BRIMSTONE VS Episode #209 Written by Derek Saul "ANGEL DUST" TEASER FADE IN: EXT. CITY STREETS - NIGHT AERIAL POV We GLIDE through the decaying, neon-lit streets of L.A., till we FOCUS on a navy-blue CAMARO with black stripes weaving its way maniacally through the streets. INT. CAMARO We FIND FOUR YOUNG PEOPLE: BRAD at the wheel, JOHNNY riding shotgun, LOUIS in the back seat, and his girlfriend TARA beside him. Hipster university students. A bassy hip-hop beat is THUMPING from the speakers. Louis is lighting up a joint. BRAD’S POV - THROUGH THE REARVIEW MIRROR He’s watching Louis take his first hit. Louis closes his eyes and leans back in his seat, letting the smoke course through his system. BRAD (over the music) Damn, Louis, it’s just weed. It’s not a bong hit. LOUIS Hey, I’ve been waiting all week for this. Let me enjoy it. Louis leans forward, tapping Johnny in the shoulder and holding the joint up to his face. BRAD What time we gotta be at the party anyway? JOHNNY (taking the joint from Louis) Eleven, I think. Johnny brings the joint to his lips, inhales deeply, then blows some smoke into Brad’s ear in a seductive manner. BRAD (waving the smoke away) Knock it off. Johnny laughs, passing the joint back to Louis. Beside Louis, Tara glances quickly out the window, noticing storefront shops and street lights ZOOMING BY at alarming speeds. She has a worried look on her face. TARA Brad, can you slow down a little? Brad looks at Tara through the rearview mirror. He notices her blouse, which is low-cut, her cleavage pressed together and firm beneath it. She’s Louis’ girl but Brad is obviously titillated. He admires her curves a few more moments before finally responding. BRAD What’s the problem, honey? TARA We’re going a little too fast here. LOUIS (reassuringly) Relax, babe. We’re coming on a red light. This doesn’t put Tara at ease. EXT. INTERSECTION The Camaro slows down, pulling up to the RED LIGHT. There is no other car in sight. INT. CAMARO The four of them are waiting at the stoplight in silence. Brad looks impatient. He checks his watch. BRAD Look, let’s just cross. We’re late for the party as it is. TARA (sternly) No, Brad. Brad rolls his eyes, looking fed up. BRAD Hey, Louis, where’d you find this angel harpy anyway? TARA Screw you. LOUIS (to Brad) C’mon, man, ease up. JOHNNY Look, Brad’s right. We’re pretty late here. I don’t see why we shouldn’t just go. There’s not a soul in sight. Suddenly, they hear a LOW BASS RUMBLING, easily overpowering their own speakers. They look at each other, confused. LOUIS What the hell’s that? EXT. INTERSECTION ANOTHER CAR suddenly pulls up at the red light, beside the Camaro. It’s a black, beat-up, suped-up OLDSMOBILE 442, blower engine sticking out of the hood, wing over the trunk. Its subwoofers are belting out Steppenwolf’s "BORN TO BE WILD". INT. OLDSMOBILE We FIND two guys inside: SETH (20s, slick black hair) at the wheel, ISAAK (20s, spiky blond hair) beside him. They're both dressed in black and they’ve got a wild look in their eyes. INT. CAMARO - INTERCUT The four of them stare at the Oldsmobile idling beside them, feeling as if they shouldn’t make any sudden movements. LOUIS Man, their music is loud. JOHNNY Told ya we should’ve crossed the red light. ON TARA looking very nervous. Both Seth and Isaak are staring directly at Brad, as if challenging him. Brad stares back, giving nothing away, even though his grip on the steering wheel is tightening, his knuckles white. Seth nods his head toward the red light. SETH (over the music) On green, we go. BRAD (still watching Seth; to his friends) He wants to race. Tara throws her head back, looking as if her worst fear has been realized. LOUIS Are you serious? BRAD He just challenged me. JOHNNY Jesus. Brad’s expression suddenly turns grim. BRAD I can do it. Tara shoots him a shocked look. TARA What?! Brad finally turns to face his passengers. BRAD C’mon, it’s just two blocks. You know this car’s been through worse. JOHNNY Their car looks pretty beat up anyway. TARA No, Brad. It’s enough now. This is too much. Nobody cares how fast this car can go. Brad turns toward the back seat with a vicious glare. BRAD Louis, tell that little Mother Teresa bitch of yours to keep her mouth shut. This is MY car, these are MY rules. LOUIS (to Tara) Look, honey, it’s just a couple of blocks. Won’t take more than a few seconds, and then we’ll be at the party. TARA (tearing up) I can’t do this... She pushes herself past Louis toward the passenger side door. TARA You guys can have your fun without me. Let me out, Johnny. Johnny looks at Louis. Louis shrugs. Johnny climbs out of the car, making way for Tara, who charges past him and onto the SIDEWALK. Johnny gets back into the car. Brad turns back toward the Oldsmobile beside him. He looks at Seth and nods -- the challenge is accepted. Seth smiles, slips on a pair of dark shades. AT THE INTERSECTION The two cars are REVVING up, waiting on the red light. TARA stands on the SIDEWALK, her eyes welling up, watching in disbelief. Then, the light turns GREEN -- The cars PEEL off, smoke pouring from their tires. They’re racing quickly through the empty street. IN THE CAMARO Brad looks determined and confident -- maybe he can actually win this. Johnny and Louis look excited. They can smell a victory here as well. IN THE OLDSMOBILE Seth is grinning sadistically. Suddenly, he SPINS the steering wheel, banking sharply to the right. The Oldsmobile goes CRASHING into the Camaro’s left side. Johnny and Louis freak. JOHNNY What the hell are these guys doing?! BRAD Just hang on... The Oldsmobile smashes into the Camaro again, harder. This time, Brad LOSES CONTROL. The Camaro begins to teeter dangerously off the road. Brad’s spinning the steering wheel frantically. Johnny and Louis are panicking. BRAD Oh fu-- JOHNNY JESUS CHRIST!!! The Oldsmobile veers sharply to the right one more time, propelling both cars BENEATH AN OVERPASS, directly toward a CONCRETE pillar... IN THE CAMARO Their eyes are wide as they realize there’s no escape. The trio unleash a desperate cry as -- BOTH CARS COLLIDE VICIOUSLY INTO THE CONCRETE AND EXPLODE IN A HUGE FIREBALL! AT THE INTERSECTION (SIDEWALK) Tara is thrust back by the shock of the impact. She stares at the fireball rising into the night sky with horrified eyes. TARA NOOOOOO!!! BENEATH THE OVERPASS The scene has become a raging INFERNO. Then, we SEE something behind the smoke and flames... SHADOWS... rising, approaching... SETH AND ISAAK emerge from the flames and twisted wreckage, completely UNSCATHED, without a single scratch. Isaak pulls out a pack of SMOKES from his back pocket, hands one to Seth. Seth lights up. SETH Well, that was fun. Let’s do it again. They stride down the street, leaving the rising flames behind them... and the ASHES of the dead scattering in the breeze. FADE OUT. ACT I FADE IN: EXT. CEMETERY - DAY A small group of MOURNERS, all dressed in black, are gathered around an OPEN GRAVE. A closed CASKET hovers above the perfectly dug hole, waiting to be lowered. A PRIEST stands before the casket, clasping an open BIBLE. PRIEST (reading) "...that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God sent not his Son into the world to condemn the world; but that the world through him might be saved..." Among the mourners, THURSTON BRISTOL listens to the sermon. Behind his eyeglasses, his eyes are squinting from the blaring morning sun. Aside from that, his face reveals nothing. Beside him, MARLA BRISTOL watches the priest, but her mind seems to be in another place, maybe another time. She’s holding the hand of her young daughter SARAH, who is trying to make sense of the priest’s words. PRIEST Friends, we are gathered here today to lay to rest the soul of Alvin Bristol. Son. Husband. Father. We pray for your soul. "Our Father, who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come..." A FEW YARDS AWAY STONE is standing beside a large tree, watching the funeral from a distance, careful not to arouse attention. His hands are