BRIMSTONE VS Episode #202 "An Army of One" Written by Joel Rauch It’s early afternoon, and the middle of the week. The Muckraker is a medium sized bar, with dark windows but well lit inside. It caters to the drinking needs of many soldiers from the nearby Army base, but at this hour it is not very full. One bartender and two waitresses are enough to serve everyone. Doug, the bartender, is ex-army. He’s in his late twenties, and is serving an unescorted woman at the bar. He’s held her in conversation for several minutes now, but Andi, a young, attractive waitress, steps up to the bar, “Doug, I’m still waiting on that pitcher of Bud for table 13.” Doug looks less than thrilled to break off his conversation, but excuses himself and fills the pitcher. “Here you are, Andi.” Andi scoots over to table 13, and Doug looks around the bar. The woman has gone. He has ended up standing in front of an older Chinese man. Zhang Fei is in his early fifties, but still muscular and fit. He has a black beard and bushy mustache. “Need another one?” He nods, and pushes his empty glass forward. Doug refills it, and picks up the money that has been placed on the bar. He sets Zhang Fei’s change in front of him. Zhang Fei slides the change back towards Doug, and asks, “A question, if I may?” Doug takes the tip and nods. “The women, over there, they are soldiers?” Doug looks at the table in question. “Yes, they are.” “Ah.” He sips his drink, and continues, “In my day, the art of war was a talent of men. It was not a place for women.” Doug polishes the nearby counter. “They do okay.” Zhang Fei seems satisfied by that, and Doug leaves to get another order for Andi. Andi carries the drink orders to a table with three soldiers, Charlie, Howard, and Rick. They have been there for several hours, and all three appear to be slightly drunk. Rick asks Andi to join them, but she declines and walks away. All three watch her. “Damn, that’s a nice ass.” “Yeah, she can sit on my lap anytime.” They laugh, and Howard changes the subject. “That Lt. Peters has really been busting my balls. He put me down for extra duty over something he couldn’t even prove I did.” “No such thing as innocent until proven guilty in this army,” Rick agrees. “All I’m looking for is a little justice.” “No such thing, not with Lt. Peters,” Charlie adds. “If I could catch him sleeping sometime, he wouldn’t know what hit him,” Howard says. He slams his fist into his palm, but loses his balance and falls out of his chair. Charlie and Rick laugh, and several patrons turn to look. Howard gets up, bows unsteadily, and sits back down. Zhang Fei is watching them, not laughing, just staring. After a moment, Rick catches his eye and he turns away. He stares at them in the mirror now, almost as if he was trying to recognize them. “Well ladies,” Howard is announcing, “I’m ready to head out.” The three of them get to their feet and drop money on the table. Andi comes by, glancing at it to make sure it will cover their tab. She thanks them, tells them to come back again. They stagger out into the California sun, and start off unsteadily in the direction of the base. Zhang Fei gets up silently and follows them out. At the end of the block, they turn right. Zhang Fei is moving quicker now, and as he rounds the corner after them, his eyes flash hellfire. I was a cop... Then my wife was raped. I caught the guy who did it, and I killed him. (Bang, bang, bang) Two months later I died. I went to hell. (Evil laughter) 113 of the most vile creatures escaped. They think they’ll beat the Devil. Nobody beats me. So, how am I supposed to send them back? The eyes are windows to the soul. Destroy the eyes, and the damned get a one-way ticket back home to Hell. But it’s not hell you should be scared of... It’s losing your second chance of life on earth. Time to give the Devil his due. ACT ONE Ezekiel Stone is in his room at the Hotel Irondell. His radio is on, playing ‘Fame’. “Fame, I’m gonna live forever. Baby remember my name.” He looks through his yellowed refrigerator, but can’t decide on anything. He closes the door, then opens it again and gets a beer. He opens it and takes a long pull from it. “Drinking before noon, Mr. Stone?” Our favorite fallen angel stands there, smiling his familiar smile. “Maybe you have a problem.” “Yeah, I’m looking at it,” Zeke replies, annoyed. “Don’t you ever knock?” “Would you let me in if I did?” “Try it sometime and we’ll find out.” Zeke sits down in his chair and looks expectantly at the Devil. “So, what is it today? A card, a menu, a matchbook?” The Devil ignores him. “Ah, alcohol. Did you know I was the one who suggested making it addictive?” “You must be very proud,” Zeke says, taking another swig of his beer. “Oh, I am. People are still responsible for what they do under the influence, and that little loophole has brought me tens of thousands. Especially now, with automobiles? Just last week I got a man who’d been driving his family around while he was drunk. Drove right off the road, killed them all. Now he’s got the rest of eternity to think about it.” He sits down next to Zeke. “I don’t know why you bother. The alcohol never gets into your blood. You’ll never get drunk.” “I like the taste,” Stone says defensively. “Hm...,” he considers that for a moment. “I will admit, I do enjoy a cold one now and then. Especially after a hard day’s work.” The Devil becomes serious. “Mr. Stone, what do you think Ash has planned for this world?” “War against God. Other than that, I’m not sure.” “Mr. Stone, I hate to give you any help in your mission, but the escaped souls have a disproportionate number of soldiers in their ranks.” He looks at Ezekiel expectantly, waiting for him to come up with an answer. “Soldiers... generals in her army?” The Devil smiles. “Perhaps. I really don’t know. The souls you have returned to me won’t tell me anything. But it’s a thought I’ve had.” “What made you bring that up today? Another invisible warrior?” Stone eyes him suspiciously. “No reason.” He smiles, and Stone looks at him. The song on radio ends. The announcer says, “That was Irene Cara, with ‘Fame’. And now, news and weather at 12 o’clock. Weather today will be sunny, high around 79, and low tonight of 47. In local news, police are looking for anyone with information about the murder of three off duty soldiers yesterday afternoon in broad daylight.” “What a coincidence,” Stone mutters. The Devil says nothing, just continues to smile brightly. “Police theorize they were followed by their killer or killers after the three finished drinking at a local bar. If you were near the 2600 block of Lafayette Road yesterday and have any information, please contact the police.” “So, this is another one of the damned