moment, then moves towards the doors of the office building. QUIEN Don't make me regret this, Frank. Frank turns back to look at Quien for a second, then moves on towards the doors. CUT TO: INT. DOWNTOWN OFFICE BUILDING - DAY Through the doors, we see Frank walking. He opens them, and walks slowly, purposefully into the building. As we pull back, a slumped body enters into the f.g. Frank bends down and looks at it, as we see it belongs to a security guard. He has a gunshot wound to the head, but there are no cuts or bruises evident on the body. Frank stands up and walks towards the elevator. CLOSE ON - THE "UP" BUTTON Frank's finger enters the frame as he pushes it. He waits for a moment, and the doors open mechanically. He steps in, the doors closing behind him. The elevator makes a noise as it starts to move up. As Frank looks up, he sees the little numbers light up. 1... 2... 3... FRANK'S INTERNAL POV -- A belt lashing a man's body! -- A belt lashing a child's body! -- The face of a middle-aged man! -- A child's body, beaten and bruised! -- A police badge! -- A belt CRACKING in the air! Frank stares up at the numbers. 8... 9... 10... FRANK (to himself) He's frightened. In pain. The numbers continue to mount. 12... 13... 14... It seems to stick on 14 for an interminable length as Frank draws a deep BREATH, closing his eyes. They open with the DING of the elevator, as do the doors. FRANK'S POV We see through the doors a number of people in work clothes huddling by their desks, eyes wide, looking at him with nervous surprise. Royson wheels to face him, rifle in hand. ROYSON Who are you? FRANK I'm Frank Black. I'm the man you asked for. Royson inches closer, pointing the gun at Frank. FRANK There's nothing to be afraid of, Morris. I'm unarmed. Frank talks carefully, cautiously, aware of the response he intends to elicit with each syllable. FRANK (CONT'D) I don't want to hurt you, Morris, any more than you want to hurt these people. I'm here to help you. Royson breathes slowly, almost machine-like. FRANK (CONT'D) This isn't what you want. This isn't you. I know what you're feeling now, and I know the pain and the hurt you're feeling, but you can't do this. This isn't you. Not who you want to be. Frank looks around the room, catching the eyes of a few frightened workers. FRANK I know the pain, Morris. I felt it when I looked at those men you killed. I know what you were feeling. But that's not you. It's important that you understand that that's not who you are. Royson continues to stare dumbly at Frank, as if his words hardly even dent his consciousness. FRANK You just want to run away, don't you? I would, Morris. I'd run. There's no shame in running. There's no shame in that. I need you to understand. For all our sakes. Mine, yours, theirs. Frank takes a deep BREATH. FRANK'S POV He stares past Royson, out the glass window, where he can see the sharpshooters. He returns his gaze to Royson. FRANK Do you hear what I'm saying? I feel what's inside of you. I saw it in the cuts and the bruises on those men. It's how he hurt you, isn't it? Your father. Frank waits for a response, but there is none. Royson only looks passively at Frank. FRANK You want to hurt him back, don't you? I would. You want to confront him, you want to show him how he made you feel. Have him know the helplessness, have him know the fear. Make him cringe at the moment of impact when the belt hits his back. I understand. But you can't do it like this, Morris. This isn't right. These people aren't your father. Those men you killed aren't your father. He feels no pain in any of this. He doesn't feel it when you cut the necks of strangers. There are a few GASPS around the room by workers who are shocked at the brutality their captor has committed. FRANK (CONT'D) He doesn't feel it when you beat them to bloody pulps. And he won't feel it if you gun down every last man and woman in this room. You need to understand that. This has to be about you and him. And it can't be violence. It can't be an eye for an eye. If you do that, you're down to his level. You don't have to give in to him. Don't let him beat you again. Royson's eyes start to glaze over, a sign of weakness and likely capitulation Frank knows well from many negotiations like this. He goes for the kill. FRANK You have to have the strength, the courage to talk to him about it. I want to help you. We can make it better. I'll make it better for you. But it has to start right here. These people aren't your father. You have to recognize that, understand it. You have to let them go. Royson shakes his head peacefully, the first movement he's made in some time. ROYSON No, they're not my father. They're no one. Nobodies. FRANK What do you mean, Morris? ROYSON He's not my father. My father I could say no to. My father I could argue with. My father's orders I could question. But not his. Frank's eyes widen as he realizes the critical error in judgment he has made. ROYSON (CONT'D) Ever since I was a kid, anything he wanted, no matter how big, no matter what the cost to me. It's not my choice. I don't want to kill them, but I have to. He turns the gun away from Frank and aims it at JUDITH LYNESS, a secretary, in her mid-30s with blond hair and brown eyes. She gasps, a pitiful SQUEAK emanating from her vocal cords. FRANK Morris, don't! It is too late. Royson pulls back the trigger. As the rifle FIRES, we see a flash of the GEHENNA DEVIL. Royson turns the gun on MALE WORKER #1, and as the gun FIRES, we flash again on the Gehenna Devil. Royson whirls around the room, this time picking out FEMALE WORKER #1. Another blast from the gun is accompanied by another flash of the Gehenna Devil. Frank stands there, eyes wide, too shocked to react. CUT TO: EXT. DOWNTOWN OFFICE BUILDING - DAY Lightener talks into his walkie-talkie. LIGHTENER What's going on up there? THE SHARPSHOOTERS on the roof are looking into the room. A shot is fired. SHARPSHOOTER #1 We've got shots fired, chief, but we don't have a clear shot! I count six people down in there! LIGHTENER Goddamnit! Okay, I need you to do whatever you can do to take him out! He clicks the walkie-talkie off and turns to Quien, a look of disgust apparent on his face. CUT TO: INT. DOWNTOWN OFFICE BUILDING - DAY FEMALE WORKER #2 and FEMALE WORKER #3 race towards the building's stairs. Royson turns with calm, calculated precision, and guns them down, as we flash twice more on the Gehenna Devil. Royson walks towards the middle of the room and faces Frank, gun drawn. FRANK'S POV He looks numbly around the room. Moans and crying are heard, and he sees the workers lying in pools of their own blood. He seems to stare right through Royson as Royson points the gun at him. CUT TO: EXT. OPPOSITE ROOFTOP - DAY The eyes of sharpshooters #1 and #2 light up as they finally have a shot at Royson. CUT TO: INT. DOWNTOWN OFFICE BUILDING - DAY Royson has his back to the glass window. We can see the sharpshooters through it as Royson stares down Frank. CLOSE ON - THE TRIGGER Royson's finger tightens on it. We see the sharpshooters again through the window. There is a bright flash of gunfire and the window behind Royson shatters. He falls to the ground in front of Frank, his blood spilling on Frank's shoes. Frank stands there for a second with no reaction, staring into space. He slowly turns and heads towards the elevator, pushing the "down" button almost as if in a dream, separated from reality. As the doors open, a host of police officers and QRT people get off and run into the room. POLICE OFFICER What the hell happened? Frank gets onto the elevator. The doors close in front of him, and he heads down. CUT TO: EXT. DOWNTOWN OFFICE BUILDING - DAY Quien, Giebelhouse, and Lightener wait at the bottom, looking anxiously up at the fourteenth floor. Frank walks through the building's doors, slowly, still in shock. LIGHTENER What happened up there?! What did you do?! QUIEN Are you all right, Frank? What's going on? FRANK I can't... GIEBELHOUSE What, Frank? FRANK I can't do this. I can't stop it. QUIEN What are you talking about? What happened? FRANK (shaking his head sadly) They're all dead. He sits dejectedly on the steps leading up to the building. INT. BLACK RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM - DAY Jordan sits anxiously on the front couch. Suddenly, the doorbell RINGS. She races up and runs to the door. As she is about to open it, Tom yells out. TOM Jordan! She stops as he hurries to the door. TOM Whenever there's someone at the door, let me or Helen open it unless we say otherwise, okay? JORDAN How come? TOM Because you never know who might be the other side. Tom opens the door, revealing Jonah. JONAH Hi, Jordan. JORDAN Hi. The two move into the house, giggling excitedly. Tom smiles after them. INT. DOWNTOWN OFFICE BUILDING - FOURTEENTH FLOOR - DAY Giebelhouse and a team of police officers are standing in the room, looking upon the carnage. Giebelhouse shakes his head, as if trying to forget he ever saw it. GIEBELHOUSE (to himself) Now that's evil. Giebelhouse walks by POLICE OFFICER #2, still shaking his head in disbelief. GIEBELHOUSE I don't understand it. I musta worked twenty cases with this guy, Frank Black. I can't remember him ever screwing up. He walks off to another part of the room, but turns away, sickened by the massacre. GIEBELHOUSE (frustrated) Isn't the damn coroner here yet?! POLICE OFFICER #3 shakes his head. GIEBELHOUSE All right, let's clear out until there's someone here to bag these people up and take 'em down to the morgue. Giebelhouse and the rest of the police officers head towards the elevator and stairs. As they leave the scene, one living figure remains, dressed in a leather jacket and black pants with dark hair. It is SAMIEL. He walks over to the dead body of Judith Lyness. He bends over her and takes her hand in his. SAMIEL It was not in my power to save you from him. (a beat) But the balance will be reset. Off this, we: FADE OUT. ACT THREE INT. BLACK RESIDENCE - JORDAN'S ROOM - DAY Jordan and Jonah are sitting on the floor of her room, playing with toy dinosaurs. Jordan has a T-Rex and Jonah has a Velociraptor. They rush the two at each other. Jordan picks up the velociraptor in her T-Rex's mouth. JONAH Hey, that's no fair! You can't eat it! JORDAN Sure I can. He's bigger. JONAH But mine's faster. Here, give him back. Jordan hands the raptor back. Jonah quickly maneuvers it away from the T-Rex. JONAH He can just run away. JORDAN He's a wimp. Downstairs, the doorbell rings. JONAH What do you mean, he's a wimp? Remember that time when you wouldn't even kill that mouse at the school? JORDAN That was different. It was alive. JONAH So? JORDAN It's different. JONAH No it's not. JORDAN I'm not a wimp! As she looks through her open door and down the stairs, she sees Tom leading the Janitor towards the basement door. Tom opens it for him. TOM It's down the stairs and to the left. JANITOR Thanks a lot. I'll see what I can do. He walks into the basement. As he does, Jordan gets up and walks down the stairs to Tom. JORDAN What's *he* doing here? TOM I told you, he's going to help fix the heat. I did tell you that, right? Yesterday? Jordan says nothing