Illusions Brimstone VS #305 written by Robert Rand TEASER FADE IN: INT. MIKE'S GUN AND PAWN – DAY MIKE PRITCHARD, owner of the pawnshop, stands behind the counter. The store is medium sized, but empty at the moment. He is reading through an account book and punching numbers on a calculator. He arrives at a sum and looks at it - the expression on his face tells us that he is not happy with the answer. PRITCHARD Business better pick up soon. He punches the same numbers again, hoping for a different result. Disgusted, he opens a drawer. Inside, we see a nudie magazine, with a STRIKING REDHEAD on the front cover. He tosses the calculator inside and slams the drawer. He looks around the empty store. A BELL CHIMES, and a man enters through the door. This is DIMITRI SAVANT. He is tall, in his 40s, and has an air of mystery about him. His hair, his eyes, his goatee, all are dark, and he wears a gray trench coat. PRITCHARD Afternoon. SAVANT (with a faint Russian accent) Greetings. You have guns here, da? Pritchard brightens at the prospect of making a sale. PRITCHARD Sure do. Got a couple dozen for you to look at. What did you have in mind, revolver or semi auto? Savant approaches the counter, resting his hands there. SAVANT (for clarification) Semi auto? PRITCHARD Semi automatic. He pulls one from below the counter, demonstrating the slide. PRITCHARD (continued) The Beretta here, the clip holds 15 rounds. It's a good, solid handgun. Nine millimeter. I could let it go for two hundred. Savant turns it over in his gloved hand. His face remains expressionless. Pritchard interprets this as a lack of enthusiasm. He removes a revolver from the case and opens it, showing it is empty. PRITCHARD This is a little more traditional. Savant accepts the weapon. He feels the heft for a moment, then sets it on the counter. SAVANT You have bullets, also? PRITCHARD (enthusiastic) Sure, sure. Pritchard sets a box of ammunition on the counter. Savant extend his right hand, ready to seal the bargain. SAVANT I will take it. Pritchard smiles, the guy hasn't even asked the price. He knows he can rook him a little. He shakes Savant's hand firmly. The bell chimes again as the door opens. A BLACK MAN enters, wearing ragged clothed and clutching something in his fist. He is twitchy, clearly under the influence of drugs. CRACKHEAD (BLACK MAN) Hey, man. You gotta give me something for this. The crackhead approaches the counter. Pritchard looks at him with disgust. The crackhead holds out his fist, opening it to reveal THE HOPE DIAMOND Pritchard appraises it coolly. CRACKHEAD (rambling) It used to belong to my grandma. She left it to me when she died. It's got to be worth a hundred, at least. PRITCHARD I'll give you twenty for it. CRACKHEAD Twenty? PRITCHARD (coldly) It'll buy you a rock, won't it? Pritchard holds out his hand. The crackhead drops the stone into his palm. CRACKHEAD Gimmie the money. Pritchard hands him a crisp twenty, and the crackhead bolts. The bell chimes again as the crackhead leaves. Pritchard inspects his treasure. PRITCHARD Sucker. The door chimes again, and a REDHEAD in a bikini enters. We recognize her as the woman from the cover of Pritchard's magazine. Pritchard's jaw drops when he sees her. PRITCHARD Can I help you? REDHEAD Do you pay cash for anything? PRITCHARD (eager) Sure. REDHEAD All I've got to pawn is this. The redhead removes her top, and holds it out. CUT TO: Mike Pritchard stands alone in his store, staring at the space in front of him. He has a big goofy grin on his face. There is no sign of SAVANT, the revolver, or the ammo. PRITCHARD (speaking into thin air) I'm sorry, but I couldn't take just half of the outfit. I'd be happy to pay you for the whole thing though. As his gaze lowers and his smile grows, we FADE OUT EXT. NEW YORK CITY STREET – DAY Stone makes his way down the street, smiling. The sun is shining, the birds are singing, it is a great day to be alive. The fact that his heart no longer beats doesn't dampen his spirit. STONE Spring time in New York City. Is there anything better? From behind him, a familiar voice asks: THE DEVIL (O.S.) Much better than your last spring here, isn't it? Gilbert Jax ruined that for you, didn't he? STONE Now you're trying to ruin my day too? DEVIL Don't you have better things to do than walk the streets? Most of the escaped souls are still roaming free, and you're strolling around like you don't have a care in the world. STONE I like spring. DEVIL April 19th, wasn't it? You came home early, found blood on the floor. What did you think, that maybe she cut herself? STONE Stop. DEVIL (continued) Or did you recognize the pattern of blood on the floor? Were your eyes drawn to the place where he slammed her face down, again and again. Stone has had enough. He grabs the Devil by the throat and pushes him against a brick wall. Dust billows from the force of the impact. DEVIL (grinning, continued) What was your first thought, Mr. Stone? Did you hope she was okay? Or did you think of killing the person who made her suffer? STONE Shut. Up. The Devil laughs in his face, then easily knocks away Stone's hand. Passersby stare, wondering if they should get involved, but no one says anything. STONE Why bring up the same old shit? Doesn't it get boring, trying to get under my skin with the same old taunts? DEVIL Have you been back to see the place you died? STONE What? DEVIL An alleyway, wasn't it? Dark. You cornered a rat, and he fought. You had time to shoot him, didn't you? Were you feeling guilty about killing Gilbert Jax, did you hesitate? (beat) If you could stop that first domino, would you still be alive? CUT TO: EXT. ALLEYWAY – DAY Stone looks over the alleyway where he died. He notices little things, a scrap of litter, a loose brick, a tarnished penny. He stares long and hard. EXT. ALLEYWAY – NIGHT (STONE'S FLASHBACK) In slow motion, THOMAS LOGAN, a young street punk, realizes the alley is a dead end. LOGAN'S POV Stone is right behind him. We can read Stone's lips as he yells for Logan to halt, but the only sound is that of Logan's breath. LOGAN reaches into his waistband and pulls a gun. STONE sees the weapon, but it's too late. He raises a hand to ward off the bullets. LOGAN fires, his face illuminated by the muzzle flash. He fires again and again. Off of his crazed expression, we FADE TO: EXT. ALLEYWAY – DAY (CONTINUING) Stone continues to scan the alleyway. He's reflective, remembering his last moments on earth. A GLEAM OF METAL catches his eye. It's coming from an EXIT DOOR that leads into the alley. Stone examines it further. The dark green paint has been scraped away recently by someone prying at the door. Although there is no handle on this side, Stone pries at it with his fingertips, and the door swings open. He looks inside. INT. WAREHOUSE – DAY The warehouse appears deserted. Crates form neat lines, and shelves along one wall rise to the ceiling. The other walls have rows of windows at the top, and they allow some illumination into the otherwise unlit room. Stone searches the room with his eyes, his old police instincts in high gear. There is a CLATTERING SOUND, and he hurries to investigate. Dimitri Savant is prying open a crate. Stone steps