souls that you let escape?” “Mr. Stone, I have no intention of telling you the details about the escape. Concern yourself with the capture and execution of the escapees. Since you seem to enjoy drinking in the middle of the day, go check out the bar.” “Sir, yes sir,” Stone replies, jumping to his feet and throwing a mock salute. The Devil has disappeared, and Stone salutes the bottle in his left hand as well. He puts the empty bottle on the counter, and picks up his keys. # Rosalyn Stone is sitting at a table in The Muckraker with her friend Alice. Alice is in her mid 40's, same as Rosalyn. Rosalyn looks around at all the soldiers. “This is a different kind of place for me.” Alice laughs. “Working on the army base, I end up coming here after work sometime. God, it’s good to see you again. I can’t believe we both moved out here from New York and now we don’t stay in touch. How are things going?” “Good, good. How’s Jake?” “You know, same old. He’s the best husband I’ve had so far, and I’m not planning on letting him go.” Roz smiles, but doesn’t say anything. Alice realizes she may have put her foot in her mouth. “Are you seeing anyone?” “I was seeing a real estate agent, Barry. It didn’t work out though.” Alice considers this for a moment. “Are you still thinking about Zeke?” “Yeah,” she says, looking down. “I’ve been thinking about him a lot lately.” “Roz, it was fifteen years ago. You were only together for three years. I know you were great for each other, and I cried with you at his funeral. But you have to let him go.” “Alice, I can’t. I was in a bank robbery last month. I.. I almost got shot. But someone knocked me out of the way and saved my life.” “Oh my god.” “I didn’t see who it was. But they knew my name. And.. I swear it was Zeke’s voice.” Roz’s voice is trembling now. “What if he is watching over me?” Alice reaches across the table and touches her. “He can’t be. He’s gone. It couldn’t have been his voice. Roz, it was fifteen years ago. I probably wouldn’t even recognize him now.” Roz sips from her drink, trying to pull herself together. “There’s something else. I got a present on Valentine’s Day. It was a snow globe, like I used to collect. It was of a bride and groom,” her voice breaks, “I think it was from Zeke.” “Excuse me, ladies,” a voice says. They turn to look at the man who is now standing there at the table. “My friend and I would like to buy you a drink.” “No thanks,” Alice tells him, “It’s not a good time right now.” While Alice’s attention is elsewhere, Roz wipes at the corners of her eyes. “No problem,” he says, smiling at them as he walks away. Alice turns back to Roz. “See, there are available men all over the place,” she jokes. There is a disturbance near the bar. Two soldiers start arguing. Roz doesn’t laugh. “I know how crazy it sounds,” she says. “But do you think maybe he could be here somehow? Maybe God gave him another chance.” She is wiping at her eyes. “Look, you just told me that you broke up with your boyfriend. Don’t you think the globe was probably from him?” The arguing gets louder. “Do you want to go somewhere else?” “Okay, I just need to-” she gestures at her face. “I’ll settle the tab,” Alice offers. Just then, the two soldiers start shouting, and now the bartender, Doug, gets into it. “Want to meet outside?” Roz nods and heads to the restroom. Stone comes in to the bar. Alice is leaving, and Stone holds the door open for her. She says thanks but does not recognize him. He goes over to the bar. The bartender is asking the two men to leave, but instead one pushes the other into Stone. He lunges back, but is stopped by Stone’s hand on his shoulder. He winces in pain, “Hey man, let go.” Stone forces him down to his knees, and tells him to get out. He stands, looking Stone up and down. Stone’s eyes flash hellfire. He takes a step back and heads toward the door. Stone looks at the other one. “You were leaving too, right?” He does. Stone watches him leave, then turns back to the bartender. “That takes care of them.” Stone is looking at the bartender, but in the mirror behind the bar we can see Roz exiting the washroom. She glances at her table to see if Alice is there, and then walks to the door. “Thanks,” Doug says, “Let me get you a drink.” In the mirror, Roz reaches the door and exits. Doug pulls out a beer. Little pieces of ice melt off of the bottle. “I was hoping to could help me with some information,” Stone says, “Those three soldiers were in this bar last night, right?” “Are you a reporter or something?” The bartender wants to know. Stone flips the badge. Doug only glances at it. “Yeah, I already talked to the police.” “I’m not officially on this case. Think you could tell me what you told them?” He leans forward on the bar. “Yeah, I remember the guys. They were pretty drunk. Didn’t cause any problems or anything, it’s usually pretty quiet here. You just walked in at a bad time.” “Any unusual people here about that time?” “There was this Chinese guy. He was sitting almost exactly where you are. Older, but he looked pretty tough. Something in his eyes,” Doug says. He sizes Stone up. “You’ve got that look too. You’ve seen some Hell in your time, I’d bet.” “Yeah, you could say that,” Zeke replies. “The Chinese guy, anything else you can tell me about him?” “I think he used to be a soldier. He asked me about women in the army. Said it wasn’t like that in his day. He didn’t look that old, but you know those guys age well.” Andi steps up to the bar. “Doug, I need two screwdrivers for table 8.” Doug steps away and she looks at Stone. “You a cop?” “Yep.” “You working on those three soldiers?” “Yeah, I am. Know anything about them,” he looks at the slender plastic name tag clipped to her shirt, “Andi?” “Howard was a regular here. He usually came in with a another guy, Marcus. I don’t know his last name, but, they were usually together.” Doug sets the two drinks on Andi’s tray. She smiles up at Stone before heading off to serve the drinks. “That guy you mentioned, you ever seen him before?” Stone asks Doug. “Once or twice. He doesn’t talk much. I think he just likes the company here.” “Think you could give me a call if you see him again?” He hands Doug his card. “Sure, no problem.” He reads the card. “Hotel Irondell. Boy, I thought they paid you all better than that.” “Divorce settlement,” Stone ad-libs. Doug nods understandingly, and goes to take care of the customers. Stone drinks his beer, and looks at the mirror in front of him, and realizes he can see most of the bar. He watches Andi approach. “Officer?” He turns to her. “That’s Marcus that just walked in. I thought you might want to talk to him.” She points out a man who is sitting down at a booth along the wall. He is obviously