but stares into the suffocating blackness of the basement. INT. QUIEN'S CAR - DAY Quien appears concerned as he sits at the wheel of his car, a silver 1987 Mercedes Benz. He continually looks out the window as he drives. He slows as he comes to a stoplight. QUIEN (to himself) Where would he go? As if hit by a sudden recognition, he flips the turn signal on. The light turns green, and he turns left, onto another street. CUT TO: EXT. OUTSIDE PINEWOODS CEMETERY - DAY It has once again clouded over. Quien's Benz pulls up right next to the sign which bears the cemetery's name. CUT TO: EXT. PINEWOODS CEMETERY - DAY CLOSE ON - A TOMBSTONE which reads, "Catherine Black, Loving Mother and Wife." WIDER to reveal Frank standing over the grave, looking sadly on it. He reaches out and places his hand on it. Quien appears over his shoulder, walking towards him. QUIEN Hey, Frank. Quien puts his hand on Frank's shoulder. QUIEN (CONT'D) Are you okay? Frank says nothing. He stands back from the tombstone. QUIEN I know a place where we can talk, if you want. Frank turns and nods, subtly, wordlessly. CUT TO: EXT. PARK BENCH - DAY Quien and Frank sit on the bench. Birds CHIRP, but dully, lacking the usual vigor and cheerfulness evident in their voices. Frank stares off absently into the distance as Quien looks at him, trying to find the right words. QUIEN Feels like it's going to rain, doesn't it? Frank doesn't say anything. QUIEN I guess that's nothing special around here. You could say that any time and you'd have about a 50-50 chance of being right. But, I don't know. There's just something in the air today. You feel it? Frank turns to look at him, but turns away still saying nothing. QUIEN Look, you gotta talk to me, Frank. I know this is killing you inside, but if you don't open up and let it out... I don't know. I mean, I'm no psychiatrist, but I've had enough years on the job to know that it's not good to keep all that inside. So, c'mon. I know you feel bad, about the shootings, but it wasn't your fault. You need to know that. FRANK Not my fault? Then why is their blood on me? Frank pulls open his jacket, revealing splotches of blood on his shirt. He lifts up his shoes, which are coated with Royson's blood. FRANK (CONT'D) Why was I just standing there? He just kept firing, and I was just frozen. One by one, I watched them all drop down, like, like trees that had been chopped down. And I was there, with a chance to stop it and I didn't do a thing. QUIEN You had the right idea, Frank. I agreed with you, your profile. It fit everything. We couldn't know what was happening in his head. FRANK I should have. That's what I'm paid to do, Steve. That's my job. That's why you called me out here. To know his head, inside and out. And I failed. He starts to stare off into the distance. FRANK There was something more that Royson, something else hiding behind him. And I was blind to it. But as I saw him squeeze the trigger, the dullness in his eyes, and I saw the hostages fall to the ground, the hostages I allowed that to happen to, I felt... it. I felt evil. Not just the evil in a man pushed too far by circumstance. This was measured, calculated, greater than the chemicals and impulses which make up our actions. I felt something greater than just Morris Royson, greater than the pain and the anger we saw in his victims. I felt a coldness. Something I've felt before. QUIEN What do you mean? FRANK When I worked with the FBI, I met a man named Mike Atkins. Together, we worked on some of the most heinous and vicious crimes that human beings are capable of. But I always had a moment on those cases where I understood where it came from. Whether it was from an abusive childhood or an overload of stressors in the lives of the killers, their actions had a root in our world. Something that could be catalogued and inventoried. "Evil is born in a cold heart and a weak mind," Mike always used to say. I believed it, too. The evil that I saw, this human evil, was the product of dark impulses which the killer's mind was too battered and defeated to resist. That's what I thought all evil was. That is, before I worked for the Millennium Group. One of the first cases I worked with them, in San Francisco in 1996, we investigated a series of burnings that turned out to lead to a cult hell-bent on destruction. You know, like the one in Tokyo. One of the cultists, a young kid, told me about the beast who ran it. I went to its lair, you could say, the warehouse where the kids were killed before they were cremated. And I felt something there, the same thing I felt in that room today on the fourteenth floor. QUIEN This thing, are you saying that it's different than the type of case I called you out here to investigate? FRANK Worse than it. I looked into the leader of that cult's face, and I saw the same dullness, the same deadness in his features that I saw in Morris Royson's. It was as if something else was in control of him. It chilled me to see that, made me question everything I thought I knew. I understood then that there was an evil greater than I knew from my work with the FBI, and that that meeting was only the beginning. DISSOLVE TO: INT. BLACK RESIDENCE - JORDAN'S ROOM - DAY Jordan and Jonah sit on her bed, reading "Lord of the Flies." Jonah reads while Jordan looks on and listens raptly. FRANK (V.O., CONT'D) I felt it again in a spree of killings I investigated here, with Bob. We found evidence linking this small-time con with these murders, but it didn't feel right. Something greater was behind it, and I needed to know what it was. Jonah turns