out beside him. STONE Hold it. Who are you? SAVANT What? I work here, who are you? STONE Let's see some ID. SAVANT Sure. Everything is good, da? Savant reaches into his coat, as if fumbling for a wallet. He stares at Stone, concentrating. STONE What are you doing working in the dark? SAVANT (still concentrating) Just getting something that belongs to me. With that, Savant turns and runs. STONE Hey! DARK AISLE Stone gives chase, following Savant. We can only make out his outline as the pursuit leads us back to the EXIT DOOR Stone pushes it open, stepping out into the light. STONE HAS AGED DRAMATICALLY! He appears to be in his late fifties, with graying hair. He holds there for a moment as we try to wrap our brains around this revelation. Then we: ROLL INTRO ACT ONE INT. NYPD 11th PRECINCT – DAY Stone enters the station. Gone is his usual gray coat and stubble, he is smartly dressed in the uniform of a New York Police Officer. The other officers, by means of their body language and the focus of their attention, reveal that Stone is a man of importance there. One officer gets his attention. OFFICER Captain? STONE Yes? OFFICER The Murphy case, the files you asked for? I dropped them in your inbox. STONE Thanks. INT. OFFICE OF CAPTAIN STONE - DAY A large office, one with a PANORAMIC VIEW of the city outside. Stone's desk is black marble, and relatively clean. There is no computer in the room. Stone enters the room, carrying a manila folder. He seats himself behind the desk and flips it open. He begins to study it, but something is missing. Stone opens a desk drawer and removes a PICTURE FRAME. CLOSE UP ON PICTURE It's a recent photo of Ezekiel and his wife Rosalyn, taken in Central Park. They are sitting in a horse drawn carriage, holding hands and clearly still in love. STONE gazes at it for a moment, allowing himself a slight smile as he reflects on the images. As he focuses on the file again, there is a knock on the door. STONE Come in. Det. WILLIAM KANE enters with his partner, CHARLIE HIRSH, who we saw KILLED in the PILOT EPISODE. KANE Captain, black and white just reported a couple of bodies in an alley over off 53rd. HIRSH Looks like a double homicide. We're going to check it out. STONE Right. Keep me informed. KANE Will do. STONE Did I ever tell you about the time I solved the Levy Brothers double homicide? KANE and HIRSH (together, in a monotone) Yes, Captain. Stone grins. They've obviously done this before. STONE All right, get out of here, you two. He turns back to his folder, dismissing them. Kane and Hirsh leave. Stone flips pages, reviewing them. STONE Jax... where have I heard that name before? DEVIL (O.S.) You really are deluding yourself, aren't you? THE DEVIL appears, seated across from Stone, making himself comfortable, as if he had been invited. DEVIL To even pretend than you don't know Gilbert Jax- well, you really have quite the imagination. (waving a hand around) As we can see. STONE Who the hell are you? How'd you get in here? DEVIL Oh, I'm not really here, Mr. Stone. None of this is. STONE What, you're a figment of my imagination? DEVIL (chuckles) Not quite. I'm almost ashamed to admit it, but I'm more a figment of your conscience. Stone waits to see what the Devil will say next. DEVIL It's a nice life you have here, isn't it Ezekiel? Happily married to Rosalyn, a nice office, a promotion. The DEVIL points at the file on the desk. DEVIL (continued) And Gilbert Jax is locked up. What does it say there? Drug possession? That's a nice, non-violent crime, isn't it? You don't have to imagine him hurting anyone. You can pretend that he never raped your wife. STONE Something happened to Roz? DEVIL (continued) You can pretend you didn't murder him in cold blood. Stone laughs at that. STONE Who sent you? Will? He's trying to get me back for putting dye in his coffee last week. Sure, Will sent you. How else would you know my wife's name? DEVIL This really isn't like you, Mr. Stone. You usually have a firm grip on reality. You accept the fact that you died sixteen years ago, a passing that brought you to my domain. The only reason you're walking around today is thanks to the bargain you made with me. STONE Oh, I died, did I? Stone looks down at his arms and chest, checking to see if there are bullet holes anywhere. STONE Personally, I think I look pretty good for a dead guy. The Devil allows himself a small smile. DEVIL You have work to do, Ezekiel. You may be fantasizing right now, but your conscience won't let you forget that you have responsibilities. STONE Okay, that's enough. I want you out of here, or I'm calling... STONE looks around. The DEVIL has disappeared. STONE (continued, softly) security... where'd he go? INT. 31st PRECINCT – SOPHIA D'AMATO'S DESK – DAY DET. SOPHIA D'AMATO sits at her desk. PAPERS are stacked everywhere, an inch thick in her inbox, and in piles covering almost every square inch of the surface. D'Amato picks up her coffee cup. She takes a sip, then freezes. She holds the coffee in her mouth, trying not to gag. It's that bad. THE TRASHCAN seems to beckon to her, inviting her to spit out the foul tasting sludge. DESK She looks around quickly, to see if anyone is looking. Sure enough, someone is walking her way. Sophia sets the cup back on her desk, waiting for her fellow detective to pass by. The PHONE RINGS, and she is trapped. Against her better judgment, she answers it, forcing her to SWALLOW the bitter brew. D'AMATO Gah! KANE (on phone) Sophia? D'Amato HACKS twice, trying to clear the taste from her mouth. KANE You okay? D'AMATO Will? Fine, what's up? KANE Not much. Just wondering if you'd seen or heard from Stone today. He was supposed to meet me for lunch, and he never showed. D'AMATO You tried that crappy hotel he lives at? KANE Yeah, he's not there. (beat) I just worry about him, you know? If he loses a fight, no one will ever find a body or anything. We'll never know how things turn out. D'AMATO Look, you know I don't buy that mystical holy war story. KANE I know. But the universe doesn't necessarily care what we believe. (beat) Just let me know if you hear from him. SOPHIA'S PHONE lights up, indicating another call. D'AMATO Sure, Will. Got to go. KANE Okay. Sophia clicks over to her second line. D'AMATO Detective D'Amato. MIKE ADAMS (on phone) Hi, honey. Just wanted to make sure we're still on for dinner tonight. Sophia smiles when she hears the voice. MIKE ADAMS is her fiancι. D'AMATO Definitely, Mike. I can't wait to get out of here. ADAMS (on phone) Anyplace special you'd like to eat? D'AMATO Not really. Anywhere you'd like is fine with me. ADAMS Okay, how about I cook for you? Dinner at my place? D'AMATO Well, all right. Sounds great. ADAMS About seven then? D'AMATO All right, see you then. (beat) Bye. ADAMS I love you. D'AMATO, perhaps aware of her workplace surroundings, hangs up the phone almost before her fiancι finishes his sentence. The COFFEE CUP still lurks on her desk; Sophia picks it up gingerly, as though it might try to attack her. D'AMATO If I could flush you, I would... but the trash can will have to do. THE GARBAGE CAN has a flat spot in the mess of paper. Sophia drops her cup, and it lands solidly, right side up. A SPLASH