Truepoint (1)
TRUEPOINT By Emmett O. Saunders III Copyright June 2, 2002 CAST OF CHARACTERS Carl Nevins, a marketing director for a national brewery Cassandra Nevins, his wife Burke Holloway, an advertising copywriter Brenda Morris, a nightclub singer/dancer Scott, a drug addict Adam Brown, a mysterious stranger Nachu, King of the Incas Nispa, Queen of the Incas Tribal Council of the Incas 2 Inca Ceremonial Priests Several Inca Guards Jamie, a restaurant waiter FADE IN: EXT. MIAMI OVERHEAD NIGHT SHOT, MUSIC UP ZOOM TO NIGHTCLUB Bright lights, loud contemporary dance music, and throngs of people waiting to enter can be seen outside the club. A harbor of docked boats and yachts are seen a short distance away. CUT TO: INT. NIGHTCLUB BAR VARIOUS ANGLES to establish the posh bar scene's mixed clientele as opening credits roll. Every possible combination of people are dancing together: straight, gay and lesbian. The music's rhythms are hot and pounding incessantly. CLOSE UP of an upscale couple, Carl and Cassandra Nevins who are seen watching another couple on the dance floor. Carl, an early forties businessman, is director of marketing for a famous brewery. Cassandra, or Cassie as her friends call her, is a late thirties career woman, smart, stylishly dressed, who knows her own mind and complements Carl's lavish lifestyle. The other couple consists of Burke Holloway, an advertising manager, mid-thirties, who is feverishly groping an all too willing dance partner, Brenda Morris, a mid-twenties attractive, but somewhat superficial club patron. CARL This is a great nightcap. CASSIE They definitely know how to celebrate. CARL (nabs an Inca Oro beer from promotional tub on counter) Burke did a damn good job promoting this one. CASSIE Another million for the stockholders, Carl? CARL Hell no, Cassie. This is just the beginning for the new beer's national promo. CASSIE You sure perked on his sales figures. CARL Who wouldn't? We got the trip out of it. Forty-four foot company yacht…first class all the way. CASSIE Finally a honeymoon. CARL Come on. We had a honeymoon. CASSIE Not like this. ANOTHER ANGLE as Burke and Brenda join them. BURKE (laughing) I just got hit on. CASSIE (seductively) I'd do it … (grins at Carl) If I weren't already married. BRENDA At least you'd be his preferred gender. BURKE (glances back nervously) It was that guy over there. CLOSE SHOT of an attractive guy waving to Burke. DIFF ANGLE as Burke nods, then turns away. BRENDA (jokingly) He's attractive… you're attractive. Go for it. BURKE Ok, enough. I'm not here to spread the wealth. CARL Best left in the business, anyway. BURKE (takes a beer) For sure. CASSIE (loudly over the music) Don't they have a place to just talk in here? CARL Over here. CAMERA FOLLOWS as Carl leads them off to another area of the bar, away from the music. The men sit, looking out at the calm night sky atop the bay. The gentle sway of boats in the harbor docks keep a moving line of lights twinkling merrily against the lapping of waves. CASSIE Honey, if you don't mind, I need to hit the powder room. BRENDA Good idea. I'll tag along. CARL We'll be here. BURKE (winks at Brenda) Another good idea. DIFF ANGLE as Cassie and Brenda head for the ladies room. They're momentarily startled as a weird-looking man emerges from the men's room and stumbles drunkenly past them. Cassie looks at Brenda, rolls her eyes and turns to ignore the man. MAN Excuse me, ladies. Didn't mean to crowd. BRENDA (noticing a tiny compass pin on his pocket) No problem. MAN (pauses) Maybe we'll dance later? BRENDA (politely) Thanks. I'm done for the night. MAN (muttering to himself) Shame, … thought she was easier. ANOTHER ANGLE as the two women vanish into the ladies room. CAMERA FOLLOWS the man out into the restaurant area. POV as he notices Carl and Burke talking. Then he heads out a side entrance. DIFF ANGLE as the door closes behind him, and a gloved hand with a knife slices neatly across his jugular vein. The man slumps and CLOSE SHOT as the killer's gloved hands hold up a wallet, removing a few bills and credit cards, then tossing it aside in the alley. CLOSE SHOT of the man's body being lifted and carried to a dumpster. As the top is swiftly slammed shut, the sound changes to water flushing. CUT TO: INT. LADIES ROOM Brenda is seen emerging from a bathroom stall as Cassie finishes touching up her makeup. CASSIE Looks like you and Burke are really hitting it off. BRENDA He's fun. CASSIE Lighting the torch? BRENDA Uh