the page. FRANK (V.O., CONT'D) We tracked it down, found it, and it did something I never expected. It gave me an offer. An offer to work for it. An offer I turned down. FADE TO BLACK. FRANK (V.O., CONT'D) It had an interest in me. There was a killing up in Bellingham right after that, designed specifically to draw me in. I met a lawyer there, Al Pepper. It worked through him, gave me another offer, another temptation. FADE TO: INT. BLACK RESIDENCE - BASEMENT - DAY It is dark, almost completely so, with only a small light coming from under the door to the crawl space. We track towards it. FRANK (V.O., CONT'D) I felt it investigating a series of child abductions in Oregon. I felt it when I was sent Polaroids of myself, drowned, after I went back to work for the FBI. It's almost a part of me, now, following me, everywhere I go. The light intensifies as we near the door. INT. BLACK RESIDENCE - CRAWL SPACE - DAY The camera closes on the face of the Janitor, rooting around in the crawl space. His face seems to bear the same demonic features Jordan witnessed in "Anthropophagi." DISSOLVE TO: EXT. PARK BENCH - DAY CLOSE ON - QUIEN who is sitting next to Frank, who still stares into space, almost as if he's talking to himself. QUIEN You know, before Bletch died, he would send me weekly reports on you. How you were doing at the FBI, what big bad guys you were hunting down, how you and Catherine were doing, and later, after you moved back to Seattle, what cases you were working on with him. Everything you told him, he'd tell me. How Jordan was doing, the big case you just broke, all of it. That was just about the high-point of my week. Frank smiles weakly. FRANK I miss Bletch. (a beat) You know how he died, of course. Quien nods somberly. FRANK I bought a Yellow House, the house he died in, when I moved back to Seattle with Catherine. It was so alive, so vibrant, so warm. I just wanted that to rub off on me, to give me the strength I knew I would need to continue to hunt down the people I help catch. I can't tell you how difficult it was to go back to work after I retired from the FBI. I thought the house would help, maybe give me some stability. But the truth is, it's just rock and wood and paint. It has no power. It can't protect me or anyone. It didn't stop the evil from splitting my family apart, and it couldn't push away the tragedies which occurred within its walls. QUIEN I'm sorry, Frank. I could always feel how you wanted it to work out, for everyone. That's what I always admired about you. Well, one of the things. You weren't just in it for yourself. It was never just, 'How can I improve Frank Black's life?' It was, 'How can I make the world a better place for everyone to live in?' And you know, most cops just follow the routine; some cases get closed, others stay open. Some murderers get caught, others go free. But that was never your view of things. It wasn't about punching the clock and pushing towards your pension. You weren't thinking of overtime when you worked 20-hour shifts to catch the killers of even the most meaningless crimes. I mean hell, that was pretty much all it was even for me. But your passion to track down every last miscreant who walked the city was amazing. And I couldn't ever imagine you in anything except Homicide, investigating the worst crimes, making the ultimate criminals pay the ultimate price. I'll never forget that shooting that Mike Schneider caught, that guy who I think was even the lead suspect in one of my cases. I was just shrugging it off, a closed case for me. Everyone was, but you. Even Schneider figured that the case wasn't too important. I mean, a killer getting offed? Everyone just kind of figured we should be throwing his killer a party. But you took the bull by the horns and worked that case like it was your own kid, like it was Jordan that got shot, and it wasn't even your case. That was when I knew that I liked you, not just as a cop but as a person. And I always wondered where you got the strength to deal with all of that. Because I know that if I took what I did all those years as seriously as you did, I would have snapped. FRANK I bought that Yellow House because I thought it might give me strength, but deep down, I knew all along that it wasn't a house which allowed me to go on. It was my family. It was Catherine. I always took it for granted. I never wanted to think what things would be like without her. It was too hard for me. And now, living it, it's like part of me is gone. It sounds trite to say, but it's not trite how it feels. QUIEN Right. I understand. FRANK When she died, there was the denial. I didn't want to accept her death, couldn't bring myself that she wouldn't be there every time I opened my eyes, like I was awakening from some terrible dream. Just like my little daughter, who hardly even understood about death, I wanted to believe that Catherine could just walk in the door and sit down and tell me every last boring detail about her day. That thought let me continue, let me go on. But you don't know what it's like to live with that denial. You can't possibly understand how it kills you to have the hope and then to have it dashed every day. I needed to come to terms with her death, to accept it, to believe it, and I did. But after that, after I did, I knew that this would come some day. This moment of realization, what I felt in that room, that single moment which just seems to last an eternity in which you realize just how insignificant you are, just how pointless your existence is. That you were put on earth for one reason, and you can't