of the brackish liquid flies into the air, spreading droplets across SOPHIA'S DESK She shakes her head sadly, and looks at her watch, hoping it will be seven o'clock. INT. SUBWAY CAR – LATE AFTERNOON The subway speeds through New York City's underground. Captain Stone sits on a bench reading the newspaper. The rest of the car is sparsely populated. Stone turns the page. STONE Yankees win again. All right. A OLD WOMAN next to him hears the comment. WOMAN They're a credit to the city. STONE They certainly are. The subway stops, and the DOORS OPEN. The Devil enters and sits down across from Stone. Stone recognizes him. STONE You again. The Devil grins, but says nothing. STONE Who are you? DEVIL Hmmm... you can call me Milton. STONE As in 'Paradise Lost'? DEVIL Exactly, Captain Stone. STONE Look, just go away. I'm not in the mood for games, I've had a long day. DEVIL Don't say I didn't try to help you. Off the Devil's grin, we CUT TO: EXT. CENTRAL PARK – DAY Dimitri Savant sits on a park bench, reading a newspaper and watching the children play. The article headline begins, 'RUSSIAN PAINTINGS TO VISIT THE MET.' Dimitri has his eye on a YOUNG BOY, about eight years old with light brown hair. He watches as the boy climbs up onto the back of a park bench, his arms out wide as he jumps off and pretends to fly. As he turns his attention back to the paper, an OLD MAN sits down on he bench. OLD MAN Nice day, isn't it? SAVANT (ignoring him) Yes. OLD MAN (referring to the newspaper) You know, I worked there for over thirty years before I retired. It was my first week on the job when Kennedy was killed. I remember the editor bursting in, yelling 'Stop the presses!' (beat) Course, they weren't running yet, but still, it was a very dramatic moment. The old man waits for a response. Savant just stares at his paper. OLD MAN Now a days, it's not the same. No one sets type like they used to. Back when we used to set type by hand, that took some skill. These boys today, they just type it in on their computer, and it's ready to go. It's not as 'hands on' as it used to be. Behind his paper, Savant is beginning to look annoyed by the small talk. OLD MAN Color photographs, though, that's an improvement I sure enjoy. Really catches the eye. I remember one time- SAVANT (interrupting) We haven't been introduced. My name is Dimitri. He holds out his hand. The old man reaches out to shake it, but an odd expression comes over his face as they make contact. His faces goes blank for a moment, then he smiles. The old man leans back, silent. SAVANT That's better. He picks up his paper, and continues reading the article. After enjoying the silence for a moment, he grins. EXT. THE STONE RESIDENCE - ESTABLISHING - EARLY EVENING Captain Ezekiel Stone hurries up the stairs. INT. THE STONE RESIDENCE - HALLWAY Stone enters the front door. The hall is neat and clean, flowers are displayed on the table in the hall. Stone drops his keys into a bowl. STONE Roz? ROSALYN (O.S.) In here, honey. KITCHEN Stone enters the room. Roz is at the stove, STIRRING one of the several POTS on top. Stone says nothing, just looks at her. Stares at her. As though he hasn't seen her for years. Rosalyn looks just like we've always seen her, only a little more perfect. Her hair is just right, she is nicely dressed, and her breasts are a little firmer. She looks up and catches her husband's gaze. ROSALYN What? STONE Nothing. (beat) Just thinking about how much I love you. She smiles, that warm beautiful smile we saw when she gave him the Lightning Hopkins record in 'It's a Helluva Life'. ROSALYN Aww. That's sweet. Stone crosses the room to her, and they embrace. Stone seems to gain strength just by touching her. STONE How was school today? ROSALYN I told you about Ron and Jon, the twins, right? Today they decided to switch clothes at lunch time and pretend they were each other. STONE Oh no. ROSALYN Well, there's almost 2 dozen kids in that class. I wasn't sure that they had done anything. But the kids around them kept laughing. And I was pretty sure. STONE So you called them on it? ROSALYN They're only in second grade, dear, they aren't too difficult to outsmart. I told 'Ron' that I was sending him to the principal's office, and the real Ron got scared and stood up. He confessed, told me the whole thing. I sent them back to their own seats, and that was that. Stone kisses her. STONE Well done. On the stove, STEAM flashes up when a pot BOILS OVER. ROSALYN The rice! Quickly, she removes it from the heat and covers the pot. There's no damage, they exchange a smile. Rosalyn goes to the back door and opens it. She calls: ROSALYN Zeke! She returns to the stove, smiling at her husband as she does so. She peeks into the oven – everything is good there. A BOY runs up the back stairs. He leans inside the door. BOY (ZEKE JR.) Yeah mom? ROSALYN Find your sisters, and get washed up for dinner. It'll be ready in five minutes. Stone takes a good look at his son. He's about fifteen, with dark hair and a perfect smile. He's got a good, clean haircut, not raggedy like so many kids that Stone sees. And he respects his mother. ZEKE JR. Okay. Zeke Jr. walks through the kitchen, casual like. STONE Hey. Want to play some catch after dinner? ZEKE JR. Sure, dad. That'd be cool. Zeke Jr. continues out towards the front door. From off screen, we hear him charging up the stairs. ZEKE JR. (O.S.) (shouting) HEY! Mom said get cleaned up for dinner! Rosalyn shoots Stone a smile. It's a non-verbal communication – 'Kids'. They both understand; there is a lifetime of experience behind it. We hold there for a moment, then CUT TO: INT. WAREHOUSE – SUNSET CRAIG WILLIAMS, the night manager, enters through the front door. He flips the CIRCUIT BREAKERS and row after row of LIGHTS in the warehouse come on. Craig PUNCHES IN at the time clock, and then UNLOCKS the door to his office. As he opens it, something in the warehouse catches his eye. He stops. Stares. INT. STONE RESIDENCE – DINING ROOM The family is seated at the table, eating dinner – Ezekiel at the head, Rosalyn on his left, then Zeke Jr. On the other side, SAMANTHA and MAXINE are seated. Samantha is twelve, a pre-teen. She's not daddy's little girl any more. Maxine still is, at seven, she's missing one of her upper front teeth. STONE Pass the potatoes, please. Roz does. STONE Thank you. MAXINE I learned a joke today. Wanna hear it? ROSALYN Okay. MAXINE What's the difference between beer nuts and deer nuts? STONE What? MAXINE Beer nuts are a dollar eighty-nine a pound, and deer nuts are under a buck. Samantha ROLLS her eyes at her little sister. Zeke Jr. snickers. Stone and Rosalyn grin, caught off guard. MAXINE Wasn't that funny? SAMANTHA No. ZEKE JR. (teasing) I bet you would have laughed if Ben Rivers had told it. SAMANTHA Shut up! ZEKE JR. She's got his name written all over her notebooks. STONE Hey, relax. With her fork in hand, Maxine waits to see what her daddy thinks of her joke. STONE That was a good joke, Princess, but not- ZEKE JR. (Interrupting) Buddy. STONE (Cont.) But not really a joke for the table. MAXINE Why not? ROSALYN We can talk about it later, Max. SAMANTHA If you even got the joke, you wouldn't have to ask. MAXINE