huh…told him to bring it on. CASSIE You're coming back to the yacht later, right? BRENDA He didn't mention it. CASSIE (slyly) Maybe he's got other plans. BRENDA Could be. CASSIE And you'd be in them? BRENDA Plan on it. CASSIE Great. Well, the yacht's still an option. Plenty of room, and we're not leaving till daybreak. BRENDA Where ya headed? CASSIE Honeymoon. BRENDA (flustered) Oh, I thought you and Carl had been together awhile. CASSIE We have. But this is our first break together. He had his work, I had mine. BRENDA (laughs lightly) Sounds the way my life's been going lately. CASSIE You been working the club long? BRENDA Second week. Lucky to get on here at all. Waiting list's got half of Miami on it. CASSIE Well, we'd better get back out there. Before they run off. BRENDA (laughs) I don't think Burke's head's going anywhere without me. CASSIE Oh, you're bad. CUT TO: EXT. LADIES RESTROOM As Cassie and Brenda leave, they notice a bearded man in his early thirties as he passes them in the hallway. Brenda's attention is momentarily drawn to a small compass pin on the man's shirt pocket. BRENDA That's odd. CASSIE What? BRENDA That guy had the same pin as the one we passed earlier. CASSIE Probably sell them all along the dockfront. BRENDA Yeah, you're right about that. They all mostly have the same stuff. WIPE TO: RESTAURANT TABLE where Carl and Burke see the women return. The men are finishing their drinks. CARL Here they come. BURKE Good. Better call it a night though, if we're heading out at first light. CASSIE (to Burke) I told Brenda she was more than welcome to join us. BRENDA I didn't want to impose. CARL Nonsense. The yacht sleeps six comfortably. BRENDA Well, if Burke doesn't mind? BURKE (grins) I'd been hoping all night. CASSIE (to Burke) Well, looks like your hopes have been answered. BRENDA Maybe more, if he's lucky. BURKE C'mon…let's go. DIFF ANGLE as they rise and leave. They are out the door as a young waiter, in his early twenties, heads back to the table. He is carrying a small tray with their bill and credit card. JAMIE (looking around nervously) They forgot their card. And to sign the bill. Jamie turns to check with his manager, and gets bumped aside by the bearded man. BEARDED MAN (gruffly) Outta my way. JAMIE Sorry, sir. BEARDED MAN Got any change on you I could have? JAMIE (hotly) No, … no I don't. BEARDED MAN Too bad. The bearded man has deftly palmed the credit card off Jamie's tray. He now heads out the door as quickly as possible. JAMIE Sheesh, the later it gets, the worse drift in here. (notices his tray) Hey, he took the card. CAMERA FOLLOWS as Jamie runs out of the bar and tries to see which direction the man headed. A brief outline of the bearded man is visible from the edge of the docks. JAMIE (calls) Hey, man, I need the card! CUT TO: POV as the man turns and sees Jamie start after him. The man breaks into a run and dodges several pedestrians out for a moonlight stroll. He manages to almost disappear into the night before tripping over a misplaced guide rope. He falls into the side of a large yacht, with a brightly lit cabin below. Rolling onto the deck, he manages to squirm out of sight as Jamie catches up and the cabin door opens. CARL Hey, what's going on up here? JAMIE Sorry, sir. I was chasing someone. BURKE (right behind Carl) What the hell's going on? CARL We seem to be taking on passengers tonight. BURKE Oh, I see. JAMIE (recognizing Carl and Burke) Hey, you were the two guys I was looking for. BURKE Not my type. JAMIE Didn't mean it that way. CARL Something wrong? JAMIE I had your credit card back at the bar. Some guy stole it and took off running this way. CARL Thanks for your dedication, but I can call it in. No harm done. BEARDED MAN (appearing suddenly from the darkness) Maybe there isn't…maybe there could be. JAMIE That's the guy. CARL Who gave you permission to board? BEARDED MAN (pointing a gun) This gives me all I need. JAMIE Sir… CARL Don't do anything foolish. BEARDED MAN We're going for a little ride. CARL Storm's moving in. BEARDED MAN Get 'em around here all the time. Set sail, skipper, or we can take care of business right here. BURKE Man, he just told you. There's a deep low moving into the Atlantic. Anybody knows that's trouble. BEARDED MAN You ain't seen the trouble I got. JAMIE My shift's almost over. BEARDED MAN Finish it then. The bearded man levels the gun at Jamie and fires. The waiter topples over into the water with a quick splash. CARL Oh, my God… BURKE (starts toward the man) Try a man your own size. Burke lunges but the bearded man manages to fend off the attack and knocks him cold with the gun. DIFF ANGLE as Cassie shows up in the cabin door opening. CASSIE What's going on up here? Sounded like fireworks. BEARDED MAN (to Carl) Yeah, that's what it was … wasn't it? CARL Go back down, Cassie. We're getting ready to head out. CASSIE Who's up there? Who are you talking to? Carl pushes her back and firmly closes the door. DIFF ANGLE as Brenda begins to ask a question, but Cassie silences her. Both women head back into the lower stateroom. CARL Look, I don't know what you want. There's nothing here except beer. BEARDED MAN That'd do for starters. Now get this tub moving. Carl notices Burke slowly beginning to come around. He moans and the bearded man begins tying his hands to the mast. BEARDED MAN (sternly) I said, start the engines. CARL All right. No more trouble. CUT TO: AERIAL VIEW as the yacht leaves dock. SFX as sirens are heard in the background and police cars are seen speeding to the edge of the dock as the boat leaves. CUT TO: EXT. BOAT DOCK as bystanders are seen watching Jamie getting pulled onto the dock. He is still breathing shallowly, as paramedics feverishly work on him. HELPER 1 He's alive. HELPER 2 Stabilize vitals. OFFICER 1 Anybody know he is? BYSTANDER Jamie. Works at the club. OFFICER 2 (into shirt microphone) Suspects offshore, half mile. Alert coast patrol to intercept. SPEAKER They're on the way. Be there in twenty minutes. CUT TO: INT. CABIN Cassie and Brenda are frantically searching for the interior radio. BRENDA Don't you guys own this? CASSIE No, it's the company's yacht. We just got it for the promo tour. BRENDA What happens if he finds us sending an SOS? CASSIE You'd better worry about what happens if we don't… CUT TO: EXT. YACHT The bearded man is holding Carl at gunpoint. CARL How far out you plan on taking us? BEARDED MAN Not far. (taps the compass pin) This works fine past the reef. CARL (notices the pin) What is that? BEARDED MAN If it works the way I think it does, it's a ticket out of here. CARL Who are you? Why are you doing this? BEARDED MAN Name's Scott. That's all you need to know. CARL You've endangered my wife and friends. I think I'm entitled to more than that. SCOTT I don't owe you a damn thing. And the one's I do … well, in a couple more minutes they can kiss my ass goodbye. CARL I don't understand. SCOTT (taps the pin, as it begins to glow faintly) I don't either, for the most part. Let's just say, we're gonna find out together. CUT TO: DIFF ANGLE as the boat jolts sharply. SOUND FX as the scraping of metal against wood is heard from beneath the yacht. CARL What the hell's that? SCOTT Cavalry. CARL I'm turning back. CUT TO: EXTREME CLOSE UP as Scott levels the gun at Carl's temple. SCOTT Stay on course or you're dead. CUT TO: INT. CABIN CASSIE (trying to see outside the porthole) Something's under us. BRENDA What is it? CASSIE I can't tell. Too dark out there. Storm's whipping waves around. BRENDA We gotta get out of here. CASSIE And do what? God knows what's going on up there. BRENDA I got claustrophobia. I can't stand being cooped up for any length of time. CASSIE Just sit tight. Let Carl and Burke handle this. BRENDA We'd be turned around now if they had. CASSIE (shocked at the thought) Right! We'd better have a plan ready. BRENDA (looks past her at the porthole) Oh, my God, what's that? CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE showing flickering lights growing brighter outside. The storm is now building in fury and intensity. But the lights continue to streak past the window faster with each passing second. ZOOM BACK to show Cassie and Brenda frozen in fear. CASSIE (whispers) I don't know. CUT TO: EXT. YACHT The boat is beginning to pitch violently from side to side as waves crash over the bow. Burke awakens to find himself tied to the mast, at the mercy of the storm. BURKE CARL!!! CARL Right here … SCOTT (grimly) Not another word. CARL (mutters) Damn you! SCOTT Sound might stop the transfer. CARL This ain't no damn bus ride. SCOTT Got that right. CUT TO: AERIAL VIEW showing the boat surrounding in a rippling circular pattern of light from beneath. The circles expand in all directions as a hurricane force funnel erupts, engulfing the ship in a beam of light so bright it momentarily blinds all sight of the vessel. Lightning crackles in a hexagonal net pattern around them, shaking the yacht completely out of