even do that. All I want in life is to make it safe for people, and for my family. And I can't even protect the people I need to protect. Bob, Catherine, the people on the fourteenth floor... QUIEN You can't be to hard on yourself-- FRANK I can't *not* be too hard on myself. Those nine people are dead because of me, because I didn't do my job. I was sent up there to protect them, to keep them safe, and I couldn't. Just like I couldn't keep my own family safe. Just like when I was with the FBI and I found out that some man was stalking my wife. That thought, my inadequacy, was all I could think about. I couldn't do my job. I couldn't worry about making the world a better place for my family when I couldn't even keep them safe. If it wasn't for Catherine, I'm not sure if I ever could have gone back to work. If I didn't still have some hope she was still alive, I'm not sure if I would have gone back to the FBI. I want the strength she gave me. I need it, or I don't see how I can go back now. QUIEN You need some structure in your life Frank. That's my opinion. I mean, look at where you are now. You're a lone wolf, a consultant, in Seattle one week, and god knows where the next. Who knows how often you get to be with your daughter? (a beat) I know this is a strange time to do this, but I think that you could really benefit greatly from coming back to the good old Seattle P.D. Like I said, I know some higher- ups and I could pull a few strings to get you into the Homicide unit. It might not give you everything you need, but it's a start. It's some stability and a chance to really come full circle in your life. (a beat) And I'm sure we could make a very generous offer in terms of salary. Frank looks at Quien, silently considering his offer. FRANK Thanks. I appreciate the offer, Steve. It really means a lot to me. QUIEN So do you want to take it? Quien hands Frank his business card. Frank takes it, putting it in his pocket. FRANK I'll think about it. He and Quien stand up. FRANK I really appreciate you being here for me. QUIEN Glad to. Frank and Quien walk back to the car. As they move towards it, a watch moves into the f.g. The camera pulls back to reveal Samiel, watching them from behind a tree. A faint BUZZING is audible. Samiel snaps his hand shut. CLOSE ON - SAMIEL'S HAND As he opens it, we see a crushed fly. INT. BLACK RESIDENCE - LIVING ROOM - DAY Jordan and Jonah are sitting on the living room floor, playing a board game. Legend INDICATES: 4:19 PM EST JORDAN'S POV We can see Tom sitting at the coffee table, balancing his checkbook. She looks down at the board game, then back up. The Janitor has appeared behind Tom. JORDAN'S POV The Janitor's face warps into the devilish contours we saw in "Anthropophagi" and earlier in this episode. He stares coldly at Jordan. As he stares at her, Tom, who is oblivious to the Janitor's presence, suddenly collapses, clutching his chest. Jordan rushes over to him. JORDAN Uncle Tom! Uncle Tom! She turns his head up, but he gives no answer. Saliva spills from his mouth. Jordan looks up, and, spotting the phone, starts to run towards it. As she does, she is grabbed by the Janitor. JORDAN Owww! She struggles violently. JORDAN Help! She sees Jonah still sitting at the board game, staring at her with the same dull eyes we saw inhabit Morris Royson's visage earlier. JORDAN Jonah! Get the phone! Jonah blinks slowly, showing no sign of recognition of Jordan's words. Jordan looks up quickly at the Janitor, and sees him staring purposefully at Jonah. She looks back to Jonah, who doesn't seem to have moved a muscle. JORDAN (frantically) Jonah! Don't let him stop you! He doesn't want to help you! (a beat, as she waits for a response, and gets none) Call 9-1-1! JANITOR (to Jonah) Don't do it. You wouldn't want me to get upset, would you? JONAH'S POV Jonah sees Jordan being held by the Janitor, but the Janitor's face looks normal. JORDAN You have to call! You have to! Jonah stands up slowly. The Janitor, seeing this, moves his head down, motioning for Jonah to sit back down. We close on his face as we see his determination as he struggles to control both Jordan and Jonah. Tom is still on the floor, slow, rasping gasps emanating from his mouth. Jordan looks anxiously at him, then back to Jonah. JORDAN You can do it, Jonah! Call 9-1-1! Jonah starts to walk slowly over towards the phone, as if awakening from a dream. The Janitor's eyes widen, and he tries to move over to stop Jonah, but Jordan fights so viciously that if he moves he will have to let go of her. JANITOR I'll take care of you, Jonah. Jonah stops for a second, looking at the Janitor, then steps towards the phone. He looks back at Jordan and the Janitor, then picks the phone up and dials a 9. He looks back. JONAH'S POV CLOSE ON - JANITOR'S FACE as he glares coldly at Jonah. Jonah puts the phone back into the cradle. JORDAN You have to call, Jonah! Jonah looks at them for an interminable beat, before picking up the phone. His fingers methodically dial 9-1-1. JANITOR (desperate) Do it and I can't save you! JONAH (into phone) Hello. We need an ambulance at 371 Keyser Avenue. Someone's having a heart attack. (a beat) 371 Keyser Avenue. He puts down the phone and looks back at Jordan and the Janitor, but the Janitor has disappeared. He and Jordan look at each other strangely, then Jordan smiles at him. He smiles back, as she remembers the situation and rushes to Tom's side. JORDAN Uncle Tom, are you okay? Uncle Tom? There is no response. Jordan shakes him. JORDAN Uncle Tom? Sounds of an ambulance can be heard outside the house. We hold