not military, as he is overweight and has a weeks worth of stubble on his face. “Thank you, Andi,” Stone tells her. She smiles again at him. “You know, I get off work in an hour...” “Thanks, but I’m married to my job.” He looks at her for a moment, and they lock eyes. Stone looks away first. “Some other time, maybe,” Andi says as she leaves to take care of another customer. Stone watches her go, then turns to Marcus. He fidgets in his seat, and looks around nervously. When he catches Stone’s eye, he freezes. Very slowly, he slides, to the edge of the booth, his muscles tensing to run. Stone shakes his head at him, warning him not to try it, but he does anyway. He bolts for the door, but Stone is closer and beats him there. Other patrons look at them, Stone holding Marcus by the arm. “It’s okay,” Stone says as he holds his badge up. “It’s under control.” People return to their drinks. “Let’s you and I sit down, shall we?” “I got nothing to say,” Marcus protests as he is propelled back to his booth. Stone pushes him in and sits across from him. Doug is watching the two of them carefully, polishing the bar as he does so. “I just want to know about your friend Howard. Any idea who got to him and his buddies last night?” “Nope,” he replies, looking down. “Look, we can do this real casual like, or I can arrest you right now. I just want to find the guy who did this.” Stone puts on his intimidating detective face. “Just between you and me?” Marcus asks. Stone nods. “He and I had a little business on the side going. I think someone else was trying to get rid of the competition.” “Got a name?” “Murry. He owns a tattoo place over by the base, Ink Inc.” ACT TWO Stone enters Rawshank’s Diner, holding the door open for Miss Chow. “They’ve got great food here,” he tells her. She laughs. She is nicely dressed, with her black hair pulled back, showing off her neckline and her earrings. The earrings appear to be made of polished bone, slivers five centimeters long. Next to her, in his trenchcoat and sporting stubble on his face, Stone looks shabbier than usual. She slides into a booth, Stone sits across from her. Teresita, the waitress, comes over. “Hey honey, how are you today?” She sets two menus on the table. Zeke smiles back at her. “I’m not that hungry today, actually.” Teresita arches her eyebrow, as if to say ‘Oh, really?’. “I’ll just have the Rawshank burger, well done, and curly fries. And a Coke.” “Wow, where’s the legendary Stone appetite?” She considers Nina for a moment. “He must really like you to order such a,” she pauses, thinking of the right word, “normal meal.” Nina and Zeke share a glance. “We’re just friends,” Nina says. “Okay, honey, what can I get for you then?” Teresita asks professionally, but in her voice there is a hint of amusement, as though she knows a joke that they do not. Nina peers at the menu for a moment. “I’ll have... the chicken salad, with ranch, and an iced tea.” “Okay,” Teresita smiles at them, taking the menus that Stone is holding out to her. “I’ll be right back with your drinks.” She leaves. Stone looks at Nina. “Thanks for meeting me,” he says. She touches his arm. “You saved my life, Zeke. I’ll never forget that.” Stone has a guilty look on his face. “I feel bad about calling you just because I need your help, Nina.” “You told me what your job is here. In fact, you’ve changed my life.” She locks eyes with him. “You’ve proved that there is life after death. That the way I live my life will determine how I spend eternity.” Her face is lit up with enthusiasm. “I feel that my eyes are opened for the first time in my life. You’ve shown me that there is a purpose to life, that it has a meaning. I know I am doing good with every person I can teach. I always thought I lived a good life, but now I see how I could treat others better, how I could...” She stops, realizing that she is rambling. They share a smile, and Nina takes a deep breath. “I’m more than happy to help, Zeke. Is there another thousand year old poet running around?” He chuckles. “I hope not. There were three soldiers killed yesterday. I think they were killed by an escaped soul that was a Chinese soldier.” “And...” “That’s all I have so far.” “Ezekiel, you know China had internal wars for three thousand years, right? He jerks his head, surprised. “Wow. That is a long time.” She laughs. “You could say that. I sure hope you have other leads besides that.” Teresita returns with the drinks, and their laughter dies as they quietly censor themselves. “One Coke, and one iced tea.” Stone thanks her, and she leaves again. “So.. how are things going at the Community Center?” “Good, good. I’m teaching a third class now. I love teaching. The look on someone’s face when things connect in their mind for the first time... it’s priceless.” Stone smiles politely, but he is suddenly distracted. The image appears in his head with sudden clarity, Roz, standing at the front of a class room, “Now class, open your textbooks to page 666.” The class stares at her, and in every pair of eyes is hellfire. Roz turns to write on the chalkboard, and behind her, the children silently rise. From their point of view, he pictures them moving up behind her, reaching out a hand to grab a shoulder, to turn her around. He sees the shocked expression on her face, the hands burning hot with the fires of Hell, and hears her scream, “Zeke!!” “Zeke?” Nina is squeezing his hand. He gasps and realizes where he is. “What’s wrong?” Her eyes are wide and concerned. “Nothing,” he lies. Nina stays silent. Zeke, after many years on the police force, is familiar with most interrogation techniques, and recognizes her silence for what it is. She is offering to listen to what he has to say, rather than waiting for her turn to talk. He knows that her refusal to speak is an effort to make him talk, but the uncomfortable silence is too much, he can’t bear the quiet any longer, and he gives in, hearing himself telling her, “Roz... Roz wanted to be a teacher.” Nina is silent still, but gives his hand another squeeze. She smiles encouragingly at him. “You just... reminded me of her.” He realizes what he has just said, and tries to figure out what he meant by it. He thinks to himself, ‘Did I mean her words made me think of Roz, or that she reminds me of Roz?’ Nina speaks softly, “You haven’t told her that you are back, have you?” Stone is flustered. “I went to see her, but, it didn’t-” “I’m sorry. You told me she was the reason you came out to California. It’s none of my business.” “I did go to see her, and I met her ... boyfriend.” Nina’s face softens, as if she feels his pain. “I’m sorry, Ezekiel.” “But the guy turned out to be another damned soul. She...,” he looks down at the table, and then back to Miss Chow, “She almost died because of me. And this wasn’t the first one to threaten her either. It’s too dangerous for her. “You know, Hell wasn’t a pleasant place. It was the thought of Rosalyn that kept me going, even though I knew I could never see her again. And now I could see her, but at what price? Her life?.” He pauses. “This is Hell too, and in some ways, it’s worse.” # Stone opens the car door. He looks back at Nina. “Thank you for the ride.” “My pleasure, Ezekiel. Will you let me know what you find out?” He hesitates for just a moment. “Okay, I’ll stop by the Community Center later.” He closes the door and she drives off. Ink Inc. is a little shop, sandwiched in between a Payday Advance and a convenience store. The neon sign in the window says ‘Open’, and Stone enters the building. At the sound of the bell, the two people inside look up. A man in his early thirtys sits in the chair, the left sleeve on his T-shirt rolled up. Murry, a young man with slicked back hair and open vest, is working on his shoulder. The hum of the tattoo gun stops. “Hey, how are you? What can I do for you?” he asks. “Are you the owner?” Stone inquires. “Sure am.” Stone flips the badge. “I have a couple of questions for you. Think we could talk privately?” Murry’s manner becomes chilly. “If you’ve got something to say, you can say it here.” The gun hums as he returns to work on his art. Stone eyes the man in the chair, who returns his stare. “You have some business competitors, Howard and Marcus?” “I don’t know what you are talking about.” “Howard was found dead, murdered, along with a couple of his friends. That ring a bell?” “Nope, can’t help you,” Murry continues his work without looking up. Stone is losing his temper. He strides towards the two men and grabs the cord of the tattoo gun, pulling it from the wall. Murry is silent, but stands up. “Hey cop, you got a warrant?” “Look, pal,” Stone gets in his face, “I’m this close to dragging you downtown. Tell me what you know about the murders.” “Go ahead, cop.” Murry draws himself up to his full height. “I’ll sue your sorry ass for false arrest. What do you think, that because I have tats that I’m some kind of street thug?” He opens his vest, showing his tattoos to Stone. “I bet you don’t even have one, pretty boy.” “I’ll take that bet,” Stone says. He lifts his shirt to expose the Devil’s marks on his chest. Murry looks shocked. “Damn, man.” “Gentlemen,” his customer says, “I really don’t have time for this.” He faces Stone, who reluctantly turns away from Murry to respond. “You’re looking into the matter of the triple murder yesterday?” “Yes, a lead I was following led me here.” “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Captain Grant of the US Army. I can give Murry an alibi. He was here, working on this,” he shows his tattoo to Stone, “yesterday at the time of the murders.” Stone looks at the detail of the artwork. Compared to his own tattoos, small, black and white symbols, the project on Grant’s arm is the Mona Lisa. It is a woman’s face drawn in great detail. Although only half finished, Stone can see the time and effort that has gone into it. “Wow, that’s pretty good,” he says grudgingly. “He does good work,” Grant replies. “I may have some information for you in regards to your case. Could you visit the base tomorrow, after I have had time to check?” “Okay,” Stone says slowly, unsure if this is serious. Grant rolls down his sleeve. “Murry, good work as usual. We’ll finish this another time...?” He pauses until Murry nods. “Detective, I didn’t catch your name. I’ll need it so you can get on the base.” “Ezekiel Stone,” he replies, still not quite believing. “Okay, I’ll look for you tommorrow... is 2 pm good for you?” “Uh, yeah, that’d be fine.” Grant nods, and marches to the door. “Goodbye, gentlemen.” The door rings as he leaves. Stone is unsure how to proceed next. “So, you were here yesterday afternoon?” “That’s right.” “Okay.” He looks around. “Well, I’ll let you get back to work.” “You just chased off my customer!” “Yeah, sorry about that. Thanks for your time.” # Stone goes back into The Muckraker. Doug, the bartender, sees him come in, and catches his eye. When Stone gets over to him, he says, “Did you get my message?” “No, is he here?” He looks around, scanning the tables. “He was here when I came on shift, but he left a few minutes ago, headed South on Lafayette. I called 911 also, but they haven’t got here yet.” Just then, two uniformed police officers come in. “Well, speak of the Devil.” Officers Hood and Price come over. Both are young, but Price is the younger. “Excuse me, are you Doug, the one who called?” Doug nods. “I was just telling Detective Lieutenant Stone that the man just left here, headed south.” Both of the uniformed policemen seem a little impressed at his title. “I’m not here to fight you for jurisdiction,” he tells them. “I’m looking for this guy on another case. I just want to see him caught, no matter who gets him.” “Okay, Detective, we’d be happy to share our information with you.” “Great. Mind if I ride along with you, so we can talk on the way?” “Sure, that should be okay.” # Officer Hood is driving, Price is in the passenger’s seat, and Stone is in the back seat, behind the metal mesh. “How did you find the bodies?” “A couple came across him just after he’d killed them. He ran. They weren’t able to make any kind of ID.” “Did you find the weapon?” Hood laughs. “I’ll tell you, the coroner had a funny opinion about that. He said some of the damage looked almost like it was from a car accident, where the body was hit by a blunt object at high speed. But this guy was on foot, so he must have carried the weapon off with him.” Stone thinks this over. “Do you have a motive?” “We don’t think it was a robbery. He didn’t take their wallets. Although, a gold tooth was missing from one of the victims...” Hood looks at Price, needing to be prompted. “Howard Zimmerman,” Price supplies. “Right,” Hood confirms. “So this guy is a suspect in another case?” “Yep.” “And what’s his name?” “Actually, I don’t remember,” Stone tells them. “I have it written down in the files back at the hotel. I’m working on several different cases.” The cops exchange glances. “And where did you say you were from again?” Stone sighs. “Listen, guys,” he leans forward, knowing their cooperation has come to an end. But Price is not paying attention to him anymore.. “Is that him?” A huge man is walking south on the side of the road. Hood pulls up behind him, sounding the siren once to get his attention. Price speaks over the loudspeaker. “You there. Stop where you are.” Zhang Fei turns around. Stone looks hard at him, memorizing his face. He tries the door handle, but of course it