I do so get it. Sarah told it to me. ZEKE JR. Hey. Stone looks at his son, but Zeke Jr. just continues eating. STONE Sam, how was school today? SAM Fine. STONE How did you do on your math test? SAM Okay. ZEKE JR. Buddy. STONE Zeke, is everything all right? ZEKE JR. Hey buddy, are you okay? The rest of the family has FALLEN SILENT, and Stone concentrates on his son. STONE What is it? ZEKE JR. Hello? You okay? Stone looks around the table. It is EMPTY, he is the only one seated there. Even the place settings for the rest of his family are gone. MAN'S VOICE (O.S.) Buddy? You okay? INT. WAREHOUSE – SUNSET MAN (CRAIG WILLIAMS) You okay? Stone is standing in the SAME WAREHOUSE from this afternoon. The manager is there in front of him, concerned. STONE IS HIS OLD SELF! His appearance has reverted to our classic image of him. CRAIG What are you doing here? Off of Stone's expression, we: WHITE FLASH CUT ACT TWO INT. WAREHOUSE – NIGHT Craig and Stone are walking back towards his office. Craig keeps a watchful eye on him, as though he might bug out at any minute. CRAIG Look, man, let me call an ambulance for you, or something. You ought to get checked out. STONE I'm fine. You said I was just standing there? CRAIG With this weird grin on your face. Like a trance or something. (beat) What are you doing here, anyway? STONE (badges him) Capt- He stops for a moment, confused. Thinks it over. STONE (cont.) Detective Stone. CRAIG Yeah, okay. How'd you get in? STONE (remembering) Someone broke in, pried the side door open. I followed them. CRAIG We got robbed? STONE There was a crate... the guy was trying to get it open. CRAIG Oh, man. Over by where you were, right? The books. STONE Books? Craig hurries back to where he found Stone, talking as he does, Stone trailing behind him. CRAIG We usually deal with paper products, napkins, that sort of thing. Nothing anyone would want to steal. But a couple of times a year, we get a shipment of rare books from Europe and Asia. It got delivered last night. STONE Why wasn't anyone here this afternoon? CRAIG Business is down, we only run one shift right now. Craig stops at the crate. He lifts the lid- it's only resting there. A bad sign. Inside the crate, BOOKS ARE STREWN ABOUT RANDOMLY, as if someone had been looking for something. STONE Anything missing? CRAIG How the Hell should I know? Man, Kyle's gonna be pissed. Stone hands him his CARD. STONE Will you let me know? INT. HOTEL MEZZANINE – STONE'S ROOM – DAY Stone is reclining on his couch when a knock comes on his door. ALEX (through the door) Stone? Got a message for you, from Detective Kane. STONE Be right there. Stone gets up, goes to the door. INT. MARIO'S – AFTERNOON Mario's is a small bar, slightly on the seedy side. Kane and Stone are seated at a table, with several sheets of paper in front of them. KANE So he stole a book? STONE A history of Russia, written not long after Ivan the Terrible died. Or so I'm told. I don't read Russian. Stone signals to the bartender for two more beers. KANE So what, you think maybe the author is running around collecting copies of his book? STONE Could be. The guy looked Russian. KANE What's the author's name again? I'll run it, maybe we'll get lucky. STONE (carefully pronouncing) Arakel Gulayev. Stone writes it down on a blank sheet of paper. The BARTENDER arrives with two bottles of beer. BARTENDER Eight fifty. (noticing what Stone has written) Isn't he one of the artists in that new Russian exhibit at the Met? STONE What? BARTENDER I've got a good memory for names. Think I read it in the paper the other day. STONE This name? BARTENDER Why, who is it? Stone holds a ten out to the bartender. STONE If that turns out to be a lead, there'll be a big tip for you next time I'm here. The bartender leaves. Kane drinks from his beer. KANE Could be the easiest break I've seen all week. STONE How's everything else at work? KANE Not bad. Little frictions with my partner, that kind of thing. STONE Charlie giving you a hard time? KANE GAPES. Stone doesn't notice. STONE (continued) I thought you two got along pretty well. (catching Kane's look) What's wrong? KANE Charlie's... dead. STONE (confused) But I just saw... (realizing) Damn. (beat) Damn. Sorry, Will, I just... got mixed up there for a minute. There is an AWKWARD SILENCE for a moment. Each man takes a long pull from his bottle, collecting his thoughts. In the back corner, MARIO, a large Italian man and owner of the bar, LAUGHS UPROARIOUSLY at a joke told by one of his FEMALE COMPANIONS. KANE You said you had a dream or something... STONE It didn't seem like a dream. It felt real, like, a perfect existence. I guess it affected me more than I thought. I was still with Rosalyn, and we had three kids. A happy family. (looking around) It wasn't like this. (beat) Probably a good thing it ended when it did. Might have damaged my mind or something. KANE (joking) Apparently, that's not too hard to do. The joke falls flat, and there is another SILENCE. Stone downs the rest of his beer. STONE Come on, let's go check out the Met. INT. METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART - SECURITY OFFICE – DAY Stone and Kane are talking to the head of security there, JAKE FLORES. FLORES That wing is closed today, but as you can see, it's still being guarded. There are BANKS OF VIDEO MONITORS in the room, and Flores points at one of them. FLORES I've got one guard posted in that wing, and two more sweep through there every hour. I appreciate you letting me know about the threat, though. KANE Mind if we keep an eye on it for a while? FLORES Knock yourself out. INT. SECURITY OFFICE – LATER Kane is drinking a CUP OF COFFEE, keeping one eye on the MONITORS. Stone is stretching his arms out. KANE Been a while since you were on a stakeout? STONE Last year, I went on a boat for three days, looking for a guy who wanted to be a pirate. KANE Sounds like fun. STONE It wasn't. EXT. METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART - DAY A TAXICAB pulls up in front of the museum. INT. TAXICAB DRIVER That'll be nineteen dollars, even. DIMITRI SAVANT is his passenger. He leans forward, and extends an EMPTY HAND. The driver touches it. SAVANT Keep the change. The driver tucks away an imaginary bill, but is still not satisfied with this transaction. DRIVER (sarcastic) Wow, a dollar. Thanks a lot. Savant has opened the door, and is preparing to exit the vehicle. But he stops, and again offers his EMPTY HAND to the drive. SAVANT Is this acceptable? The driver's eyes BUG OUT. DRIVER Fifty bucks? Thanks! Hey, you ever need a ride, you just look for me. Hudson's the name, and driving's my game! SAVANT ignores him, and exits the cab, slamming the door behind him. The driver watches, then pulls out, still smiling broadly. INT. SECURITY OFFICE - LATER KANE So what's up with you and Ash? Stone is thrown off by the line of questioning. STONE What? KANE I was thinking about New Year's Eve. You and her, did you... you know? STONE If you must know, we did. KANE Did you knock her up? STONE (incredulous) What? KANE That was what you promised, to save my life, right? To be the father of her child? So, is she pregnant? Will there be a little Zeke running