on Tom's limp body as the ambulance siren blares and we: FADE OUT. ACT FOUR FADE IN: EXT. BLACK RESIDENCE - DAY Jordan and Jonah stand on the sidewalk as Tom is rushed out of the house on a stretcher by a pair of PARAMEDICS. As he moves past her, Jordan runs up and runs along with Tom. She looks down on his face, which is pale and drawn. They move into the back of the ambulance, closing the door behind them. CUT TO: INT. AMBULANCE - DAY Jonah follows behind them. One Paramedic (#1) climbs into the front seat. Paramedic #2 stays in the back. PARAMEDIC #2 You two coming along for the ride? JORDAN Yeah. (a nervous beat) Is my uncle going to be okay? PARAMEDIC #2 Sure he is. His tone is less than reassuring. The ambulance speeds off, sirens blaring. Jordan looks over at Jonah, and sees that his face seems to glow with newfound color. INT. SEATTLE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING - SQUAD ROOM - NIGHT Frank walks through the doors into the squad room. Giebelhouse is sitting at his desk, going over reports from the office shootings. GIEBELHOUSE Hey, Frank, you all right? FRANK I don't know. GIEBELHOUSE I'm real sorry about what happened, Frank. You gotta know, though, that kind of thing happens to everyone. Frank stops next to Giebelhouse's desk. FRANK I'll tell you the same thing I told Steve. I just missed something in looking over the evidence. Something that was covered up, hidden, made to look like something else. GIEBELHOUSE What do you mean? FRANK You know, Giebs, there's something I never told you about Bletch's murder. (a beat) The thing that I felt in the office today, when the shots were being fired, that thing that I missed--it's the same thing I felt every time I was in that basement. It's what you were talking about, the evil. I'm not sure if you understand what I'm saying, but I think somehow this was connected. (a beat) I saw its lies, its deceit, but not for what they were. I believed them. Giebelhouse nods, slightly confusedly. He produces a manila folder. GIEBELHOUSE I did some checking on the victims. I'm not even sure why I wanted to, seeing as how cut-and- dried all these murders are, but I found something I thought was interesting. FRANK What's that? Giebelhouse hands the folder to Frank, who opens it and sees a photo of Judith Lyness, the secretary from act two. GIEBELHOUSE It says in here that back in June she had a collapsed lung, and was, whaddaya call it, clinically dead for a little before the docs revived her. After it, she did all kinds of stuff. Put in time at the local soup kitchen, devoted to her congregation, worked with United Way, Make A Wish, some of those charities. FRANK What's your point? GIEBELHOUSE Well, I doubt if it means anything or not, but she was a part of the same support group as Lt. Quien. FRANK Support group for what? GIEBELHOUSE Didn't he tell you? Franks shakes his head blankly. GIEBELHOUSE Well, I guess he doesn't like to talk about it all that much. Back when he was in Portland, the Narcotics lieutenant, he got shot right in the noodle during a drug stakeout. Same thing happened to him as this Lyness woman. He was dead, and then they brought him back. I can't even believe he's back working in the PD after that. Most guys woulda just cashed in their pension and taken a job in the security department for some big firm. But he says he feels like he has a purpose, or something like that. Frank winces in pain and rubs his temples. GIEBELHOUSE Something wrong, Frank? There is the sound of a door OPENING and CLOSING behind them. Quien exits his office. FRANK I just have a little headache. I need a breath of fresh air. He walks towards the doors to the squad room. He reaches them at the same time as Quien, who opens the doors and holds them open for Frank. Frank walks through, with Quien following after. QUIEN Are you all right, Frank? FRANK I'm fine. It's just a little headache. They approach the stairs down to the main lobby. QUIEN Have you given any thought to the job offer I gave to you? FRANK A little. They begin to descend the staircase. QUIEN I really hope you consider it. This is something really important, for you and your whole family, and it really deserves your time. FRANK So you really think you could get me a job as a detective here? In homicide? QUIEN I'm sure of it. FRANK Even in spite of what happened on this case? QUIEN Frank, your reputation speaks for itself. I don't think there's a branch of law enforcement in the country that wouldn't love to have you. Frank nods and looks down toward the bottom of the staircase. He sees a strange figure staring up at him -- Samiel. The two make brief eye contact before Samiel disappears from view. Frank and Quien reach the bottom. FRANK (a beat, nervous) So are you going home, then? QUIEN Not much to do around here. Quiet day. Quien opens the front door of the building. Frank walks through it, Quien following. CUT TO: EXT. SEATTLE PUBLIC SAFETY BUILDING - NIGHT Frank stops outside the building, taking a DEEP BREATH. There is a light drizzle. QUIEN Good night, Frank. FRANK Good night, Steve. Drive safely. Quien nods and walks off towards his car, the '87 Benz. Frank massages his temples again. Quien opens the door of the car and gets in, REVVING up the engine. His car accelerates, heading towards the street. FRANK'S MAGNIFIED POV Suddenly, Samiel seems to appear out of thin air! SAMIEL (extending his hand, palm outward) By Uriel and by Raziel, Powers, Principalities, Thrones and Dominions, I bind and command you depart! FRANK No! Quien yells in alarm and SWERVES to avoid Samiel, turning