does not open from the inside. “Could you let me out ? I need to talk to him.” Zhang Fei takes two giant steps towards the car. He roars, “I am Zhang Fei of Yan! Is there a single one of you who dares meet my wrath!” His deep voice has a lot of bass to it, and the men seem awed by it. “We might need some back up,” Hood suggests. “Let me talk to him,” Stone repeats.. Price ignores both of them. “Lay face down on the ground with your hands behind your head,” he says into the loud speaker. He seems convinced that he can assert authority and take control of the situation. Zhang Fei watches them for a moment, then turns around 360 degrees. As he ends up facing the car again, he is now holding a very long spear. “Crap!” Price mutters. He opens up the car door and tries to scramble out. Unfortunately, he has forgotten to undo his seat belt. He is stuck for a moment, halfway out of the car but unable to go further. Then he remembers the belt, and gets himself free. Zhang Fei takes two more steps towards the car, hefting the spear as he does. He throws the spear with a grunt, and it goes through the windshield, through Hood, and then impales Zeke. Price looks at the scene in the car for a moment, and draws his weapon. He opens fire, but to no effect. Stone is in the back seat, stuck with the spear in his chest. Hood’s lifeless body sits in front of him, the head tilted to the left and leaning against the window. “Damn it,” he gasps. From his point of view in the car, he can see Zhang Fei approaching Price. “The eyes,” he calls out weakly to Price, “shoot him in the eyes.” Price does not hear him, and retreats a few steps as he slams a new clip into his gun. Zhang Fei reaches him. Stone is struggling in the back seat. He grips the spear and moves it forward, then does it again, trying to free himself. Price raises his weapon and fires at Zhang Fei, point blank, but there is still no effect. A close up of his face shows that he has realized the uselessness of his weapon, just as the Chinese warrior gives him a backhand. From Stone’s point of view, Price’s head bursts into the passenger’s side rear window. Stone looks at Price’s bloody face as Price speaks, “What the hell-”. Price is yanked out of the window. Zhang Fei is holding Price up in the air, but glances directly into the camera and spots Stone. They lock eyes for a moment, and then Stone continues trying to pull himself free. Zhang Fei moves towards the front of the car, tossing Price aside almost as an afterthought. Zhang Fei asks Stone, “You are the slayer?” He reaches with his right hand and pulls the spear from the car. In the car, Stone gasps, and tries the useless door handle again. He looks back to Zhang Fei, who is holding the spear in his right hand and gripping the bumper of the car with his left. With a mighty yell, he lifts the front of the car a meter off of the ground. The camera shows Stone in the back seat. He pulls his gun, almost getting it up, but the car is turned on its side by Zhang Fei. As the car moves, he is thrown back, than left, and as the car is flipped over he is tossed around in the back seat. When the car stops moving, Zhang Fei’s yell dies. He pumps his right fist, the one holding the spear, into the air. In a flare of hell flames, the spear shrivels up and disappears into his fist. He views the damaged car with satisfaction before walking away Stone crawls out of the broken window, and the camera pulls back and up to view the overturned car and Price’s body. In the background, there is the faint noise of sirens. Stone stands up and jogs away. ACT THREE Stone is walking down the street, getting strange looks from people on the street. The camera pans down, and we see the gaping hole in Stone’s shirt. He approaches a newsstand, which is selling T-shirts. He picks up one and holds it at arms length, looking at it. “‘Geze if you love Honkus’? What is this?” Our favorite fallen angel pops up as the vendor. “Yes, that’s one of our favorites. We also have these,” he holds up another shirt that says ‘I was speared by a damned soul and all I got was this lousy T-shirt.' “Ha ha, very funny,” Stone replies. “Seriously, Mr. Stone, you didn’t put up much of a fight. Hell, you didn’t even get out of the car until he’d left. That’s not the best way to earn your second chance at life.” “Thank you for the career advice. I know what to expect next time. I’ll get him.” “Yes, you said that about Ash, and you’re still wearing her name, aren’t you?” Stone does not like where this conversation is going. “Look, how much for the shirt?” The Devil holds the neck of the shirt towards him. “You see this tag? This shirt was made by an 8 year old boy in Bangladesh. He works to help support his family, but because the wages are so low, I’ve been helping him become a pickpocket.” “Aren’t you the kind hearted one. You think it’s easy to live here on $250 a week?” Stone asks. “Your concern for others is touching. What do you want, a raise?” “That would be nice,” Stone replies dryly. The Devil laughs, “Not my department, Mr. Stone, you have to see the man upstairs. And in your condition, I don’t think he wants to see you.” “Are you going to sell me the shirt or not?” “Ezekiel, I’m feeling generous today. I’d be happy to give this to you at no charge,” he holds out the T-shirt. Stone reaches for it, but the Devil pulls it back and continues, “but, just to be fair, I think I should ask you for something. Think of all the other vendors on the street. If I start giving these away, why, that could put them out of business.” The Devil thinks that over. “It would almost be worth it, but no, I can’t. I have to charge you something.” Stone looks at him, and says nothing until he continues, “I would consider it payment in full if you would just admit that there is a chance Zhang Fei will beat you.” Zeke grins. “Trying to make me lose confidence? I’ll admit there is a chance,” he says as he takes the shirt with his left hand, “but as long as I have this,” he pats his gun with his right, “I think I can beat anyone using spears.” “Good luck then,” The Devil chuckles, “but you might be seeing me sooner than you think.” Stone has shrugged out of his trenchcoat, and puts on the shirt. When his head pokes through, he sees the Devil is gone. “As always, a pleasure doing business with you,” Stone mutters to the empty air. # Stone is back at the hotel, covering up his T-Shirt with his coat. Samantha is writing at the desk, her hair streaked with red. For once, she is not wearing headphones. Sam hears him and looks up. “Hey, Zeke, got a letter for you.” She swivels in her chair, and looks at the row of boxes behind her. Without getting out of her chair, she stretches to 432 and plucks a single