sunk deeply into his trenchcoat pockets, wearing a weathered, melancholy expression. DEVIL (O.S.) Kind of gets the tear ducts pumping, doesn’t it. Stone jumps at the voice, turning his head around and seeing the DEVIL standing there, dressed in a black suit similar to the mourners. Casually, Stone turns his gaze back to the funeral. STONE Go away. DEVIL What are you doing here? STONE Paying my respects. DEVIL Standing a football field away from the action? I wouldn’t exactly call that "paying my respects". Stone clearly has no patience today. STONE Look, you got any clues for me, out with it. Otherwise, beat it. DEVIL My, my. Quite the little temper on you this morning. (ignoring him) You know, there’s something about funerals that makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. You know what I’m talking about, Zeke? Another useless, pathetic human waste just kicked the bucket, another soul awaiting judgment -- most probably damnation -- ergo, another soul ready for an eternity of pain and torture. Chalk another one up for the devilman. FWAP! Stone SWINGS his arm into the Devil’s throat and SLAMS him up against the tree. STONE (deadly) Go. Away. The Devil is grinning from ear to ear. DEVIL Are you going to kill me, detective? Please, I beg you, don’t kill me. Please. The Devil bursts out laughing, then with blinding speed DRIVES HIS KNEE UP into Stone’s crotch. Stone doubles over in pain. The Devil follows up with a vicious KICK to the face, sending Stone crumbling to the ground. Stone lies there, dazed and in pain. The Devil steps forward, standing above him with authority, all traces of good humor gone from his manner. DEVIL Never, EVER touch me again. (points to the funeral) That, over there, is YOUR fault, Mr. Stone. You are not holding up your end of the bargain very well. Your job is to round up the damned souls and return them to ME, not to mingle and "make friends" with everyone you come across. YOU are responsible for the death of Alvin Bristol. YOU are responsible for the death of Nina Chow. YOU are responsible for the deaths of Scott Kelly, Cybil Rotaiva, Dorothy Clark, Alma Taylor, Officer Jeffrey Hood... STONE Bullshit. Stone sits up against the tree, rubbing his jaw. He points toward the funeral. STONE That, there, is YOUR fault, asshole. YOU’RE responsible for every one of those deaths, and countless others. YOU were the one sleeping while your precious damned souls waltzed out the front door. What does that say about you? You want me to do MY job while you can’t even adequately perform yours. I don’t need this crap. DEVIL Oh, but you do, detective. You need this more than anyone. This isn’t only about you now. It’s about Rosalyn. It’s about everyone you care about. STONE No. Don’t do that. I’m done cringing before you while you dangle Roz in front of me like a carrot to a mule. Maybe this world doesn’t need saving. Maybe it needs change. The Devil takes in a deep breath, looking as if the powder keg is about to blow. DEVIL Rebellion seems to be a trendy conceit these days, but it doesn’t become you, Ezekiel. I am the Original Rebel. Ash may think that she will succeed where I’ve failed... but she won’t. And she doesn’t need another ally for her cause. (steps closer) She needs an opponent. STONE You’re barking up the wrong tree. DEVIL You are mine, detective. Listen to me. Your insistence in involving yourself with the affairs of the living are costing them their lives, and you and you alone are solely responsible for that. When will you learn -- all of these people would have been much better off having never known you. You don’t exactly have a positive, life- affirming affect on people. Quite the opposite in fact. Your affect on them is positively death-affirming. (slowly, as if to a child) You... are... DEAD, Mr. Stone. Get that straight in that tiny mind of yours. You are a dead man walking in a living world. You have no business interacting with them. Do your goddamn job, detective... (leans in close) ...or someone else will. With that, the Devil vanishes. Stone looks around him. STONE Thanks for the clues, by the way. EXT. PARK BENCH - NEW YORK CITY - DAY ROSALYN is sitting on the bench, watching something offscreen. HER POV CHILDREN are playing in the park, on swings, see-saws, slides, enjoying a clear autumn day. Watching them, she forgets her troubles and, for a moment, appears serene and at peace. MALE VOICE (O.S.) Rosalyn Stone? Startled, Rosalyn looks up. DETECTIVE WILLIAM KANE stands there, hands in his longcoat pockets, dirty blond hair fluttering in the breeze. He hasn’t changed much, but he looks tougher. And wiser. He tries to smile, but doesn’t know if it’s appropriate. Rosalyn’s peaceful look has melted away, the weight of her troubles crashing down on her again. Kane stares at her awkwardly. KANE May I sit down? Rosalyn seems to snap out of her thoughts. ROSALYN God, I’m so sorry. Please, go ahead. KANE (sitting down) Thank you. (off her puzzled look) Is something the matter? ROSALYN Uh... no, nothing. I’m sorry, it’s just... well, I was expecting someone a little older. Maybe someone who served with my husband all those years ago. I wasn’t expecting someone so... young. KANE (smiles) I’ve read and studied your husband’s case files very thoroughly. I almost feel like I was right there along with him. A beat. They watch the children play for a moment. KANE Thank you for meeting me out here today. I just thought this would be a better setting to talk. The phone seems so... impersonal. Rosalyn smiles quickly, still not completely comfortable, apprehensive of what this discussion will bring. KANE I called because you’ve been calling the department pretty often these past few months. Torelli, the desk sarge, he gave me most of the messages. ROSALYN Yeah, I’m sorry about that... KANE It’s okay. After a while, I became concerned. I mean, I’m no shrink or anything, but I figured this kind of stuff -- these doubts -- can’t be too healthy for a person. ROSALYN Well, I appreciate that... Kane takes a deep breath, searching for words. KANE Like I said before, I studied your husband’s career very closely. He’s closed some of the worst cases this city’s ever seen. The Saint Mark’s strangler case, the Levy brothers’ double homicide. He was a hero, the best there’s been. (beat) I know what happened to you, what Gilbert Jax did. I’m sorry. Rosalyn nods, clearly trying to avoid a road she’s been down several times. KANE I also know what your husband did soon after that... and what happened to him. Kane reaches into his coat, pulls out a manila file FOLDER. He opens it, leafs through the papers inside, passing them to Roz. KANE Your husband chased some petty thief, Thomas Logan, into an alley. Logan was cornered, like a rat. And what do rats do when they’re cornered? ROSALYN (scanning the papers) They bite. Kane bows his head, cursing himself for his poor choice of words. KANE I’m sorry, Ms. Stone. (re: the papers) These are the forensic and autopsy reports from your husband’s files, as well as ballistics reports and fingerprint forms. (beat) It’s all there. Roz scans the papers intently. ON THE PAPERS We SEE the coroner’s written statement: "THE THREE BULLETS IN THE FACE PENETRATED THE ETHMOID AND BULLA ETHMOIDALIS BONES, DIRECTLY BETWEEN THE TWO ORBITS AND THE LATERAL WALL OF THE NASAL CAVITY..." ON ANOTHER SHEET, we SEE a carbon copy of the FINGERPRINTS with a caption underneath: "COMPUTER CODE 37648-098. DATABASE MATCH FOUND. STONE, EZEKIEL TIBERIUS." Roz shakes her head, unimpressed with the evidence. ROSALYN But... you don’t understand... (looks up at Kane) I know this sounds unbelievable, but what if... what if this was all forged? A cover-up or something? KANE Ms. Stone, I entertained that theory for a while too, but -- ROSALYN Wait, just... listen. Please. (beat) Earlier this year, in February, I was caught in a bank holdup. No one was hurt and the suspect just... vanished, somehow, but at one point the suspect had his gun pointed right at me, and