right into a concrete pillar. There is a flash of lightning which strikes Quien's car and the sound of CRUMPLING metal. Frank immediately runs towards the wreck. The rainfall intensifies, a thundering drumbeat. Samiel lowers his hand and takes a step backward. Frank looks at him with astonishment. QUIEN Frank, help... Quien is trapped in his car, a bloody mess. Frank starts toward the door to open it, but he is pushed back by Samiel. FRANK What are you doing? SAMIEL There is nothing you can do to save him. Samiel speaks coldly, with no apparent recognition of any prior experiences with Frank. FRANK What are you talking about? We need to get him out of the car! SAMIEL You must not interfere in that which you have no knowledge of. FRANK My friend is dying in there! I need to help him! Quien BANGS on the window of the car. Frank tries to push his way past Samiel, who throws him to the rain-slicked ground. FRANK He's not the one you want! SAMIEL I don't want him. It's not my doing. Understand something. I am not killing him. He did it to himself. FRANK Why? SAMIEL He took that which was not his to take. (a beat) He has snuffed out one of the many points of light which must necessarily balance his evil, upsetting an equilibrium which must naturally exist, one upon which all things are dependent. FRANK What do you mean? SAMIEL Judith Lyness. FRANK She had a near-death experience. Samiel nods. SAMIEL There are those who must be saved. FRANK Why not my friend? SAMIEL He was weak, corrupted. His actions have sealed his fate. FRANK He hasn't done anything. SAMIEL Not directly, but he allowed it to happen. It was his will. His attempt to tip the scales in his favor must be rectified. FRANK By you? Samiel does not respond. The rain pounds down on both of them, soaking them. As he stands, Frank looks at Quien, who is motionless in the car. FRANK Is he dead? SAMIEL Departed from this plane. FRANK Why? As Samiel regards Frank, his expression softens slightly, as if, for a fleeting moment, he has a glimmer of remembrance of Frank. FRANK Why did you? SAMIEL I'm sorry. He was not who he was. FRANK Are you who you are? SAMIEL There are those who would do evil, and there are those who are good, and their numbers must always be equal. He created an inequality, one which necessitated his own expulsion. FRANK By whose decision? SAMIEL You must not fear me, or my actions. For in that fear, he resides. Samiel motions towards Quien. SAMIEL (CONT'D) If you are strong and pure of heart, without fear or uncertainty, he cannot harm you... (a beat) ...Or those close to you. Behind them, there is a loud BANG as the front door of the building is thrown open. Giebelhouse races out into the rain. Frank turns to look at him. GIEBELHOUSE Frank! Frank turns back to Samiel, but he is gone once again. All that remains is Quien's battered Mercedes Benz, and his mutilated, lifeless body within. Giebelhouse runs up next to Frank, as other people come through the door. GIEBELHOUSE What happened here, Frank? How did this happen? FRANK (softly, thoughtfully) He killed himself. There is a flash of lightning and thunder CRASHES down. Frank turns away from the scene of the accident and heads towards his own car in the lot. He turns back and looks at the wreck of Quien's car, then opens the door to his own car. INT. HOSPITAL WAITING ROOM - NIGHT Helen sits anxiously in a chair. She is hunched forward, dark circles under her eyes. Legend INDICATES: Baltimore General Hospital 11:25 PM EST To either side of her are Jordan and Jonah, as Charlie lies on her lap. All three are asleep. She bows her head for a second and closes her eyes, exhausted. Her momentary respite is ended by the OPENING OF DOORS as Dr. Yeaman enters the room. Helen picks Charlie up and slings him over her shoulder. She rushes over to Dr. Yeaman, awakening Jordan and Jonah, who rub their eyes sleepily. HELEN How is my husband, Tom? Is he going to be okay? DR. YEAMAN He's going to be okay, I think. There were some rough spots in the surgery, but I think he's finally out of the woods. You know, of course, that he had a major heart attack. He's very lucky to be alive. I think if we would have received him here even fifteen minutes later than we did, he might not have made it. Helen hugs Dr. Yeaman. HELEN Thank you so much, doctor. Can I see him. DR. YEAMAN Yeah, he's in the ICU. Room 128. You won't be able to talk to him though. He's still pretty heavily anesthetized. Helen, holding Charlie, leads Jordan and Jonah towards the door. She turns back to Dr. Yeaman. HELEN Thank you so much. DR. YEAMAN Sure. You're welcome. Helen and the children walk through the door. It closes behind them. CUT TO: INT. HOSPITAL - ICU WARD - TOM'S ROOM - NIGHT The door opens. Jordan, Jonah, and Helen with Charlie enter. Tom lies peacefully on his hospital bed. His eyes are closed, trapped in some mandatory reverie, and tubes run in and out of his body. Monitors flash and BEEP around the room. Helen sits in a chair next to Tom's bed and reaches out to hold his hand. Jordan looks sadly at Tom. Helen SIGHS and reaches for the remote, CLICKING on the television. It turns on to channel 4, a news brief. ANCHORPERSON ...And, in other news, we have the story of a pair of young children who may have saved a man's life this afternoon. Eight year-olds Jordan Black and Jonah Lawrence, realizing that Jordan's uncle Tom Black, had had a heart attack in their quiet suburban home, quickly and alertly called 9-1-1. An ambulance arrived just in time to get Mr. Black to the hospital. Dr. Yeaman appears onscreen. DR. YEAMAN (on