envelope from it. She spins back in her chair and hands it to him. “Thanks,” he says, scanning it. “I’ve been pre-approved for a credit card. What a deal.” She laughs. “I don’t think I’ve ever been pre-approved for anything. Business must be good. I don’t think you ever told me what you do.” “That’s right,” he says mysteriously, “I didn’t.” “Um, okay...,” she replies, not sure how to respond to that. Was he ending the conversation? But Stone has a question for her now. “So, how are the Lost Souls?” “My band? We’re doing good.” She glances at the paper on her desk. “I’m working on a new song now, actually.” “Wow, that’s great. I’ve never known anyone who wrote a song before.” “Want to hear what I have so far?” He nods. “It’s going to be called ‘Devil’s Playground’.” She reads it, chanting quickly, He tries to hold us down and smash us Torture and burn us into ashes The Devil rakes us over coals But he can’t stop... Lost Souls We fight against the evil lord and strike at him with justice’s sword “It’s still a work in progress. That last line especially, doesn’t quite work for me.” She looks up at him. “What do you think?” “It’s good. I like the idea of standing up to the Devil.” “Yeah, he’s a tricky guy.” “I’d like to hear it when it’s finished.” “Excuse me,” they hear. A uniformed police officer is standing there. “Could you tell me what room Ezekiel Stone is in?” Sam plays it cool. “Let me see,” she flips through the register book. “Stone, Stone, here it is - 432. The elevator is temperamental, you might have to take the stairs.” “Thanks, have you seen him today?” Stone jumps in. “I saw him come in a little while ago. He should be up there.” The officer eyes him. “Thank you for your help, Mr....?” “Gonner. John Gonner.” The policeman nods, and heads to the stairs. “I’ll tell you about it later,” he whispers to Sam, and heads back out the front door. # Stone goes to the Chinatown Community Center. “Zhang Fei!” Ms. Chow exclaims. “You actually met him?” They are in Miss Chow’s classroom between classes. “Not met him exactly. More like he killed two other police officers, and tried to kill me.” “I’m sorry, it’s just- he’s-” Ms. Chow is flustered. She obviously knows who the damned soul is, and is awed by it. She takes a breath. “He was a general during the three kingdoms period of China, about 1800 years ago. He swore an oath under a peach tree with two other men to become brothers and restore the Han dynasty. He was one of the greatest warriors of the age.” “Great.” “You said he killed three soldiers the other night?” “Yeah, I think it was him.” “Zhang Fei was a great warrior, but not the best leader. He would get drunk and abuse his men. Finally, one night, they murdered him while he slept.” “So he could be out for revenge?” “It sounds that way. Zeke,” she looks down, embarrassed, “is there any chance I could meet him? Or see him, or-” Stone stares at her, saying nothing. “Never mind, it’s stupid. But think of the historical opportunity. A living witness to history!” “That’s true. But so are all of the others. I can’t think of them that way. It will get me and other innocent people killed.” “But what if it was... George Washington?” “George Washington wouldn’t go to Hell. He was a hero.” Her voice has become patient, as it does when she works with her students. “He was a slave owner, he killed hundreds of American Indians, and the British in during the Revolutionary War. And you’re telling me there is no possibility of him going to Hell?” “Well, maybe... But I’d still do my job.” “Okay,” she says, giving up easily. Too easily. Stone looks at her questioningly, and then several students enter the room. They exchange glances. “I’ll call you if I can find out anything else,” Nina Chow tells Stone. She goes to greet her students. # “Ezekiel, my love,” we hear Roz in a voice over, as she writes a letter. “How cruel love can be,” we see Roz rereading her letter and folding it up, “to bring us together for a fleeting moment in time...” She puts the letter in an envelope, and writes one word across it. “and then tear us apart. You are my soul mate,” She opens the front door and tacks the envelope up, “the person I was meant to be with.” She looks around outside, hoping to see him, and then closes the door. “We can work out whatever has come between us.” With the door closed, we can see the envelope and the word ‘Zeke’ written on it in flowing letters. “Come back to me.” On the inside of the door, Roz is leaning against it, and slides down it to curl up on the floor. “Love always, Roz.” She wraps her arms around her legs and lowers her head. # Miss Chow is in a dark hallway. A single light bulb hangs there, right in front of the door she is looking at. She knocks on the door. It opens, and we see Zhang Fei standing there. He is taller than the door, and he bends to look out at her. She speaks to him in Chinese, “Oh great warrior, I have traveled far to see you. Your feats of strength are well known even in this land. I ask you to tell me of the history of our people.” “You know who I am?” The words seem unnaturally loud. “I know where you have been, Zhang Fei. You are a warrior of such power that even the bonds of the underworld cannot hold you.” He stares at her for a long moment. Then, he opens the door and lets her in. She steps inside and he closes the door behind her, his eyes flashing hellfire. # At the Army base, Stone sits waiting outside the Captain’s office. He watches the various soldiers passing by. Captain Grant comes out. “Detective?” Inside, Captain Grant sits down at his desk and motions for Stone to sit also. “Thank you for coming by.” “I found out some information on the killer of those three soldiers. We have reason to believe that he has a grudge against soldiers, and he might try to target more of your troops.” Captain Grant sits up straight. “What makes you think that?” “He was wronged by soldiers back in China. It wouldn’t surprise me if he has done this before. Could you tell me if there have been any other strange deaths, anything out of the ordinary in the last eight months?” “Actually,” he leans forward, as if they were conspiring, “That was the information I had for you. There have been more soldiers missing over the last few months. AWOL. We didn’t make it public, we don’t advertise when people quit like that. But none of them were murdered until now.” “Have you found any of them, the ones that went AWOL?” “Some. But of the ones that we haven’t, most of them didn’t seem like they were the kind to quit.” “So, how many have gone missing?” “Like I said, we don’t know for sure if anything has happened to them. But, to answer your question, about thirty.” “So if the same person were responsible for all this, where