around in a few months? STONE (unsure) Maybe. I don't know. What does this have to do with the painting? KANE It doesn't. Just making conversation. (long beat) You know, with the abilities you have, you could be a superhero or something. If I could do what you do, I'd be out fighting crime whenever I could, or something like that. Stone laughs. STONE Is a member of the Police Department encouraging vigilanteeism? Kane laughs with him. KANE No. But in your case, it's almost like divine intervention when you help people. STONE For the record, I've never seen God. I can't say for sure he exists. KANE But if the Devil does, God must be there too. STONE Father Horn thought the same thing. (beat) I haven’t talked to him in a while, I need to find out how he's doing. Especially since it was slightly my fault that his church was destroyed. Kane is EXAMINING a MONITOR. KANE Where's the guard? STONE What? KANE He left this screen, and never reappeared on the next. STONE The guy's been walking around for hours. Maybe he's just sitting down for a minute. KANE I don't like it. I'm going to check it out. Stone gets up from his chair with a sigh. STONE Let's go. HALLWAY Kane and Stone hurry down the halls, trying not to attract attention among the light crowds. STONE Okay, let's split up. I'll head around this way, so I can get to the painting quicker. You check on the guard, and then meet up with me. KANE Right. SIDE CORRIDOR Kane rushes toward where the guard was last seen. Sure enough, the GUARD is there, standing motionless. KANE Hey! You awake? There is no response. The guard stares off into space, smiling at nothing. Behind Kane, there is a scuffing noise. He whirls around. NOTHING IS THERE. He turns back to the guard again, tempted to slap him awake, but settling for another shout. KANE Hey! Wake up! The guard moves his eyes to focus on Kane. GUARD (groggily) What? KANE Snap out of it. This place is being robbed. Go call it in. GUARD Robbed? What? KANE Go! Without waiting to see what the guard does, Kane continues DOWN THE HALL There is a man REMOVING A PAINTING from the wall. It is Dimitri Savant. KANE Hold it! SAVANT Go away, little man. Savant's eyes FLASH HELLFIRE, the mark of a damned soul. Kane doesn't flinch. KANE I know what you are. SAVANT And yet you stand there, instead of running in fear. How stupidly courageous of you. Kane looks around for Stone – but he's nowhere to be seen. He's hesitant about engaging Savant alone. Kane RAISES HIS GUN to aim at the damned soul. KANE Did you want to confess or anything, before you go back? It's supposed to be good for the soul. I know this isn't a church or anything, but you're out of options. Savant paces, still confident in his abilities. SAVANT You Americans. You disgust me. Your little country cannot compare to the beauty of Mother Russia. 400 years ago, this (gesturing around him) was nothing but dirt. I've revisited the Annunciation Cathedral in Moscow. Can your puny mind even conceive of walking into a building that has stood for more than 600 years? To stand on the very spot where Ivan saw a portent of his death? It offers a great sense of continuity to the Russian people, to know that we are a people rooted in tradition. You claim to have a sense of history, of culture, here in this 'New' York City. Its very name recognizes that it is nothing more than something stolen from another place. As you have done for years. But I will reclaim what belongs to my people. Savant approaches Kane, his left hand outstretched. Kane levels his gun at Savant. SAVANT Russia will prevail! KANE You need to catch up on your history. America has never lost to the Russians. He fires his gun at Savant, striking him in the left eye. SAVANT No! KANE Gotta love the red, white, and... Kane fires again, STRIKING Savant in the remaining eye! Light flares from his eyes, in an explosion of- KANE (Continued) Blue. SAVANT SCREAMS, raising his hands in a last attempt to reach the heavens. It is no use, and he is sucked down into Hell. Stone approaches, clutching his left side where another tattoo is being removed. STONE Nice job. KANE I tried to wait for you. You still get credit, right? DEVIL (O.S.) No, William, you get the credit for this one. Stone and Kane turn to see the Devil approaching, dressed as a museum guard. DEVIL Mr. Stone has been lousing things up for quite some time now. Unfortunately, I can't give you his job, but I can hire you on the side. Let you earn our own wings, instead of being tied to this has-been. STONE What is this? DEVIL This is a job interview, Mr. Stone, and you have nothing to do with it. William, this job only covers expenses, it's not a get rich quick scheme. But, it does pay handsomely in spiritual karma. They'll role the red carpet out for you at the pearly gates. KANE How exactly does it work? STONE Kane? KANE Look, I just want to know what I'd be getting myself into. I haven't agreed to anything yet. DEVIL A wise choice, William. Let me offer this as something for you to consider. The Devil CLAPS Kane on the shoulder. Kane JERKS at his touch. A small SPARK OF ELECTRICITY passes between them. KANE What the Hell? STONE Kane? Are you okay? KANE I'm fine. The Devil grins at his handiwork. Kane flexes his arms, testing his body. KANE I'm more than fine. I'm... (flexing) This is awesome. Can I still be hurt? DEVIL Until you accept my offer, yes. Afterwards, you'll be just as invincible as the escaped souls. More, really, because as a living person, destruction of your eyes won't cause your soul to revert. KANE What's the catch? DEVIL Nothing really, just a tiny little thing. The first damned soul that you return has to be Ezekiel Stone. STONE Kane? KANE Don't worry, Ezekiel, I'm not interested. Kane looks down at his arms and body. As a test, he crouches down, then LEAPS into the air. Kane SOARS up to the ceiling, then drops back down. The FLOOR CRACKS slightly where he lands. KANE (awestruck) Damn... The Devil GRINS, pleased with himself. Stone crosses the room and PUNCHES KANE IN THE FACE, KNOCKING HIM TO THE FLOOR! STONE Come on, man. Snap out of it! Stone stands next to the security guard that we saw earlier, but with a MAJOR DIFFERENCE – the guard is still standing frozen. Kane slowly gets up from the floor, touching his lip to see if he's bleeding. KANE So, it's a fight you want? KANE WHIPS OUT HIS GUN! Stone moves fast, closing the distance between them. Just as Kane pulls the trigger, Stone knocks it aside. Kane raises a fist, ready to duke it out. Stone sighs, then tackles him. STONE Wake up! Kane struggles beneath him, violently at first, then less as he realizes that he's been seeing an illusion. KANE Get off me! STONE Hey, it's okay. Do you know... Stone pauses, trying to think of a good question to ask. He discards the obvious, 'who you are', 'what day is it', and 'who is the president of the United States'. STONE Do you know... what's real? KANE Stone? STONE Yeah? KANE Did I get him? STONE He got away. (beat) With the painting. ACT THREE INT. MARIO'S BAR – DAY Stone sits alone at a table. There is an open beer next to him, and a half eaten cheeseburger. He is studying a SHEET OF PAPER intensely. As we watch, he finishes, and