the water about a hundred feet in the air, then draws it completely down into the depths of a gigantic whirlpool. Slanting sideways, everyone hangs on for survival as the yacht plunges swiftly into the maelstrom. Everyone is yelling. CUT TO: INT. CABIN Cassie and Brenda are thrown all around the interior. CUT TO: EXT. YACHT Burke starts sliding down the mast at a forty-five degree angle. He is totally helpless to keep from sliding off if the ship tilts any further and he realizes the danger. CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE as Burke sees the length of the mast descending away from him. BURKE (crying) GOD … NO!!! CUT TO: DIFF ANGLE of Carl shoving Scott against the side with one hand, while gripping tightly to the captain's wheel. Scott fends off the attack but loses the gun in the process. He is furious and tries to regain the gun from where it's lodged. CARL IS THIS WHAT YOU WANTED? SCOTT YOU'RE TOO LATE TO STOP IT NOW! CARL (spits out the words) I'LL … KILL … YOU!!! Scott manages to grab the gun and points it toward Carl. SCOTT YOU GO FIRST!! He fires and misses as the ship rights itself. Burke slams back down against the deck, jamming his right leg under him. He winces from the pain. BURKE CARL??? CARL STILL HERE… Scott has been thrown within a short distance of Burke. SCOTT NOT FOR LONG!!! Scott levels the gun once more for a dead-on aim at Carl. Burke struggles, but manages with his left leg to kick Scott and send him over the edge of the yacht. Scott is seen yelling as he vanishes. BURKE (gasping) GO TO HELL… ANOTHER ANGLE as Carl regains his footing long enough to reach Burke and cut him free. BURKE Thanks. CARL Glad you made it. TIGHT SHOT as Carl holds out a hand to help Burke up. POV as Burke sees Scott loom suddenly behind Carl. BURKE Shit! CARL (turns slightly) What? Scott knocks Carl unconscious with the butt of the gun. Then levels it at Burke. SCOTT Got something you want finished? FADE TO: EXT. ISLAND The yacht is about 100 miles from shore. It is nightfall and Scott is piloting the boat along the coast, searching for a safe harbor. Huge cliffs are visible with yawning cave openings at the higher elevations. A strange ominous silence hangs over everything except for the lapping of waves against the hull. Scott is tying Burke's hands. SCOTT (quietly) This is great. BURKE For who? SCOTT Me. This is about me. What I want. What I've been denied my whole life. BURKE To be a murderer? SCOTT (glares at him) He's not dead. BURKE You don't know that. SCOTT (jauntily) Not with two angels of mercy watching over him. BURKE That'd be good right now. SCOTT You got me. And that's more than some had making it through truepoint. BURKE What? SCOTT That's what the natives call it. BURKE Are you strung out or what? SCOTT (laughs guardedly) You think this is some random kidnap. BURKE Thought had crossed my mind. SCOTT Not bloody likely. There's truepoints all over this island. This time we hit a good one, that's all. BURKE See, there's that word again. SCOTT Truepoints are the crossover area to get here. BURKE Where exactly is here? SCOTT The island, idiot. Some call it Atlantis. I call it freedom. BURKE A deserted island in the middle of nowhere. And that's what you call freedom? SCOTT (pensive) What I was running from… yeah. That's exactly what you call it. BURKE (glances at the gathering darkness) Hope the natives are friendly. SCOTT Guess you'll find out sooner than us. CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE as Scott shoves Burke overboard. Burke struggles in the water, trying to stay afloat. SCOTT Bon voyage! WIPE TO: INT. CABIN Carl wakes up groggily to see Cassie sitting beside him. Brenda is rinsing a washcloth and wetting it again for the nasty gun welt on his forehead. CASSIE (listening) Something hit the water. BRENDA Maybe it's the guy. CASSIE (says a silent prayer) Pray God it's not Burke. CARL How long's it been? BRENDA At least an hour since we got here. CARL (struggles to rise) I gotta talk to Scott. CASSIE That's his name? CARL Better than one I had for the son of a bitch. BRENDA Where are we? CARL Best I can tell, we came through some sort of dimensional doorway. CASSIE Is that possible? CARL We were in the Bermuda Triangle. You ought to remember the history on that one. BRENDA (to Cassie) You're good with facts, then? CASSIE I teach modern history at a local college. BRENDA So what do you know about this? CASSIE Like Carl said, anything's possible in the Triangle. Whole