the man who pushed me down and covered me with his body -- the man who saved me -- I know it’s strange but... I know it was Zeke. I know it. Kane listens politely, but he knows Stone’s mission, and he knows how a cop would handle a situation in which loved ones are in danger. The conflict in his face is apparent, but he’s got no choice. KANE Ms. Stone... I’m sorry. (beat) Ezekiel Stone was shot five times in the face and neck, and died in November of ’83. (leans in) Your husband is gone. For a moment, Roz just looks expressionless into Kane’s eyes. We can SEE her eyes welling up. Then, fitfully, she THROWS the papers into Kane’s face and storms away from the park bench. The papers scatter around him but Kane ignores them, staring after Rosalyn instead with a defeated look. EXT. STREET - WAREHOUSE DISTRICT - L.A. - NIGHT A long, narrow stretch of road between industrial factories. Usually deserted at this time of night, except for the sizable group of SPECTATORS gathered around A PAIR OF BOOSTED CARS at the beginning of the street. We can sense a high level of aniticipation among the crowd, as they watch the two cars REVVING up and warming their engines. A short, greasy BOOKIE is standing by the cars, shouting into the crowd while holding up wads of CASH. BOOKIE We got any more takers here? Odds on the favorite. Fifty up front. Any takers? IN THE LEFT CAR Seth is at the wheel, choking the pedal, blowing exhaust fumes into the air. ANGLE - CROWD as Isaak emerges from the throng and approaches Seth’s car, leaning into the driver’s side window. ISAAK Everything under control here? SETH Couldn’t be better. ISAAK I’ll meet you back here after the race. (re: the other car) He ready? SETH Don’t know. Let’s ask him. Seth leans into the passenger side window. SETH Hey! You ready or what? IN THE RIGHT CAR A YOUNG GUY, obviously way in over his head, is at the wheel. He acknowledges Seth’s call. YOUNG GUY Let’s do this. IN THE LEFT CAR Seth rights himself up in the driver’s seat, grinning. SETH Beautiful. He turns back to Isaak and nods. Isaak moves away from the car, slinks back into the crowd. Seth grips the steering wheel, awaiting the signal to go, looking particularly lethal. His eyes burn with hellfire. FADE OUT. END OF ACT I ACT II FADE IN: INT. HOTEL IRONDELL - STONE’S ROOM - NIGHT Stone is slumped on his couch, watching TV. He looks beaten and more disheveled than usual. ON THE TV ROGER EBERT is sitting in his trademark theater with a GUEST CRITIC. ROGER EBERT (on TV) All right, our next film is "Dogma", the new comic fantasy by perennial curse-meister, Kevin Smith, whose previous forays include "Clerks", "Mallrats", and "Chasing Amy". In this one, Smith tackles religious faith, and does so while performing a balancing act between theological rigidity and secular reality. CUT TO FILM FOOTAGE FROM "DOGMA" ROGER EBERT (V.O.) (on TV) Ben Affleck and Matt Damon play Bartleby and Loki, two angels cast out of Heaven and exiled for all eternity to Wisconsin. STONE Hmph. That’s pretty funny. ROGER EBERT (V.O.) (on TV) If they enter a cathedral in New Jersey that’s been given a plenary indulgence by the Church, which grants anyone who enters the church a morally clean slate, their sins will be wiped clean and they’ll be allowed back into Heaven. The catch: their return to Heaven will prove God wrong, and therefore end all existence. STONE Bummer. Suddenly there’s a KNOCK on his door. Stone BOLTS up immediately, reaching for his gun, ready to draw. He crosses to the door, one hand on the doorknob, the other on his weapon. STONE Who is it? SAMANTHA (O.S.) Open up, Zeke, it’s me. Sam. Stone sighs, keeps his gun tucked into the back of his pants. He opens the door. SAMANTHA is standing there, looking cute and perky as always, her hair dyed with a greenish tinge. STONE Sam, what are you doing here? SAMANTHA And a good evening to you too, sir. She lets herself in, throwing herself down onto the couch. Stone closes the door mechanically, not looking entirely comfortable. SAMANTHA I just got off my shift for today. Just thought I’d come check you out. You haven’t been down all day. I was just wondering if everything’s cool here. STONE Yeah, I’m fine. Uhh, look, Sam... SAMANTHA You look like you’ve been run over by an eighteen-wheeler. STONE You always did know how to cheer me up. SAMANTHA What’s up? Stone shakes his head, obviously accepting the fact that Sam isn’t going anywhere. He sits down in the kitchen chair, running his hand through his frazzled hair. STONE Nothing. Just... work. SAMANTHA Bad day at the office? I hear ya. STONE Yeah... (beat) Look, Sam, I’d just feel a helluva lot more comfortable if you weren’t here right now. Sam stares at Zeke, regarding him with a blank look. Stone sits there, hoping she won’t explode. SAMANTHA You’re right. She gets up from the couch and goes over to Stone, holding her hand out to him. SAMANTHA Come on. Let’s go. Stone looks at her oddly. STONE What? SAMANTHA Come on. Let’s blow this joint. You’ve spent enough time cooped up in here, moping. You need to get out, get some fresh air. Come on. STONE That’s very sweet of you, Sam, but I don’t think I should be going anywhere right now. SAMANTHA Who said you have a choice? INT. SUSAN KING’S HOUSE - ROSALYN’S OLD ROOM - NIGHT Rosalyn has her clothes and belongings laid out on the bed, getting ready to pack them. She does it slowly, taking an item of clothing at a time, folding it neatly and placing it into her suitcases. She performs the task monotonously, her thoughts far away. SUSAN KING appears at the door. She knocks lightly, even though the door is already open. SUSAN Can I come in, sweetie? Roz turns, notices her mother standing there. She offers a brief smile. ROSALYN Of course, mom. Susan crosses to the bed and sits on the edge while Roz resumes her packing. SUSAN Is everything okay? ROSALYN Everything’s fine, mom. SUSAN You know, you don’t have to leave so soon. The Millers would love to have us over for dinner again tomorrow night. ROSALYN I don’t think I’ll be able to make it this time. Silence. Roz can feel her mother’s questioning eyes on her. ROSALYN There’s just no more reason left for me to stay. I thought maybe I could find some answers coming back here, clear my mind. I guess I was wrong. Susan gently takes her daughter’s hand. Roz stops packing. SUSAN I’m so sorry, Rosalyn. About everything. Roz stares at her mother’s hand, then looks up into her eyes. Susan can tell that her daughter is on the verge of something emotional and can’t hold back any longer. Roz collapses into her mother’s open arms, sobbing onto her shoulder. ROSALYN I just can’t stay here any longer. The pain, the memories... it’s too much. Everywhere I turn, I see him... I see Zeke... it just hurts too much... (beat; sobbing) I’m so sorry. I don’t want to leave you here, alone. But I... I... SUSAN Oh honey, honey. It’s okay. I know how hard it is. I understand. It’s okay. Roz releases from their embrace, looking at her mother with watery eyes. ROSALYN I know you know. There’s just... a life for me back home, in L.A.... and maybe someone... someone I’ve been pushing back for a while... SUSAN Honey, you know what you want. You know what’s best for you. But you just remember -- I’ll always be here if you need me. Rosalyn smiles, then embraces her mother again. ROSALYN I love you, mom. SUSAN I love you too, dear. They remain that way for a while, two lonely women, holding each other. INT. BABYLON CLUB - NIGHT Sam enters, followed by an irritated-looking Stone, hands in his trenchcoat pockets as always. The house speakers are blasting some INDUSTRIAL ROCK. STONE (over the music) I thought you said we were getting some FRESH air. SAMANTHA Just follow me, tough guy. AT THE BAR Sam maneuvers her way to the counter, Stone right behind. She motions to the BARTENDER. SAMANTHA Two beers over here. (to Stone) Have a seat, dude. Loosen up a bit. Stone rolls his eyes, plopping himself down on the stool beside Sam’s. Sam scans the patrons at