are the bodies?” # Inside Zhang Fei’s apartment, Nina Chow is looking around. She glances into the side bedroom. The body of a young man lies on a cot, his throat cut. She gasps, and keeps walking. “Please, may I have a glass of water?” she asks him, looking at the kitchen. There is no answer. She turns around and Zhang Fei is holding a spear. He strikes her in the head with the blunt end. The screen goes black and we hear a body falling to the floor. # “Hey,” Sam says as Stone enters the lobby. He walks up to the desk. Sam stands up and looks around, but sees no one. She leans towards him, and asks quietly, “Okay, the coast is clear, want to tell me about that little visit earlier? Maxine said you were ducking someone, but she didn’t tell me why.” “Yeah, unpaid parking tickets. I don’t have a car anymore, so I don’t care if my license is suspended, but I sure can’t pay the fine.” She looks at him, studying his stubbled face, trying to decide if he is telling the truth. “For now we are heaven’s ward.” “What?” “We fight against the evil lord, for now we are heaven’s ward. I changed the line in my song.” “Oh.” He realizes he is being let off the hook. “Oh. Hey, let me know when your band is playing, I’ll try to stop by some time.” He taps the counter with his hand as he starts off toward the stairs. “Ezekiel,” she calls. He turns back. “Call me Zeke.” “Okay, Zeke, you have a message.” She grabs the note from his mailbox and reads it to him, “Nina says she found an address out for you. She wants you to meet her at 758 Addison, apartment B.” “Wait, she said she was going to meet me there?” “That’s what she told me. She even had me repeat back the address to make sure I had it right. Is there a problem?” “Yeah, there’s a little business problem. I thought we’d agreed I was going to handle it.” “Guess she wanted to watch you work.” “Yeah,” he replies. “Okay, I’m headed back out again.” “Bye.” # Stone approaches 758 Addison. It is a short, ugly building, with loose shingles on the roof and peeling paint. A swarm of flies has its attention split between the overflowing garbage on the side of the house and the dead cat on the front lawn. A young Chinese girl is playing with a doll on the front steps, but when she sees Stone crossing the patchy lawn, she scampers into the house. The front door has a bright, shiny lock on it, but the door jamb is stripped away. Stone pushes gently on the door, and it swings open. Once inside, he looks down an unlit staircase. As he navigates his way into the basement, he hears a faint voice, “Help!” “Nina,” he realizes, drawing his weapon. When he finds apartment B, he kicks the door open. It bursts off its hinges, and the blackness of Zhang Fei’s lair is revealed. No light is visible within. “Help,” the voice pleads. Stone holds his position in front of the door, looking for anything inside. ACT FOUR Stone stands before the gaping doorway. “Help,” Nina calls again. “Slayer?” Zhang Fei asks. “Let her go.” Zhang Fei laughs. “Why should I? Would it change anything between us? One of us will be sent back to Hell soon. Would you offer your own life in exchange for hers?” Stone pauses for a moment, thinking it over. Nina picks that moment to renew her pleas. “Zeke! Watch out, it’s a trap,” she cries. Stone peers into the black room. A sliver of light reflected from the tip of Zhang Fei’s spear catches his eye. He fires twice, two bursts of light illuminating the room for a split second. The first shows Ms. Chow tied down to a cot, the second shows Zhang Fei with a grin on his face. “Did you think of yourself as an evil man before you were judged, Slayer?” Stone does not reply. “I was a soldier. I fought for what was right. Your woman came to me seeking the stories of my time. Alive, I would have gladly shared with her. But now, we’re dead.” Zeke realizes what is coming, and dodges out of the way just as Zhang Fei’s spear slams into the wall behind him. He fires blindly into the dark room, but Zhang Fei comes out into the hallway and grabs him. Stone’s gun is dropped, and Zhang Fei pushes him against the wall next to his spear. “The men I have killed, I thought it was for revenge, for justice. But now I realize something,” Zhang Fei pauses, “After my time in Hell, I’ve become an evil man.” He grunts, and throws Stone into the apartment. We hear Nina scream. Zhang Fei laughs. “Did your time down below change you too?” Stone turns his head, Zhang Fei is moving around in the darkness. “Have you become evil as well?” A new sound, the whirring of the spear as it is spun very rapidly. Stone stands, and is able to see Zhang Fei dimly in the light that has bled over from the hallway. He lunges, swinging his spear, knocking Zeke down again. “Slayer, a new war is coming. Ashur is building an army,” he continues to pummel Stone as he speaks, “and you can’t stop us.” “Kill him, Zeke,” Nina calls, and Zhang Fei turns his attention to her. He whirls the spear and plunges it into her. He buries it six inches into her stomach and pulls it out in a spray of blood. “No!” Zeke yells, and hurls himself at Zhang Fei. They grapple for a moment, and Stone knocks him back. He turns to Nina, “It’s going to be okay, just hold on.” “My earrings,” she says, “I wore them in case I needed them.” Stone looks at them again, they are slender rods of polished bone, five centimeters long. Stone reaches for the first one, and is fumbling with it as he is hit from behind. He rolls and lunges back at Zhang Fei, but gets hit again. “How have you survived so long? You are not a worthy opponent,” Zhang Fei taunts him, hitting him again. On the next swing, however, Stone catches the end of the spear swinging towards him, and, with his undead strength, forces Zhang Fei backwards. Nina is still tied down to the cot, but she watches Zeke as he tries to undo her right earring. “Don’t worry about hurting me, send him back,” she tells him. Zeke doesn't stop to consider this, simply yanks on the earring, not even noticing the red line of blood that swells up on her lobe. He picks up the first also, and turns back to face Zhang Fei. From Nina Chow’s point of view, she can see Zhang Fei, sihouetted by the light from the hallway, spinning his spear, preparing for the final battle. Zeke holds her two earrings in his right hand, the slivers of bone protruding from his clenched fist at the proper distance apart, ready to send another damned soul back to the fires of Hell. She looks at herself, the blood spreading across her shirt. Zhang Fei moves first, putting force into his swing, aiming low. His spear hits Stone in the legs, neatly sweeping him off his feet. Stone lands with a thud, but holds on to the items in his right hand. Zhang Fei strikes again while