pulls a second page from beneath the first. That's all he has – two pages. Kane enters. KANE Sorry I'm late. KANE drops a folder on the table. It's easily an inch thick. Stone looks at it in awe. STONE That's a lot of information on dead Russians. KANE No kidding. I had to refill the paper tray twice. Stone smiles politely. Kane hands several papers to Stone. KANE Anyway, here's the info on Arakel Gulayev. Stone looks it over. STONE Says here that he was crippled. KANE Yeah. Does this rule out the man we saw walking around? STONE You'd think so. But there's no telling, not with who we're dealing with. I've seen escaped souls that can turn invisible, change from male to female, or even- KANE (interrupting) I get the idea. I remember Atom. STONE Yeah. KANE Yeah. Silence lingers for a moment. KANE He said something to me – at least, I think he did. STONE Atom? Or the Russian guy? KANE In the museum, in my dream. He mentioned something about Annunciation Cathedral. About Ivan seeing a premonition of death. It wasn't anything I'd heard before. STONE At least, not that you remember. The subconscious is a tricky thing. It may have dredged up something you learned about Russia a long time ago. KANE Maybe. Or maybe he influenced me somehow. I don't know. Anyway, I looked it up. Kane hands Stone another sheet of paper KANE Ivan the Terrible DID see a comet from the church in 1584, and he died a few days later. I was wondering about who might have helped him interpret the sign. I printed out info on his palace magicians. STONE Could be promising. Kane opens the folder, and hands half of the pile to Stone. Stone groans. The two men begin to read. After just a moment, Kane looks up. KANE We can't be that lucky. On the first page? STONE What? KANE (reading, paraphrasing) Ivan's palace magician. Guy named Dimitri Savant. His wife left him, and took their son with her. Arakel. (Stone grins. Off that, Kane continues) Dimitri was one of Ivan's favorite performers because his tricks didn't always work. Sometimes, the lady he sawed in half stayed in two pieces. Stone has just taken a bite of his cheeseburger. He grimaces, and puts it back down. STONE So how do we find him? INT. SQUAD CAR – DAY Kane and Stone are traveling through a residential district. Kane is driving. STONE So, this guy has a piece of sculpture by Gulayev? KANE One of the only pieces in the world. EXT. ROTHMAN ESTATE – ESTABLISHING – DAY The Rothman Estate is a mansion. Kane's car enters the gated fence, and pulls up to the front door. EXT. ROTHMAN ESTATE – FRONT DOOR – DAY Kane takes the lead, knocking on the door. A man answers. This is DAVID ROTHMAN. He's older, about 60, but still appears in fine shape. He's dressed what must be casually for him, but still very nicely compared to what Kane and Stone are used to. ROTHMAN Yes? KANE Mr. Rothman? I'm Detective Kane, we spoke on the phone? ROTHMAN Yes, please come in. ROTHMAN'S ART GALLERY The three men walk amongst Rothman's collection. There are several paintings, but mostly sculpture. ROTHMAN Arakel Gulayev triumphed over adversity. That's a theme that I look for in my collection. You see, officers, I don't collect works of art as much as I collect artists. Men and women who have internal strength. Fighters. KANE Is there anything you can tell us about Gulayev's father? ROTHMAN His biological father or his adopted father? Arakel took the name of his adopted father, Mikheil Gulayev. His real name was Savant. STONE Dimitri Savant. ROTHMAN I see you've done your homework. I assume you're familiar with how Arakel lost the use of his legs? Kane shakes is head. As Rothman relates his story, the three men walk down the hall towards the Gulayev piece, pausing at various PAINTINGS and SCULPTURE along the way. ROTHMAN Ivan the Terrible was the ruler of all Russia. He instituted reforms, but after his wife died, his heart became cold. Dimitri rose to prominence among the court entertainers because of his penchant for killing off 'volunteers' while performing his magic tricks. You can imagine how difficult it was to find willing victims. Sometimes, Ivan would offer a pardon as an enticement to prisoners. Of course, they only went free if they lived. (beat) Dimitri was a hypnotist, as well as magician and illusionist. One day, he saw his son, Arakel watching as he performed for the king. He was inspired to involve him, and hypnotized the young boy. Ivan and his entourage were much amused as young Arakel made a spectacle of himself. Then Dimitri suggested to him that he could fly. Arakel climbed the second story balcony and jumped off, flapping his arms furiously. (beat) He never walked again. Arakel's mother took him and left, never allowing him to see his father again. Rothman has stopped in front of a pedestal, containing a small GOLDEN STATUE OF A CHERUB. ROTHMAN (continued) You can see it in his work. Notice the eyes looking upward, trying to find a father figure. The wings, proportionally too small for flight. The hands, spread open, as if to ask, 'Why?' STONE It's very beautiful. ROTHMAN Thank you. KANE As I mentioned on the phone, we believe there will be an attempt made to steal it, by the same man how stole the Gulayev painting this afternoon. ROTHMAN I understand. KANE We'd like to post a guard, help protect it and catch the thief. ROTHMAN No. STONE Maybe we weren't clear. We want to help you. ROTHMAN I understand. You have the best intentions. But I don't need your help. Let me tell you, Detective, I was born to a poor family. I wasn't given any of this wealth. I produced it, and I don't need your help to keep it. (beat) I've got a state of the art security system. It'll be impossible for a thief to force his way in here, but even if he did, he'd never leave. Moving an exhibit in here triggers a network of iron bars all around the room. STONE It won't be enough to stop this guy. ROTHMAN Detectives, thank you for your concern. But everything will be fine. EXT. ROTHMAN ESTATE – SUNSET Ezekiel Stone stands on the sidewalk. Kane is sitting behind the wheel of his car, preparing to drive off. KANE Sorry I can't stick around. I've got an appointment to get my taxes done tonight. No offense, but I'm more scared of the IRS than any demon from Hell. STONE No problem. I've returned dozens of these guys, one more is no big deal. (beat) Will, I really appreciate all your help today. I know you went through a lot, after New Year's. I just wanted to say thanks. KANE (touched) Zeke, remember the last thing to said to me before you left for Los Angeles? I said it wasn't so bad, knowing how all this worked. And you told me knowing was the easy part. This is the hard part, the doing. (beat) You know what? It's still not so bad. Kane gives a wave as he drives off. EXT. ROTHMAN ESTATE – FRONT GATE – LATER Stone continues to stand guard outside of the fence. He's bored, pacing back and forth, keeping an eye for intruders on Rothman's yard. A white car pulls up nearby. POLICE LIGHTS flash for a brief moment, revealing it to be an unmarked police car. Stone approaches the driver's side window, flashing his badge as he does. OFFICER We got a report of a man loitering outside the Rothman Estate. STONE Guess that'd be me. Was it David Rothman that called it in? OFFICER No, it was an anonymous tip. What are you doing out here? STONE I'm following a lead that there's going to be an attempt to steal a Gulayev statue from the Rothman collection this evening. The officer is impressed by Stone's slick pronunciation of the Russian name, and by his manner that he expects the patrolman to know about such things as well. STONE You know how these rich people are, they think their security systems are impregnable. Rothman won't let me on the grounds, but he'll damn well scream bloody murder if this guy hits him tonight. (as an afterthought) This is the same guy who robbed the Met this afternoon. OFFICER Yeah. STONE Will you be patrolling in the area this evening? OFFICER Yes sir. Stone reads his name badge. STONE Okay, Officer Webber. I'm Lieutenant Stone, and I'd appreciate if you'd keep an eye out for anything suspicious. 