the bar beside her, a routine she obviously practices all the time. A few stools down, one of the patrons grabs her attention. SAM’S POV We SEE a GIRL, only from the back, sitting on a stool nearby. Shoulder-length brown hair. Nice shape. Sam hesitates, then decides to call out to her. SAMANTHA Tara? The girl turns around, and we SEE that it’s TARA, from the TEASER. She sees Sam and waves. Sam waves back, tapping Stone in the shoulder with her other hand. SAMANTHA Come on, I want you to meet someone. She jumps from her stool and hops toward Tara like the bundle of energy she is. Stone hangs his head in submission, wondering what he’s done to deserve this. He slides off his stool and trudges over to them, moving as if his feet are encased in concrete. Sam and Tara hug. SAMANTHA God, Tara, it’s been quite a while since we hooked up. How are you? TARA I’m... okay, I guess. They break the hug, and Sam gestures to Stone, who is standing dutifully beside her. SAMANTHA Tara, I’d like you to meet Zeke, a friend of mine at the hotel. Zeke, this is Tara. Old college girlfriend, before I dropped out for fame and fortune. Stone and Tara shake hands. STONE Good to meet you. SAMANTHA So what are you doing here all alone? TARA Oh, I’m just waiting for someone. Just hanging out. Tara’s manner is oddly formal and solemn, and Sam, perceptive friend that she is, notices. She lays a comforting hand on Tara’s arm. SAMANTHA You okay? (no response) How’s Louis? I heard you guys are getting pretty serious. Tears are beginning to push themselves out of Tara’s eyes. TARA Sam... he’s gone. SAMANTHA Gone? TARA You didn’t hear? She wipes at the tears rolling down her cheeks. Samantha sits on the stool beside her, looking very concerned. SAMANTHA What happened, Tara? TARA A few days ago, we were heading up to Matt’s party. Me, Louis, Johnny, and Brad. Brad was driving. I don’t think he really knew where he was going. Anyway, a couple of maniacs in a black car, they challenged him to a drag race. He took ‘em on, and... and... (composes herself) They crashed. Both cars... beneath the overpass at Guilford Street. SAMANTHA Oh my god, Tara... (hugs her) I’m so sorry. TARA The cops don’t really care. This kind of stuff happens all the time in that area. (beat; remembering) Weird thing is... after the crash, I could’ve sworn I saw the other two guys walking away. Both cars were totalled and burned, but... behind the flames... I saw them walking away... like nothing happened. Stone’s attention is suddenly piqued. STONE They walked away from the wreckage? TARA Without looking back. STONE Where’d you say this kind of stuff happens a lot? TARA Guilford Street, over near the warehouse district. There’s kinda underground drag races going on there all the time. Stone plays it like he’s checking his wristwatch, even though he’s not wearing one. STONE Alright, well, I just remembered, I gotta be somewhere in a few minutes, so I better get going. Tara, it was nice meeting you. I’m sorry about your friends. I’m sure the police will find them. Sam, I’ll see you later. And in a flash, Stone’s racing for the exit. Tara watches him go, perplexed. Sam just smirks. SAMANTHA Don’t worry. He does that a lot. EXT. GUILFORD STREET - NIGHT Isaak and the racing Bookie are standing next to Isaak’s BOOSTED MUSTANG GTO. The street is deserted. BOOKIE Look, I didn’t promise anything over twenty percent. ISAAK Now’s not the time to be playing games with me, scumbag. BOOKIE What did I tell you before the race? I take fifteen percent of all winnings, you and your racing boy get twenty, and Joey gets the rest. ISAAK You said we get every taker’s bet plus forty percent. BOOKIE Hey, what can I tell ya. Clean up your ears better next time. Isaak SLAMS the Bookie up against the car and pulls out a GUN, jamming it up the Bookie’s nose. BOOKIE Hey... Jesus Christ, man... ISAAK Give me the money, or you won’t be taking any more bets after tonight. Suddenly, the pair are lit up by HEADLIGHTS, and we HEAR TIRES SCREECHING to a halt. Isaak and the Bookie turn their gaze toward the headlights, squinting their eyes from the glare. THEIR POV A black CAPRICE CLASSIC sits in the distance, headlights glaring brightly. The DRIVER steps out of the car, but we can only make out his SILHOUETTE, his features concealed by the lights. DRIVER Turn him loose, Isaak. It’s time to go. Isaak freezes, recognizing the voice. He TOSSES the Bookie aside like a rag doll and jumps into the Mustang. He guns the engine and FLOORS it down the street. The Driver hops back into his Caprice and PEELS off after him. Isaak’s Mustang is racing rapidly down the street. The Caprice is quickly gaining speed. IN THE MUSTANG Isaak is in full panic mode. He glances back quickly over his shoulder, checking the Caprice’s progress, then whips back around facing front. Then, he catches a glimpse of something in the road up ahead... ISAAK’S POV STONE is standing in the middle of the road, directly in the path of the Mustang. He draws his GUN. Isaak SPINS the steering wheel frantically. Stone hits the ground ROLLING as the Mustang SWERVES WILDLY to the left, missing Stone by a narrow margin. The Mustang SOARS over the median, jumping over to the opposite side of the street. Stone quickly gets to his feet, and barely has time to register the CAPRICE bearing down on him. He raises his gun, only capable of letting off ONE SHOT before the Caprice SMASHES HARD into Stone. The fatal impact sends him SOARING over the hood and into the WINDSHIELD, before landing HARD on the ground. The Caprice has lost control, cutting a direct path toward a BRICK WALL. KA-BOOM! The Caprice BASHES into the wall with tremendous speed. Windows SHATTER and metal TEARS apart. Stone lies flat on the ground, covering his head from the FALLING DEBRIS. When the SMOKE clears, we SEE the Caprice mashed into the wall like a Coke can, the hood and front seat entirely CAVED IN. Yet, somehow, FROM THE TWISTED WRECKAGE, the Driver DASHES out of the Caprice on foot, heading for a nearby factory. Stone leaps to his feet and takes off after him. INT. WAREHOUSE - SHIPPING BAY BAM! The garage’s metallic door SLAMS open, the Driver plowing through with astounding force, racing toward the shipping bay entrance. Moments later, STONE charges through the same door, hot in pursuit. Gradually, he slows down, jogging to a halt. He stands in the middle of the enormous shipping bay, his gun drawn. Silent. Pitch dark. AT THE FAR WALL The Driver stands there, at the end of the bay, pinned against the wall. A dead end. Stone approaches cautiously, the sights of his gun aimed squarely at the Driver. STONE Don’t move. Hands over your head. Suddenly, from the LOADING DOCKS on either side of the Driver -- THREE OTHER MEN EMERGE -- -- taking their place beside the Driver, ffully ARMED and guns pointed STRAIGHT AT STONE. Stone sizes up the odds now, surrounded by four big, fully armed men, weapons cocked and loaded. No way around this. He’s fucked. FADE OUT. ACT III FADE IN: INT. WAREHOUSE - SHIPPING BAY - NIGHT (RESUMING) Stone stands there, surrounded by four dark-clad figures, outmanned and outgunned. FIGURE #1 tosses a PISTOL to the Driver, who catches it and points it at Stone. STONE Listen, fellas, I’m sure we can talk about this. The Driver approaches, pointing the gun at Stone’s eyes. He cocks back the hammer. Stone stares straight into the gun barrel, looking defiant even seconds from death. The Driver’s trigger finger is starting to squeeze the trigger... slowly... slowly... VOICE (O.S.) HOLD IT! Stone and the four men all turn their heads toward the voice. LUKAS stands by the left loading dock, sporting his ever-present dark overcoat and neatly trimmed goatee. He crosses to Stone and the Driver, the heels of his boots causing a sharp ECHO through the silent shipping bay. The three other men seem to disperse as Lukas passes, making way for him. He comes to Stone and the Driver, holding his hand out to the Driver. LUKAS Hand it over, Khris. KHRIS (the