television) It really was a miracle. Even a few minutes would have had an enormous effect on the outcome. It cuts back to the reporters. ANCHORPERSON Good to end on a positive note on this Saturday, December 11th, 1999. I'm Dan Marley for Evelyn Mitchell and all the Channel 4 staff, signing off and saying, 'Good night.' Helen turns the television off. She hugs both Jordan and Jonah tightly. As she does, Jordan looks apprehensively at Tom. INT. PATHOLOGIST'S OFFICE - DAY Frank and Giebelhouse stand in the pathologist's office. Giebelhouse sniffs as he catches the pungent aroma of one of the corpses. Legend INDICATES: December 11, 8:48 AM PST Pathologist Massey walks towards them. MASSEY You're here about Quien, right? GIEBELHOUSE Yeah. MASSEY I have to tell you, there's something very strange about that body. FRANK What do you mean? MASSEY Well, all external indications seem to point to death by misadventure... stemming from this car accident. We have severe trauma to the body, and many very serious wounds, including one to his wrist area. Any one of them probably could have led to his bleeding out. GIEBELHOUSE So? MASSEY Well, my while the external examination revealed nothing out of the ordinary, we decided to open him up on a hunch. You'll never guess what we found inside. GIEBELHOUSE What? MASSEY His internal organs were *cooked*. Fricasseed. The bone was practically charred. FRANK Only on the inside? MASSEY Yes... It's like someone sent an electric charge through him. GIEBELHOUSE You mean like when you stick your finger in an electric outlet? MASSEY Maybe, only this is on a scale a good ten times worse. His stomach, his liver, his kidneys, they were near vaporized. I have no explanation for what could have caused this. Giebelhouse looks over at Frank, questioningly. Frank's cell RINGS. Turning away from them, he answers it. FRANK Frank Black. INTERCUT BETWEEN SCENES: INT. BLACK RESIDENCE - DAY Helen stands over the coffee table. HELEN Frank, it's Helen. I've been trying to reach you for hours. Where have you been? FRANK I'm sorry. I had my cell phone turned off. What's the matter? HELEN Tom had a heart attack. A pretty big one. The doctors say he's okay, but he's at the ICU at the hospital now. FRANK (visibly shaken) What? How did that happen? HELEN I don't know. But I do know that your daughter and her friend helped to save his life. I wasn't there, and they called 9-1-1. The doctors said he arrived just in time. This feels a little strange, but it just seems like I should thank you. FRANK Well, I'm just glad that he's alive. I'm really sorry, Helen. HELEN There's one other thing. She picks up a note from the coffee table. HELEN I found a note here. It's kind of strange, and I debated whether or not to tell you, because I'm sure you have a lot on your mind, and I couldn't even tell if it was for you or me or anyone. FRANK What does it say? HELEN It says, 'You can be safe.' I don't know what it means, but I thought maybe you should know about it. FRANK (coolly) I think it's for me. (a beat) I'm so sorry about Tom. I'll be back there as soon as possible. HELEN I just know your being here will mean a lot to him. FRANK Okay. Goodbye. HELEN Bye. They hang up. BACK TO: INT. PATHOLOGIST'S OFFICE - DAY Frank stands with his back to Giebelhouse and Massey, stunned by the news. He seems to be overloaded with emotions and information in the last few days. DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ACROSS STREET FROM OLD YELLOW (WHITE) HOUSE - DAY Frank stands staring at the house, once yellow, once his last bastion of defense against the things he has seen on this case. Giebelhouse drives up and stops the car, rolling down the passenger side window and leaning over to talk to Frank. FRANK Giebs. GIEBELHOUSE Hey, Frank. I got the results back on that bloody fingerprint you found at the Piasente crime scene. Like you know, we checked it against the NCIC database and got nada. Zip. So by your suggestion, I had the guys recheck it against all of Seattle's finest. You can see for yourself. He hands Frank a manila folder through the window. Frank takes it resignedly and opens it. Inside is a sheet of paper. CLOSE ON - REPORT There are two images of fingerprints. Next to one reads the caption, "Crime Scene Recovery." Attached to the other is a caption which reads, "Lt. Stephen Quien." In bold letters on the sheet is a line which reads, "100% MATCH." GIEBELHOUSE I'm sorry, Frank. Frank closes his eyes for a moment and SIGHS loudly, then returns to earth. FRANK I trusted him. I wanted him to be there for me when I was vulnerable. I didn't realize what I was calling on. I won't make that mistake again. Giebs takes a BREATH. GIEBELHOUSE So, I guess this is the last case we'll be working together *this* Millennium. FRANK I guess so. You and your family have a merry Christmas, huh? GIEBELHOUSE You too, Frank. Smiling, he rolls up the window and drives off, leaving Frank staring determinedly at the now white house. FRANK'S INTERNAL POV -- The young man at the top of the stairs from "Lamentation"! -- Bob Bletcher's body hanging from the basement wall! -- Mr. Crocell in his attic! -- Legion holding Jordan's dead body from "Siren"! -- Frank's bathroom filling up with water from "Seven and One"! -- Tom collapsing with a heart attack! Frank pulls out Quien's business card and looks at it for a beat, before crumpling it in his hand. FRANK I don't accept. The Yellow House, if only for a moment, seems to throw off its dull coat of paint and regain a flash of its old vibrancy and vitality. Off this image, we: FADE OUT. THE END