100 YARDS AWAY Dimitri Savant watches Stone talk to the officer in the police car. He takes off, running across the lawn to the... FRONT DOOR Dimitri Savant rings the bell. He glances back to see Stone still talking to the patrolman. David Rothman peers out through the glass in the door. ROTHMAN (from behind door) Yes? Savant says nothing, just stares at Rothman ROTHMAN What do you want? (beat) I'll calling the police. Rothman begins to move. He turns away, but SLUGGISHLY turns back. HE OPENS HIS DOOR! SAVANT Thank you. Savant grins. INT. SOPHIA D'AMATO'S APARTMENT – LIVING ROOM – NIGHT Sophia D'Amato is lounging in her chair, talking on her phone. She's dressed very casually, as though she's planning on spending the rest of her evening home alone. D'AMATO No, Mike, dinner was fine. Really. MIKE ADAMS (on phone) You didn't think the spaghetti was undercooked? D'AMATO Not at all. (beat) Mike, can you hang on for a minute? I've got a call on the other line. ADAMS No problem. D'AMATO (switching lines) Hello? KANE Sophia? It's Will. D'AMATO Hi. I've got Mike on the other line. KANE Oh, so you're busy? D'AMATO Depends. What's up? KANE It's Stone. I'm getting my taxes done right now, but I think he could use some help. D'AMATO What's going on? KANE He's staking out a house on Long Island. What did you tell me yesterday, that you don't believe in this mystical holy war? I still think he could be in trouble. D'AMATO (sighs) This is really important? KANE I wouldn't ask if I didn't think it was. Sophia STARES INTO SPACE, trying to work out the double negative. D'AMATO All right, I'll go check it out. KANE Thanks. Remember, the eyes. Windows to the soul. D'AMATO You know, the department frowns on taking head shots. Makes the body hard to identify. KANE Just so you remember. D'AMATO Yeah, I know. Later, Will. She HANGS UP the phone. INT. MIKE ADAMS'S APARTMENT – NIGHT Mike stands there with the phone in his hand. ADAMS Hello? The phone begins to blare the 'disconnected' tone. Mike shrugs, and hangs up. INT. ROTHMAN ESTATE – ART GALLERY Dimitri Savant is standing in front of his son's statue, gazing at it. David Rothman stands just behind him. SAVANT It's wonderful... can you tell me anything about it? Rothman, still HYPNOTIZED by Savant, begins to repeat the monologue he delivered to Kane and Stone earlier. Only this time, he delivers it in a MONOTONE. ROTHMAN Ivan and his entourage were much amused as young Arakel made a spectacle of himself. SAVANT What? ROTHMAN (Continued) Then Dimitri suggested to him that he could fly. SAVANT REELS AT THE MENTION OF HIS NAME! ROTHMAN (Continued) Arakel climbed the second story balcony and jumped off, flapping his arms furiously. He never walked again. SAVANT It was an accident. (firmly) An accident. ROTHMAN (Continued) Arakel's mother took him and left, never allowing him to see his father again. SAVANT I tried to visit him. That BITCH wouldn't allow it. ROTHMAN (Continued) You can see it in his work. Notice the eyes looking upward, trying to find a father figure. Savant stares deep into the eyes of the statue, the closest thing to seeing his son again. ROTHMAN (Continued) The wings, proportionally too small for flight. The hands, spread open, as if to ask, 'Why?' SAVANT'S FACE TIGHTENS, STRICKEN WITH GRIEF. ROTHMAN (Continued) Arakel Gulayev was a- SAVANT (interrupting, shouting) SAVANT! His name was Arakel Savant! He was my son! Rothman is STARTLED by this outburst, and Savant's spell is BROKEN. ROTHMAN Who are you? How'd you get in here? Savant is ENRAGED. His eyes GLOW with hellfire, and he BACKHANDS Rothman. ROTHMAN FLIES DOWN THE HALL, landing just short of the doorway. SAVANT He was my son. I'm taking his statue back. Rothman gets up, and begins to stagger towards the exit. Savant reaches inside his coat, and removes the revolver he stole earlier. SAVANT Consider this payment for stealing from my family. SAVANT FIRES, STRIKING ROTHMAN IN THE BACK! Rothman falls into the doorway. EXT. ROTHMAN ESTATE – FRONT GATE Stone hears the MUFFLED GUNSHOT from inside the house. INT. ROTHMAN ESTATE – ART GALLERY Savant scoops up the statue, tucking it under his arm. A red light begins to flash, and IRON BARS slam shut over the windows. In the DOORWAY, a heavy gate drops down, CRUSHING ROTHMAN'S NECK! SAVANT Ha! Savant strolls up to the gate, which is slightly off of the floor because of the obstruction. He slips a hand underneath it and EASILY lifts up the gate. He exits, allowing the gate to fall behind him. The red light continues to flash on Rothman's body as we FADE OUT ACT FOUR EXT. ROTHMAN ESTATE – FRONT LAWN STONE Hold it! Before we are even established, Stone is FIRING WILDLY at Savant, who RUNS across the front lawn. Savant DIVES behind a hedge. Stone waits, holding his fire to see if Savant will show himself. BANG! SAVANT fires from cover at Stone. Stone ducks behind a birdbath. Savant fires again, and again. There is a MOMENT OF SILENCE. Stone peers over the concrete birdbath, looking for Savant. There is no sign of him. A HAND FALLS ON STONE'S SHOULDER! He spins, and is SHOCKED to see who it is. Off of his expression, we CUT TO: INT. D'AMATO'S CAR – NIGHT Sophia is driving through a residential neighborhood, just a few blocks from the Rothman Estate. She drives past the same unmarked police car that we saw earlier. SOPHIA'S POV We see Officer Webber sleeping. He's not under a spell or anything, because his eyes are closed, and he appears to be snoring. Sophia shakes her head sadly. EXT. ROTHMAN ESTATE - FRONT LAWN - NIGHT Stone looks up at the person behind him. She's blonde, beautiful, and PREGNANT. IT'S ASH. ASH God, Zeke, don't be so jumpy. STONE What are you doing here? INT. SUBWAY CAR - NIGHT Ash and Stone are seated together in an otherwise empty car. Stone looks around, trying to understand where he is. ASH Doing where? What are you talking about? (beat) Are we almost to our stop? I have to pee. The illusion has set in - Stone accepts what is he sees. STONE Again? ASH Yes, again. He keeps kicking my bladder. Only a couple more months until he's born. We'll be a real family. She smiles lovingly at him. Stone returns it. STONE It'll be perfect. ASH As long as we've got a minute, want to talk about names? STONE How about Ezekiel? EXT. ROTHMAN ESTATE – FRONT LAWN Stone stands frozen by the birdbath. Dimitri Savant walks around him, STRUTTING, waving his revolver around. SAVANT Thought you could stop me. Ha! I let you go the first time we met. I won't make that mistake again. EXT. ROTHMAN ESTATE – FRONT GATE Sophia gets out of her car. She looks across the lawn and sees the two figures standing there. She begins to walk towards them, unbuckling her weapon as she does. INT. SUBWAY CAR ASH Two Zekes? I don't know if I could handle that. What about Philip? STONE How about Greg? Neither seems to enjoy the choices. ASH What do you think of Milton? EXT. ROTHMAN ESTATE – LAWN Savant draws his revolver as he talks to the MOTIONLESS Stone. SAVANT In the Annunciation Cathedral, the sages of antiquity are pictured. Socrates holds a scroll that reads, "After death, the good shall be rewarded, and the bad punished." I read it many times. I did some bad things during my lifetime, and I admit Hell is what I deserved. The one thing that I regret most is that I could have been a better father. I crippled my son. And I'll never get the chance to see him again, or apologize to him. All I have left is his art. He looks at the statue in his hand. SAVANT (continued) You're not such a bad shot. It hurt when you hit me. That's how I know that you're like me. I won't feel bad about sending you back to Hell. You could have walked away, you didn't have to be here. Savant raises his gun, holding it point blank at Stone's face. D'AMATO (O.S.) Hold it! Savant looks to see who is addressing him. D'AMATO brandishes her weapon. D'AMATO Get away from him! Savant ignores her, and turns his focus back to Stone. A GUNSHOT RINGS OUT! INT. SUBWAY CAR STONE (repeating) Milton... Milton... That sounds familiar. ASH You like it? Stone stares at the empty seat across from them. For a SPLIT SECOND, for a SINGLE FRAME, we see THE DEVIL sitting there, grinning broadly at him. STONE 'Paradise Lost'... EXT. ROTHMAN ESTATE – LAWN SOPHIA'S GUN is SMOKING, and she stares in disbelief as Savant is UNHARMED. D'AMATO It can't be... She FIRES again, and again. Each time, there is no effect. D'AMATO Come on. KANE (V.O.) Remember the eyes. Windows to the soul. D'AMATO SIGHTS IN ON SAVANT'S LEFT EYE. She pulls the trigger. DIRECT HIT! His soul erupts from the puncture, splashing blue light across STONE, who is still standing there as if created from his namesake. Dimitri Savant drops the gun, and throws his hand over his socket, hoping to stem the copious flow. D'AMATO stares, unbelieving. Nothing in her life has prepared her for this supernatural scene she is a witness to. SAVANT gets his bearings, and runs at her. D'AMATO fires, but misses. SAVANT KNOCKS HER TO THE GROUND. SAVANT I wish you hadn't done that. He stretches a hand out at her, and SHE IS STILL. INT. SUBWAY CAR – NIGHT STONE He told me he was a figment of my conscience. He told me that I had a job to do. ASH What? Zeke, don't get crazy on me again. Stop talking about that foolishness, or by God I'll leave you. STONE He told me none of this was real. ASH Zeke, listen to me. I'm real. I'm your wife. I love you. I need you. Your son needs you. Stay with me. Ash KISSES him passionately. EXT. ROTHMAN ESTATE – FRONT LAWN Savant towers over D'Amato, clutching a hand to his eye, which still bleeds the blue blood of his life force. SAVANT I'm trying not to kill people this time around. For you, I'd almost like to make an exception. SAVANT PICKS HER UP EASILY. SAVANT I wonder what you're dreaming about now, what your perfect life would be? I hope you enjoy it while it lasts. He places her gently behind a hedge, next to the house. SAVANT No one will find you tonight. Your mind will succumb to the reality you've created for it, and when you awake, you'll never know what is real and what isn't. It's far more painful then death, let me assure you. Let this be a lesson to you, for interfering in things that do not concern mortals. Sophia SLEEPS soundly. INT. SUBWAY CAR – NIGHT Stone BREAKS AWAY from Ash's kiss. STONE This is where I get out. HE STANDS, and approaches the subway door. He forces it open, and when he does we see THE FRONT LAWN OF THE ROTHMAN ESTATE. It is a glaring incongruity. Through the windows of the subway, we can see the tunnel walls flash by. But filling the entire doorway is Rothman's lawn, steady and unmoving. Stone takes a deep breath, and steps through the door. EXT. ROTHMAN ESTATE - FRONT LAWN Stone opens his eyes. He's awake, and he's pissed. STONE SAVANT! Savant turns toward him, surprise registering on his face. STONE Welcome to the real. Stone FIRES TWICE, and Savant's EYES EXPLODE. He screams, and his soul is sucked downward through the lawn, leaving only a charred patch behind. Stone hurries over to where D'AMATO is waking up, clutching his left side where Savant's tattoo is burning away. SAVANT'S DESTRUCTION has ended her spell. D'AMATO (confused) What are you doing here? STONE Sophia? Just give it a minute. It'll be okay. In the distance, sirens are heard. STONE Actually, let's leave now. SOPHIA looks at him, still unsteady. STONE I'll drive. He takes her by the hand, and hurries her back towards her car. The camera stays behind, and focuses on the dark stain on the verdant lawn. One part is in PROFILE, and we recognize it – it's the Arakel Gulayev statue we saw earlier. Savant has taken it back to Hell with him. INT. D'AMATO'S CAR – NIGHT Sophia is still woozy from her encounter, and Zeke keeps an eye on her as he drives the car back towards the expressway. STONE Feeling better? D'AMATO You were telling the truth. You really were dead, and came back to life to hunt those things down. STONE Something like that. I'd be back in Hell now, if it wasn't for you. D'AMATO So, Lisa Kay Napoli, she was a – what do you call them? STONE Damned soul usually works. D'AMATO She was a damned soul, and she killed my father. (beat) I had the weirdest dream back there. I was eating spaghetti with my father and... with my father. From Antonio's, a place down the street from his apartment. We used to have dinner every week. (beginning to break down) I just really miss him sometimes. STONE Hey, it's okay. We've all lost people that we care about. (beat, continues over Sophia's sniffles) There's nothing wrong with missing them. I miss Rosalyn and what could have been. But you know what? (beat) A fantasy is no match for the real world. EXT. CITY STREET – NIGHT Ezekiel Stone walks the streets alone. From behind him, he hears footsteps. STONE I've been waiting for you to show up. DEVIL Don't get cocky, Mr. Stone. Don't EVER think you can anticipate me. STONE I wanted to thank you for your help today. The Devil is mystified. DEVIL What, your clue? As usual, I thought you needed a swift kick in the – right direction. STONE Not that. The idea you put in my head. DEVIL What? STONE I saw a new side of you today. You're not all bad, no matter how much you bluster. DEVIL I'm the Devil, Mr. Stone. By definition, I'm the embodiment of evil. STONE I just wanted to say thanks. All in all, it was a good day. The Devil stops on the street, dumbstruck. Stone continues on alone, smiling. Off the Devil's frustrated expression we FADE OUT ROLL CREDITS