freighters and their crews have vanished without a trace in a matter of minutes. BRENDA (shocked) Then we've … CARL Crossed to whatever's out there right now. BRENDA Can we get back? Cassie looks at Carl, unable to voice her concern. And unsure of what effect it might have on Brenda. CARL (firmly) There've been no survivors. Brenda's eyes well up with tears. CASSIE (quickly) On the other side. Nobody knows about this one. There could be more of us here. BRENDA Or worse. CARL No way of telling. SOUND FX as Scott bangs on the deck. SCOTT Light's out. Big day ahead tomorrow. CARL Better do as he says. BRENDA I'm scared. CASSIE We all are. CUT TO: TIGHT SHOT as Cassie snaps off the lights. The looming shadow of the island is visible outside the porthole. And as Cassie turns away, a faint flowing light is seen moving in the depths of the jungle. FADE TO: EXT. MORNING AERIAL VIEW of the yacht safely moored at water's edge. CUT TO: EXT. YACHT DECK Scott is visible, collecting various safety items and stuffing them into a duffel bag. He throws open the cabin doors deliberately alerting the others below of his descent. CAMERA FOLLOWS as Scott heads below. The cabin is empty. SCOTT What the hell? How'd they get out of here? He searches the small bathroom, various closets and under the bed. SCOTT DAMN… He rushes back up on deck to search the beach. All signs of footprints have been erased by the ocean waves. SCOTT They can't have gone far without provisions. CUT TO: INT. JUNGLE Cassie, Brenda and Carl are cautiously threading their way toward a clearing at the base of the cliffs. The enormous cave openings are high overhead, but small steps have been hewn in the sheer rock wall leading upward. CARL Come on. We're almost there. CASSIE He's bound to know we're gone by now. BRENDA Good thing I had that prescription with me. CASSIE Didn't take much to take him out either. Mixing it with the food was brilliant. CARL We gotta make that first cave before he gets a clear sight on us. CASSIE Sure you're ok to climb, Carl? CARL I can do it. We have to do it. BRENDA Did I mention a fear of heights? CASSIE At least we're still alive. BRENDA I know. CARL Enough! Concentrate on this. Or we won't have any more of a chance than Burke did. CUT TO: DIFF ANGLE as they begin the ascent. TIME LAPSE begins and continues as they reach various stages of the climb. FADE TO: INT. CAVE CLOSE SHOT as they round the edge of the opening. Their expressions change from weariness to shock as they view the shaded items within. CUT TO: ANOTHER ANGLE as the fuselage sections of a plane become visible. Half-opened cases of pillows, paper cups and a dust-covered life raft, half-inflated, set apart from a small stock of provisions. CARL I don't believe this. BRENDA We're not alone on the island. CASSIE Unless… CARL Right! Stay here. He heads back out onto the ledge and up the path to another cave. BRENDA What's going on? Cassie picks up a dust-covered book, open with writing on one side. CASSIE The others might not be here anymore. BRENDA Where could they go? Looks like there's only one way on or off the island. CASSIE (reading) Listen … This could be the last entry I may live to write about. Of the thirty-one passengers and crew, I'm the only one left. We crashed on the island two days ago, losing a good number of people in the process. The past two nights have been a living nightmare. I don't know what lies on the other side of the island, but whatever's there feeds on fear … and humans. My co-pilot brought back several skulls from a scouting mission. They were definitely fully-grown adult remains, carved intricately into drinking mugs. BRENDA (whispers, getting sick) Don't read any more. Carl suddenly looms in the cave opening. CARL I think you'd better go on. We need to know what's out there. CASSIE (frightened, but continues) We're not the first to land here. And we may not be the last. But God have mercy on our souls, and whoever finds this. There's no way back. And unless I stop the devil's reign here, I may be the next victim. Signed … Captain Robert Linquist, December 25, 1948. BRENDA That's over fifty years ago. CARL And you can bet whatever's here dates back farther than that. CASSIE Carl, what does it mean? CARL The other caves are filled with wreckage as well. BRENDA From…? CARL Ships, planes, even a control panel from an air force tanker. CASSIE Then it's true. We're on the other side of the Bermuda Triangle.
Copyright © 2002 Emmett O Saunders Iii |