he is down. He plunges the butt end of his spear towards Zeke’s eye, but he dodges, still flat on his back. With lightning speed, Zhang Fei spins his spear and jabs the point into Ezekiel’s right eye. Both damned souls seem shocked at the volume of light that bursts from Stone’s eye. The room is lit up now, as though it were daylight. Zhang Fei, never having battled another damned soul, takes a step back. Stone rolls away and into a standing position. The ether light spurts from his eye as he raises his right fist, ready to fight. With his mighty roar, Zhang Fei swings his spear, loosing his grip to allow it to slide through his hands, gripping it tight at the butt end, the point swinging at an incredible speed. Stone sees the shot coming for his head, and ducks under it. Zhang Fei has overbalanced, and his momentum carries him too far. He swings all of the way around, preparing for a second strike, but Ezekiel has stepped forward, right next to him, and as Zhang Fei finishes his turn, Stone sends a quick jab to his face. The twin fragments of bone he has clenched in his fist puncture Zhang Fei’s eyes, and flames burst out from them. His spear, still swinging, loses cohesion and passes harmlessly through Stone. Nina, unable to shield her eyes from all the light, turns her head. Zhang Fei’s body collapses through the floor, even as he screams. He is sucked back into the bowels of the earth. Stone watches for a second, blue fire still spewing from his own perforated socket, then turns to Nina. “Oh god, Nina,” he says, “God...” He can not find the words. “He told me he was going to kill me when I fell asleep. He told me that’s how he’s been treating the soldiers that he captures. The record was three days, he said.” Her head droops. “It’s my fault...” “Nina,” is all he can say as he kneels before her, reaching for the ropes, the cords that bind a mortal are no match for his supernatural strength. He tears them apart, freeing her. “Nina...” The fire in his right eye fades, and goes out. Of its own volition, his hand goes to feel his face, making sure he is whole again. “Zeke,” she says, “I want you to make me a promise.” “Nina, let me go call an ambulance,” Stone says. He tries to rise, but she holds his arm. “No, it’s okay. I want you to promise me that you will go and see your wife,” Ms. Chow says weakly, “Life is too short.” She gasps one last time, “Oh, God!” and then dies. Her grip on Stone loosens, and falls. Stone’s face is rock hard. He watches her for a moment, then drops his head. # Picture a falling teardrop, dropping through space, perhaps against a blue background. Similar to a raindrop, but the raindrop lacks salt, a necessary compound for living creatures. The teardrop’s name itself invokes an image of its shape, curved at the bottom, pointed at the top, a product of gravity and water’s marvelous surface cohesion. Does it spin as it falls? High speed photography confirms it does spin slightly, but this particular teardrop is a product of our imagination and therefore can spin frantically if we want it to, widening its curves as it waits for its descent to end. After a full second of free fall, Earth’s mass had accelerated its speed to roughly twenty miles per hour. Picture the splash it will make... # Splash. A teardrop falls on a picture of Rosalyn and Ezekiel at their wedding. Roz is sitting in an old chair, flipping through a photo album. She looks at pictures of them at a sports game, pictures of them at a picnic, images powerful enough to make a grown woman cry. There is a knock at the door, and her head jerks up like a frightened animal. As she wipes her eyes, she asks in a quiet voice, “Zeke?” She rises, only the faintest trace of a tremble in her knees. She looks at the door, almost as if it was new to her, something to be examined rather than the same door she has been seeing for the last few years. The knock comes again, harder this time, and we imagine that it is her heartbeat speeded up. She pauses only once as she steps to the door and opens it, pausing when her hand first touches the metal doorknob, feeling the cold of the unknown quantity behind the door. She opens the door, and a hand is holding out the envelope she has written. Behind the hand is a bright light, which obscures the face of the visitor. # “Rosalyn..” Ezekiel’s face appears to have wisps of smoke leaking from around his eyes. # “Yes?” Rosalyn says, her eyes focused on the envelope being held out. She raises her gaze to the visitor’s face. # “I can’t risk it,” Zeke says. “I can’t take that chance I can’t assume that I could protect her from these bastards any more than I could protect you.” He passes his hand over Nina Chow’s face, closing her eyes as he does so. He cups her face with his right hand, almost as if he was Prince Charming to her Sleeping Beauty. “I’m sorry...” # “You’re sorry?” Roz asks. “Sorry to drop in unexpected like this.” Alice replies. “We didn’t get to finish our conversation the other day, and I was worried about you.” She realizes the envelope is still in her hand and offers it to Roz. “I thought you might want to talk about him.” Roz opens the door silently and Alice steps in. Alice sees the photo album and picks it up. “Don’t you think you should let it go?” # “I can’t do it,” Zeke tells her as he reaches to close her eyes. “See what it cost me by getting you involved? Those damned,” he stresses the word, “souls. They spread evil to everything they touch. And I am one of them. Your death is my fault. “I was hoping to go back to see her after I’ve finished Ash. That was my new plan. But now...,” he is still kneeling over her, “now, it might never be safe. “It’s not fair..” # “I know, honey, but life isn’t always fair.” Alice is hugging Roz, and releases her. Roz’s face is tear streaked again. “I loved him so much. I’ve been handling it up until this year, but now, now it’s like I can sense him. I know it was Zeke who saved my life in that bank robbery. I’m sure of it. The only thing I can think is that he is afraid to see me again.” She glances at the envelope. “That’s why I wanted to leave a message for him, that maybe we could work things out.” She hangs her head guiltily. “I don’t think he ever loved me the same after... after...,” she can not finish her sentence. Alice looks at her, her eyes wide with sympathy as she realizes what Roz is trying to say. # “It’s not your fault. It’s mine. I should have been here sooner,” Stone says. # “I just want to see him again, Alice. I’m going to find him.” Roz says. Alice has a half smile on her face. “You know, I almost believe it could be true.” “I’ll see him again...” # “I won’t see her again. Not until it’s safe...” He hugs Nina’s lifeless body. “Goodbye...” THE END