Driver) drops his gun into Lukas’s open hand, then backs away, rejoining his three companions. LUKAS (to Stone) I’m sorry you had to meet them under such tense circumstances. STONE "Them"? Lukas points to the four men standing behind him. LUKAS My co-workers. My team. My... STONE ...Angels. Lukas smiles, then begins the introductions, pointing to each one in turn. LUKAS Ezekiel, I’d like you to meet: JERICHO, DEAKON, SCARECROW -- and you’ve already met KHRIS here. They all nod perfunctorily. STONE The God Squad. They all look at Stone inquisitively, not catching the reference. SCARECROW The what? STONE Never mind. LUKAS I knew our paths would cross again sooner or later, detective. STONE Yeah? Why’s that? LUKAS Seems our current quarries have hooked up -- formed an allegiance, as they say. STONE What do you mean "hooked up"? Who was that guy in the Mustang that -- (points to Khris) -- he was chasing? KHRIS (resentful) That was our quarry, "Zeke". And you let him get away. STONE Look, I’m here because I thought maybe a damned soul was involved in the drag racing death of some college kids a few nights ago. If you’re saying one of your "fallen angels" is the suspect, then I’m outta here. LUKAS They’re BOTH the suspects. Seth Walker is the name of the damned soul you’re currently hunting, and will soon find. In life, he was a daredevil by reputation, often participating in these "drag races" right here in L.A., back in the late sixties. Then, one night during one of those races, the police showed up and broke up the whole thing. They were ready to arrest Walker, but he took off, and the police gave chase. The pursuit took them to the Valley, where they drove through the roads on Hollywood Hill. Anyway, the squad car ended up in a predicament at one point, where it was sort of half dangling from the edge of the mountain. He demonstrates, making a wibbly-wobbly sign with his hand. LUKAS They probably could’ve been saved if Seth hadn’t sped up the process. He backed his car up into the dangling car, throwing them over the edge. STONE He killed the cops? LUKAS (nods) He was killed in a shootout with the police a couple of weeks later. STONE So what does this have to do with you? LUKAS The guy you ran into a few minutes ago, driving the Mustang... his name is Isaak. He’s an angel. DEAKON A dangerous one. LUKAS And he’s hooked up with Seth a few weeks ago, making the rounds in the underground drag racing circuit. He’s a thrill junkie, like Seth, and I guess he’s finally found something in common with someone. STONE So what makes Isaak so dangerous? LUKAS We don’t have time for this now. (starts leaving) I’ll explain everything on the way. STONE On the way where? LUKAS (over his shoulder) To the London Dungeon, that club up west. KHRIS Oh no... Khris jumps in front of Lukas, stopping him in his tracks. KHRIS (points to Stone) He’s not coming with us. LUKAS Why not? KHRIS He’s going to endanger the mission. We don’t need a pretty boy, we need a soldier. He already let Isaak get away once. What’s to stop him from doing it again? He’s not an angel. LUKAS He’s a supernatural creature, like the rest of us. We’re all on the same playing field. Two shots to the eyes will send him back, just like it will you. We need him. We can lead each other to our targets. KHRIS We’ve been doing fine without him. STONE (stepping in) You know what? It’s okay. I can catch this guy on my own. The last thing I need are a bunch of macho flyboys breathing down my neck. KHRIS (threateningly) Macho flyboys? LUKAS (exasperated) That’s enough. (to the group) Get the rest of the gear and wait outside. (to Khris) Bring the van ‘round front. We’ll load the stuff when you get there. (to Stone) You, come with me. The group files out quietly and efficiently. Stone watches them go, wondering how he wound up here. INT. NYPD - 11TH PRECINCT - NIGHT Kane marches into the station, approaching the FRONT DESK where DESK SERGEANT LOU TORELLI (50s, short, stocky, balding) is manning his post, going through bundles of paperwork. He looks up for a second and spots Kane. KANE Hey, Lou. TORELLI Will. I haven’t seen you all day. How’d that little get-together with the Stone woman go? KANE Not as well as I pictured it. TORELLI Ain’t it always the way. Not what she wanted to hear? KANE Maybe my approach could’ve been a little more tactful. TORELLI Hey, you did what you could. I mean, you went out of your way, for Christ’s sake. KANE (not convinced) Yeah, I guess... TORELLI She kept calling here, day in and day out, trying to get every scrap of info on her husband, who’s been dead for almost sixteen years now. You tried to put her mind at ease. Kane nods absently, distracted by his own thoughts. TORELLI (thinking out loud) It’s sad, you know? Not being able to let go... after sixteen years, no less. Not being able to walk away from something, to start fresh... Just a shame. KANE Yeah... a shame... (beat) I can’t leave it this way though. After all she’s been through, she deserves SOME peace. Kane looks as if he’s made up his mind about something. KANE I’m sure she won’t be staying here much longer after today. (walks off) I hope I can still catch her before she leaves. He marches toward the squad room with renewed determination. Torelli watches him go, shaking his head. TORELLI Friggin’ boy scout. EXT. STREET - NIGHT An unmarked BLACK DODGE VAN rolls along at a brisk pace. INT. DODGE VAN (DRIVING) Khris is at the wheel, Jericho beside him riding shotgun. Behind them sit Deakon and Scarecrow, sharing an occasional word between staring broodingly out their windows. IN THE BACK OF THE VAN Separated from the rest of the group, Lukas and Stone are seated by the rear doors. They speak in hushed tones, careful not to arouse the rest of the guys. STONE Listen, uh... I wanna thank you again for bailing me out of that... situation with Novak a couple of weeks ago. LUKAS All in a day’s work. (beat) I’m sorry about... everything that happened, with the Bristol family and all. STONE How the hell did you know that? LUKAS (smiles) I’m a detective, Ezekiel. Remember? STONE Right. ‘Course you are. A beat, as they sit there, listening to the street noise outside. Lukas studies Stone’s weary face. LUKAS You holding up okay over there? STONE Yeah, I guess. (beat) I don’t know... LUKAS Didn’t think it’d be this hard, did you. STONE No... no, I didn’t. (laughs) You know, I thought I’d be given a rap sheet, with all their names and where they’re hiding. And every day I’d wake up somewhere different, and there’d be a check or an arrow beside the name of the person I’m supposed to track down that day... and I’d just find him, arrest him or something, and move on to the next one. This, though... (indicates his surroundings) ...All this, it’s madness. It’s literally like looking for a needle in a haystack. And all the people I’ve involved... LUKAS (sharply) Hey, that’s not your fault. You know that. You’ve got no choice in these matters. You’re not falling for that crap that Lucifer is shoveling down your throat, are you? About being dead, keeping to yourself? STONE But let’s face it. I AM dead. LUKAS But you’re human. Or WERE human. And keeping in touch with your humanity involves reaching out to others. You’re only doing what’s in your nature to do, and there’s nothing evil or sinful about that. STONE It’s also in our nature to kill. Stone looks hard at Lukas, waiting for a response. Lukas averts his eyes from Stone’s penetrating gaze. There is no response. Stone lays his head back, like his point’s been proven. INT. LONDON DUNGEON CLUB - NIGHT A DARK, SMOKE-FILLED dive. Populated by various creatures of the night with black clothes and pale skin. CHAINS and odd TORTURE DEVICES hang down from the HIGH CEILING. Several sections of the club are divided by CHAIN-LINK FENCES. Abrasive TECHNO METAL pounds furiously from the walls. IN THE LOUNGE AREA Seth is reclined comfortably on one of the COUCHES, his arms thrown around a pair of GOTH CHICKS, one seated on either side of him, their hands exploring his body. Seth leans into one of the Goth Chicks, going to work on her NECK. She throws her head back and MOANS, while the other Goth Chick begins to unbuckle his pants. CLANG! The chain-link fence DOOR suddenly SLAMS OPEN, ISAAK bursting through. Seth and the girls spin their heads, startled. ISAAK We got company. Seth pulls his arms away from the girls and sits up, concerned. SETH Who? ISAAK Lukas. Seth’s eyes go wide. SETH Holy shit. (bolts up from the couch) Just him? ISAAK All of them. SETH Screw that. (starts leaving) We can’t take ‘em all on. Isaak GRABS Seth’s arm and pulls him back. ISAAK We’re not going anywhere. SETH Are you crazy? We don’t stand a chance against the whole crew. We’d be friggin’ fools if we stay, and they’d be even bigger fools if they THINK we’re staying. ISAAK That’s why we’re staying. They’ll never expect an ambush. Walking in here will be their last mistake. SETH Ambush? What’re you talking about? ISAAK We’re not running anymore, Seth. (leans in; whispers) It ends tonight. FADE OUT. ACT IV FADE IN: INT. DODGE VAN (DRIVING) - NIGHT Lukas and Stone are still seated by the rear doors, absorbed in their own thoughts. STONE So what’s the deal with your "mission"? You never did tell me how long you’ve been assigned here. Lukas’s face is downcast. Stone can tell it’s a sour subject for him. LUKAS That’s not up to me, detective. STONE You’ve gotta have SOME idea. (no response) Why you? (points to the others) Why them? Of all the angels in Heaven, why you guys? Lukas sighs. Stone is obviously opening old wounds. LUKAS Because of what we did. Because of our sins. STONE Your sins? But... you’re angels. LUKAS Not all angels are THAT angelic, Ezekiel. Especially those closest to humanity. They are the most easily corruptible. STONE Grigoris, like you guys, are the closest to man? LUKAS I am a Grigori. (points to the others) They are not. They are just Angels, of the ninth circle of Heaven... the lowest choir of angels. I am an Archangel of the eighth circle, a step above them, yet Grigoris are closer to humanity than Angels are. Probably the closest. STONE "Closest to humanity"? I’m not following. LUKAS There are nine circles of Heaven, just as there are nine circles of Hell. Each circle is occupied by a class, or order, of angels, or in Hell’s case, an order of demons. In our case, the innermost circles -- the first, second, third -- are the ones closest to God, and answer only to him. They hold dominion over the lower choirs, and are the furthest removed from humanity, meaning that their involvement, their interaction, with humanity is virtually nil. As you move further away from God, the circles become disparate. Contact with God begins to diminish. The main concerns become the affairs of the living -- of humans. STONE Okay. So how’d you wind up with this gig? LUKAS My kind, the Grigoris, are probably the oldest order of angels, probably older than the Seraphim. We were created by God to be Earthly shepherds of the first humans. We are also called "Watchers", because it was our job to observe humanity, lending a helping hand when necessary but not interfering in the course of human development. As I’ve said before, though angels are filled with God’s divine grace, those designed as the type farthest from the divine are the easiest to corrupt in the corporeal world, especially in the presence of humans. It wasn’t long before our enormous zest for life tripped us up, spiritually speaking. We took husbands and wives among the humans and led greatly debauched lives, neglecting our heavenly duties. STONE Couldn’t resist, could ya. Lukas can’t help but chuckle. LUKAS What can I say. Some of your human "ways" have a certain appeal. So, for our sin of lust and for neglecting our duties, most of us were banned from Heaven, doomed to roam the Earth for the rest of eternity. This might not seem so bad to you, but if you’ve ever felt the comfort of Heaven, if you’ve ever felt the love of God... this is probably the worst punishment imaginable. STONE So you’ve been wandering the Earth for the past couple of billion years? LUKAS Not quite. Like I said, most of us were banished to Earth, but a small number of us -- myself included -- were "imprisoned", if you will, in a dark corner of Heaven called Tartarus, removed from any contact with the Heavenly Host, awaiting judgment for the last several aeons. (beat) And then it came... so to speak. Stone nods, starting to understand. STONE He gave you a second chance. Lukas smiles, a sad and distant one. LUKAS We’re not all that different after all, Ezekiel, you and I. Stone gestures toward the other guys. STONE So what’s their story, then? LUKAS They’re sinners, detective. All angels are more or less here because they’ve treasoned against God, or have at least harbored impure thoughts that leaned toward such an act. But there’s something you have to understand about angels, particularly those in the outer circles of Heaven -- they long to see God. To touch him. To feel His true love. But God is a strange being. He is all-knowing, all-powerful, yet he doesn’t truly know himself, or understand who he is. Angels are simply an extension of His being, and to ultimately attain oneness with God, Angels of the ninth circle must do one thing. STONE Which is...? LUKAS Become human. Only through the human experience does God reclaim a piece of His being. (points to the others) For their treasonous sins, they’ve been sent here to back me up in the capture of Isaak. If they fail -- if the windows to their souls are shattered -- they return to Heaven, but they cannot return again to Earth. They can never become human. They will never, ever know God, or feel him. And that, again, is worse than any hell you know, detective. Stone lets out a long breath, slowly trying to absorb this massive influx of knowledge. LUKAS You don’t have to understand all of this right away, Ezekiel. All you have to know is that we are all on the same level. We are all fighting for redemption. We’ve all got a mission to uphold. (beat) That’s all you have to know. STONE Actually, there’s one more thing I have to know. Why do you need four extra guys to take on Isaak? How dangerous is he? LUKAS As dangerous as rogue angels get. Isaak is a Cherubim, of the second circle of Heaven, the highest ranking angel to have escaped Heaven, as far as we know. The Cherubim are extremely powerful. Your boss, Lucifer, was of their number, before the rebellion. Isaak may be just the key that Ash is looking for. He could be powerful enough to tear a hole in the fabric of the spiritual realm. STONE He could get Ash into Heaven? LUKAS It’s believed he can. And if he does... the war begins. OFF STONE weighing the consequences of those words, we CUT TO: INT. JFK INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT - DEPARTURES GATE - NIGHT Roz is standing in a LONG LINE, waiting to board her plane. The line is barely moving. The P.A. SYSTEM suddenly cackles to life. P.A. ANNOUNCER Flight one-oh-eight for Los Angeles now boarding. Please have your tickets ready at the gate. Repeat: Flight one- oh-eight bound for Los Angeles now boarding. Please have your tickets ready at the gate. Thank you. Roz is holding her ticket, but instinctively double-checks anyway. She glances over the other people in line, then at the surrounding airport. She appears calm, but we can sense a gnawing unease within her. VOICE (O.S.) (calling out) MS. STONE! Roz spins her head, surveying the airport, trying to pinpoint where that call came from. HER POV We SEE KANE in the distance, jogging steadily toward her, weaving his way through the CROWD of waiting travelers. Roz turns back around, facing the front of the line. This is the last person she expected to be seeing her off. Kane approaches, slightly out of breath. Roz acknowledges him with barely a nod. KANE Hey. Look... I know you’re just about to board the plane, and I’m the last person you wanna see right now, but I just wanted to say something before you left. ROSALYN You called my mother’s house obviously. KANE Yeah. She told me when your flight was leaving. (trying to gather his thoughts) Listen, I... I’m sorry about... yesterday afternoon. I should’ve been a little more sensitive. I just... can’t imagine what’s been happening to you, the past couple of months. ROSALYN And what’s been happening to me? Kane sulks, not expecting such a harsh reaction to his visit. Roz notices his dejected manner and relents a little. ROSALYN I’m sorry, too... for reacting the way I did. I guess... I don’t know, I just hope too much. KANE Ms. Stone... ROSALYN Rosalyn. KANE (smiles) Rosalyn... I’m not going to take back what I told you yesterday, and I don’t know what you have in store for your future, but... NEVER give up hope. Your journey may not be ending the way you’d hoped, but in the long run, you’ll be thankful it didn’t. Roz looks toward the gate, which she’s fast approaching. KANE The work your husband did... the criminals he’s caught, the lives he’s saved... it lives on in this city. Roz is next in line to board. The BOARDING AGENT stands at the gate, waiting. BOARDING AGENT Next, please. Roz hugs Kane quickly, looking like a sense of relief has washed over her. ROSALYN Thank you, Detective Kane. KANE Will. ROSALYN (smiles) Will. Roz walks toward the gate, showing her ticket to the Boarding Agent. The Agent waves her through. Kane watches as Roz enters through the gate. She turns back, waves quickly. And she’s gone. Kane stands there a moment, watching the other passengers file through. EXT. STREET - LONDON DUNGEON CLUB - NIGHT The black Dodge van is PARKED a few yards away from the club’s entrance. INT. DODGE VAN The guys are gearing up, checking their weapons, getting psyched. LUKAS All right, everybody, remember -- we’re not going in to engage them. We just wanna lure them out. We need to keep things quiet, avoid getting any of the people inside involved. Keep a low profile. (beat) We ready? There’s a general nod of approval among the group. LUKAS Let’s go. Deakon is first, opening the rear doors, and the men start to file out of the van. Stone is close behind, but Lukas stops him. LUKAS You okay? STONE I'm a cop. (smiles) Remember? Lukas smiles as well, patting Stone on the back. LUKAS Let’s do it. INT. LONDON DUNGEON CLUB The gang enters the club -- Jericho, Scarecrow, Deakon, Khris, then Stone and Lukas -- looking cool and composed, their DARK AND RAGGED ATTIRE blending in smoothly with the rest of the décor. They begin to mingle and DISPERSE among the people, covering as much ground as they can, their eyes SCANNING the crowd intensely. The opening strains of Fear Factory’s "SHOCK" begin to pulsate through the speakers. A GUNSHOT suddenly rings out! Deakon’s left eye EXPLODES in a blinding white light, illuminating half the club. The wide-spread PANIC and CONFUSION begins. The air is pierced with the FRANTIC SCREAMS of several clubgoers, starting to PUSH for the exits. Deakon falls to one knee, clutching his perforated eye, but before he can even comprehend what just happened -- ANOTHER GUNSHOT RINGS OUT, taking out his right eye. Deakon’s anguished CRY tears through the smoky haze, overpowering the combined screams of the fleeing clubgoers, as his soul dissipates and returns to Heaven. LUKAS AND HIS GROUP gear up, PULLING OUT their weapons, their plans for discretion blown clear out of the water. Stone’s police instincts start kicking in, focusing on the protection of the innocent. He MOVES SWIFTLY through the crowd, his gun pointed HIGH toward the ceiling. STONE EVERYONE! GET DOWN! GET DOWN! ANOTHER GUNSHOT rings out! SCARECROW Goddammit!! Where IS he?! Khris moves through the crowd, then looks up, catching a glimpse of something. KHRIS’S POV ON THE SECOND FLOOR BALCONY ISAAK is aiming a PAIR OF PISTOLS into the crowd, one in each hand. KHRIS UP THERE!! ON THE BALCONY!! The rest of the group ALL TURN AT ONCE, WEAPONS RAISED, setting their sights for the balcony. THEY ALL OPEN FIRE! ISAAK DUCKS, racing desperately along the balcony for cover, a line of bullets trailing him, RICOCHETING off the metal railing. The gang continues to FIRE, oblivious to -- SETH creeping up on LUKAS from behind. HE LEAPS, tackling Lukas to the ground. STONE turns around and STOPS firing, noticing Lukas and Seth struggling on the ground. He SPRINTS rapidly toward Seth and DIVES, tackling Seth off of Lukas. Stone’s momentum throws him off balance, allowing Seth to BREAK FREE of Stone’s grasp. Seth doesn’t think twice about it. He DASHES OFF for the EXITS. Stone is quickly on his feet and AFTER HIM. Lukas, still on the ground, watches Stone run off. LUKAS STONE! EXT. STREET - LONDON DUNGEON CLUB Seth BOLTS OUT of the club, heading straight for a BLACK 70s BONVILLE parked across the street. He opens the door and jumps in. IN THE BONVILLE Seth keys up the ignition, mumbling and trembling with panic. SETH Screw Isaak, man. He can fight ‘em himself. I got things to do. He shifts into REVERSE and backs up, TIRES SQUEELING. CRASH!! A LARGE BODY SUDDENLY LANDS HARD ON THE WINDSHIELD, CRACKING IT! SETH JESUS CHRIST! The body ADJUSTS itself on the hood. Seth’s eyes GO WIDE when he notices the face staring back at him through the cracked glass -- IT’S STONE!! Seth SPINS the steering wheel. ON THE STREET The Bonville WHIRLS AROUND, turning a full one-eighty, tires SCREECHING across the pavement. Stone’s legs FLY OFF the hood, but he HANGS ON to the windshield. The Bonville TEARS OFF down the street, away from the club, Stone gripping tightly to the hood. INT. LONDON DUNGEON CLUB The place has EMPTIED OUT, but it’s in shambles. Ceiling lights HANG precariously from slim wires, shooting down SPARKS onto the floor. TABLES and CHAIRS OVERTURNED, SPLINTERED with bulletholes. LUKAS AND THE REMAINDER OF HIS GROUP are scattered across the floor and have taken cover behind anything that’s still left standing. They are obviously waiting Isaak out. BEHIND THE BAR Lukas is crouched, gripping his GUN, scanning the BALCONY overhead. LUKAS (shouting) Come on, Isaak. There’s nowhere else to run. Let’s just finish this now, before any more people get hurt. They wait, their eyes scanning. But there’s no response. LUKAS Dammit, Isaak! Come out! Stop this game. BEHIND AN OVERTURNED TABLE Jericho sits, losing his patience. JERICHO To hell with this. He RISES from behind the table and MARCHES toward the center of the floor. JERICHO I’m gonna smoke the sonuvabitch out. LUKAS Jericho -- NO!! As Jericho walks, we SEE the AIR BEHIND HIM BEGIN TO RIPPLE AND BEND... FORMING A HUMANOID SHAPE! Jericho STOPS in his tracks, SENSING something behind him. Very slowly, he turns his head... ISAAK POUNCES ON HIM FROM BEHIND, his features still RIPPLING with ENERGY. Jericho SWINGS Isaak low, hoping the momentum will throw him off, but Isaak maintains his grip. Isaak SLAMS Jericho onto the floor. Jericho responds IMMEDIATELY with a rapid FOOT SWEEP, bringing Isaak DOWN. Jericho leaps up on top of Isaak, but Isaak SWINGS HIS BODY UPWARD, LEVITATING THE BOTH OF THEM TEN FEET OFF THE FLOOR!! Still FLOATING IN THE AIR, Isaak locks his arm around Jericho’s throat, gripping him in a deadly CHOKEHOLD. Jericho GAGS, trying to free himself, but Isaak’s IRON GRIP is UNBREAKABLE. Isaak RAISES HIS OTHER HAND, the air above his palm CRACKLING WITH ENERGY AND FORMING A TWIN-BLADED DAGGER. Isaak SWINGS THE BLADE DOWN with deadly precision into Jericho’s disbelieving eyes. The blinding white light of JERICHO’S SOUL bursts forth from his wounds, twirling up in the air and disintegrating back into Heaven. Isaak lands back on his feet, a malevolent GRIN spread wide across his face. Before he even gets a chance to gloat, SCARECROW LEAPS upon him from behind. Isaak FLINGS him off his back with hardly an effort, and is immediately ATTACKED AGAIN by KHRIS, who WRAPS his massive arms around Isaak’s waist and TACKLES him down. Isaak PLANTS HIS HEELS into KHRIS’S MIDSECTION and CATAPULTS HIM into the air, soaring toward a -- STEEL BEAM -- which begins to RIPPLE, FORMING A LONG STEEL SPIKE THAT’S JUTTING OUT FROM THE BEAM. KHRIS SAILS INTO THE SPIKE, slicing straight through his back and out his abdomen, IMPALING him to the beam. KHRIS AAAAARRRGGHHHHH!!!! Without taking a breath, Isaak quickly RISES from the floor, JAMMING HIS BOOT into Scarecrow’s chest, who’s still lying on his back. The space before Isaak begins RIPPLING, forming a LONG SPEAR. HE SNATCHES THE SPEAR FROM MID-AIR AND DRIVES IT DOWN INTO SCARECROW’S THROAT, pinning him to the floor. Isaak SHOUTS into the air, charged with power. ISAAK I AM GOD NOW!!! LUKAS (O.S.) Over my live body. Isaak spins around -- BLAM! A GUNSHOT RINGS OUT, SHATTERING ISAAK’S LEFT EYE. LUKAS stands a few yards away, SMOKING GUN held out. Isaak CRIES OUT, his soul shooting forth from the punctured eye. He LEAPS into the air toward Lukas, covering the distance between them in a single bounce. They COLLIDE and LAND HARD on the floor. Lukas raises his gun but Isaak SLAPS it away, causing it to GO OFF as it clatters across the floor. ISAAK Why don’t you understand what I’m doing? I’m ushering in the new order. God’s ancient ways have become obsolete. You KNOW this. You’re guilty of the same sins. Isaak GRIPS the collar of Lukas’s overcoat with one hand, raising his TWIN-BLADED DAGGER with the other. Lukas STRAINS to turn his head to the right, catching a glimpse of something from the corner of his eye... LUKAS’S POV JERICHO’S GUN lies there on the floor, just an arms-length away. ISAAK Why can’t you see... God is already dead. LUKAS God will never die... Quick as a viper, Lukas SNATCHES THE GUN and JAMS THE BARREL into Isaak’s right eye. LUKAS ...But you will. BANG! Lukas pulls the trigger, shattering the final window to Isaak’s soul. Isaak RISES from the floor, clutching his eyes in raging agony as the FIERY RED FLAMES of his soul burst forth and ENCIRCLE HIM, pulling him down to Hell. The blinding soul light DISSOLVES in the air, leaving an eerie silence. Lukas lies back on the floor, catching his breath... then hears an ANGUISHED MOAN nearby. He gets up and sees -- SCARECROW AND KHRIS still lying impaled and wounded. Lukas bolts up from the floor and goes to their aid. EXT. STREET - NIGHT - SAME TIME SETH'S BONVILLE SPEEDS along the road, Stone still CLUTCHING TIGHTLY onto the hood. SETH (desperate) Like to take a ride, do ya? He PULLS OUT A GUN and points it through the windshield AT STONE. SETH Maybe you’ll enjoy THIS ride. BLAM! BLAM! He FIRES OFF a few shots, CRACKING the windshield further. Stone’s head RECOILS as one of the bullets BLOWS OPEN HIS FOREHEAD. Seth PUNCHES the steering wheel repeatedly, emphasizing each punch with a word. SETH GET. OFF. MY. CAR. Steaming, Stone manages to REACH DOWN into his back pocket, pulling out his GUN. Seth SPINS the steering wheel. The car SWERVES WILDLY on the road, but Stone MAINTAINS HIS GRIP on the hood. STONE Don’t you know... Stone JAMS THE BARREL of his gun up against the windshield. STONE ...Speed kills. BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! BLAM! Stone squeezes the trigger repeatedly, letting off round after round, unloading into Seth’s face. BLUE FLAMES SUDDENLY BURST OUT FROM THE WINDSHIELD, shattering it completely! Blinded, Stone shields his eyes, LOSING HIS GRIP on the hood and FALLING OFF THE CAR. ON THE STREET Stone ROLLS uncontrollably on the pavement, finally stopping in time to see -- SETH’S BONVILLE RACING STRAIGHT TOWARD A CLOSED GAS STATION! Stone ducks for cover as -- Seth’s car COLLIDES with the GAS PUMPS AND EXPLODES, IGNITING THE ENTIRE GAS STATION!! Stone slowly LIFTS his head from the pavement as FLAMING DEBRIS falls around him. Then, a SHOOTING PAIN rips through his arm, feeling the sting of yet another TATTOO being BURNED OFF his skin. Then, we HEAR another vehicle approaching... THE BLACK DODGE VAN SCREECHES to a halt near Stone. The driver’s side door SWINGS OPEN, LUKAS stepping out onto the street and running toward Stone. He crouches down, helping Stone up to a sitting position. LUKAS You okay? STONE (raspy-throated) Yeah... fine... Lukas looks toward the FLAMING GAS STATION, flames rising high into the night sky. LUKAS Where’s Seth? STONE He took the highway to Hell. Smiling, Lukas hauls Stone up from the ground. DISSOLVE TO: INT. UNDERGROUND PARKING GARAGE - LATER - NIGHT Lukas, Stone, Scarecrow and Khris are standing around by the back of the van, its rear doors WIDE OPEN. The garage is DESERTED. LUKAS (to Khris) You got everything packed in there? KHRIS It’s all here. Khris turns to Stone, scratching the back of his neck, looking oddly uncomfortable with what he’s about to say. KHRIS Um... look, Stone... about my attitude earlier... Stone raises his hand. STONE Forget it, Khris. It’s all good. (beat) So where’re you guys off to? SCARECROW Wherever the spirit takes us. STONE Well, wherever it is... Stone extends his hand. Scarecrow takes it. STONE ...Have a good one, alright. SCARECROW You too, Ezekiel. KHRIS (shaking Stone’s hand) Take care of yourself. Khris and Scarecrow climb into the van, leaving Lukas and Stone on their own for a moment. STONE Listen... I’m sorry about Deakon and Jericho. Lukas nods somberly. STONE (pointing skyward) How’re they gonna make out up there? LUKAS They’ll be confined within the ninth circle for the rest of eternity. God will remain a distant voice to them, barely heard, and never seen. Lukas closes his eyes, comtemplating this form of hell he hopes he’ll never have to face. Stone fidgets a moment, not knowing how to break the tension. Lukas takes a deep breath, snaps out of it. LUKAS So, detective... what’s next for you? STONE (shakes his head) Wherever the spirit takes me. Lukas smiles. STONE How about you? LUKAS Tomorrow is a new day. I may wake up here, in this same place. Or I may wake up somewhere else. (beat) Or I may not wake up at all. STONE There’s no "deadline" to your mission, is there. No "quota" of fallen angels. Nothing written in stone. LUKAS I might find them all, or I might not. Or I might be assigned a new mission altogether. Meanwhile, I struggle with the temptations of the physical world, and hope I don’t succomb to them the way I did aeons ago. No one said atonement would be easy. (smiles) Right, detective? Stone nods empathetically. STONE Right. They shake hands firmly. LUKAS Good luck. STONE Hey, maybe we’ll see each other again. LUKAS Who knows. Maybe sooner than you think. Lukas climbs into the van, but STOPS, suddenly remembering something. LUKAS By the way, what you said to me in jail a couple of weeks ago -- "Cool Hand Lukas"? (smiles) I get it. He slinks back into the van and SHUTS the rear doors. Stone is smirkly proudly, watching as the van REVS UP and DRIVES OFF toward the EXIT. Stone stands there, staring off into the distance. DEVIL (O.S.) How touching. THE DEVIL approaches casually from behind, wearing a BLACK SUIT. Stone barely acknowledges his presence, his gaze still fixed on the departing van. DEVIL Looks to me like you and little angelboy are striking up a friendship. Stone slowly turns on the Devil, not the least bit amused. DEVIL You know, he can’t pull any strings for you with the man upstairs. He’s just as damned as you are. I’M the only one who can get you that second chance. STONE Yeah well, I’m definitely not holding my breath there. DEVIL On a lighter note, it seems like you’ve finally accomplished a first. Your latest capture -- Seth Walker, reputed racing daredevil -- back in my loving embrace... and you didn’t get any more innocent people killed doing it. (applauds) Bravo, detective. Maybe you’re finally learning how it works up here. STONE (patronizing) Yeah... I AM learning how it works. Stone begins to saunter off. DEVIL Where do you think you’re going, Mr. Stone? STONE (over his shoulder) I think I’m gonna go watch that John Woo movie Sheriff Valis gave me. I've got some time on my hands. Stone strolls leisurely, hands in his trenchcoat pockets, toward the EXIT. FADE OUT. THE END