Night Clerk (6)
JERRY NOOOO!!! SASHA IF YOU COME TO ME I PROMISE TO LET HER LIVE. Jerry roars his rage, knocking Kline across the room. JERRY NO! NOT AGAIN! He flings himself out of the window, smashing through wood and glass as if they were nonexistent. KLINE JERRY!!! EXT. THE STREET OUTSIDE KLINE�S CONDO -NIGHT In a single bound Jerry is out the window and into the middle of the street, just as the station wagon pulls up! INT. STATION WAGON -NIGHT HARRIS JESUS CHRIST! PITCHER HOLY SHIT! Morse stomps the brakes and yanks the wheel hard over, sending the car into a skid. EXT. THE STREET OUTSIDE KLINE�S CONDO -NIGHT The station wagon spins so hard it nearly tips, then settles. Jerry spares them a glance and sprints down the street. Kline rushes out her front door, to see Harris, Morse and Pitcher draw themselves out of the vehicle. KLINE Oh for the love of-- HARRIS Good evening doctor, I hope we�re interrupting. PITCHER That was him! Holy crap! Other neighbors are streaming out of their homes to see what the ruckus is. MORSE We�d better go inside. KLINE Excuse me? HARRIS Doctor, please. (holds her eyes) We can help. I promise you. EXT. A CITY STREET -NIGHT Jerry is running full tilt down the street, his face painted with rage. SASHA (telepathically) It will take you night that way, silly boy! JERRY GET OUT OF MY HEAD BITCH!! Jerry slows to stop, gasping, out of breath. He stares at the road ahead, and then looks at the distance he�s travelled. JERRY (cont�d) (to himself) ...all right then... He regains his breath, drawing all his concentration inward. The world is quiet around him. Crimson dots form in his eyes. His skin seems to shimmer, subtly at first, then undulating, changing. His SCREAM echoes down the street. INT. DR. KLINE�S CONDO -NIGHT KLINE I don�t appreciate this. Harris and Morse are seated on a couch, while Pitcher lounges in an easy chair. Kline paces back in forth before them. HARRIS Doctor Kline, please, as I�ve said, we mean him no harm. We only want to help. KLINE Bullshit. PITCHER Look, lady, he�s telling the truth, here, okay? Why do have a problem with us? Your buddy�s a freakin� vampire for christ�s sake! KLINE Young man, you have no idea what you are talking about, so please be quiet. MORSE Let�s go, this is getting nowhere. HARRIS Morse. (turns to Kline) Doctor, you are, quite simply, our last hope. As you may have noticed, we have encountered some resistance since I last visited with you. KLINE I assumed you cut yourself shaving. MORSE All right, forget it! I�ve had enough of her shit. HARRIS THEN WAIT IN THE CAR, MORSE! She reacts sharply, stunned a moment. HARRIS (cont�d) Doctor Kline, we are not the only ones looking for Jerry. And they would happily remove everyone who might stand in their way. Including you. Morse sets her jaw, turns on her heel and heads for the door. Harris does not watch her go, but keeps his attention on Kline. Morse yanks the door open-- --and Jerry stumbles in, his face and body covered with small purple bruises and cuts. JERRY ...help me... INT. A HOTEL ROOM -NIGHT The hotel is simply the best this city has to offer. The suite is an open-concept loft with 2 floors, a full kitchen and sitting room. One wall is a floor to ceiling window, in which a door is set, leading to a balcony. Sasha is sprawled across the couch, her head in Lasher�s lap. He strokes her hair gently. SASHA He should have been here by now...I am very disappointed. LASHER Yes Magistrix. SASHA He obviously has no concern for my feelings. LASHER No Magistrix. SASHA After all we�ve been through! I should have let Lucien kill him all those years ago. LASHER Indeed Magistrix. SASHA Or perhaps...perhaps he does not care as much for his little toy as I thought. LASHER Perhaps, Magistrix. Sasha is suddenly enraged! SASHA PERHAPS NOT YOU FOOL!. I felt his pain when I said we have her! Of course he loves her, you idiot! LASHER ...yes Magistrix? Sasha backhands him, flinging him over the back of the couch and into the far wall. SASHA WHERE IS HE!?! INT. DR. KLINE�S CONDO -NIGHT Jerry leans forward in his chair, his head in his hands. Kline tends to him, dabbing a cloth over the tiny cuts and bruises that dot his skin. Harris, Pitcher and Morse watch from across the room, whispering amongst themselves. PITCHER He doesn�t look all that tough to me. MORSE Looks like somebody kicked the crap out of him. HARRIS I know. JERRY I can hear you. They react, caught like deers in headlights. JERRY (cont�d) Comes with the package. Harris moves to him and the others hesitate then follow. KLINE Jerry! JERRY It�s okay. They obviously know what I am. KLINE But you�re not! Not anymore. HARRIS Excuse me? JERRY The doc here says that my hair and fingernails grow so that means I�m human again, or something like that. PITCHER SWEET! (moves closer to Jerry) Energy into matter! Too cool man. Pitcher waves his palm slowly over Jerry�s shoulder and down his arm. JERRY What are you doing? PITCHER Guys, check this out, he�s cold! Like really cold. KLINE What? (she feels the air) ...he is... JERRY So? PITCHER Dude, when you change matter into energy you get heat and light. You�re changing energy into matter. So cold, man, serious cold is what you get and that�s what we�re getting. MORSE Okay, I am lost. HARRIS This is incredible. JERRY This is ridiculous. KLINE How did you get hurt? JERRY I tried to change, into something, something that would take me to Kerry faster and all I got was pain. KLINE You can�t do that anymore. PITCHER You�re flesh and blood, man, welcome to the party! HARRIS Pitcher, enough. (to Jerry) Jerry? May I call you Jerry? (he nods) Jerry, you are correct, we know what you are. We also know that we are not the only ones interested in you. Jerry reacts to this. HARRIS (cont�d) We are not here to hurt you or anyone else. KLINE They�re from the government! HARRIS Yes, we are. (sighs) Honestly, you are the last best hope that we will ever get out of the professional holes the three of us have dug. Just the idea that your kind exists would be an incredible discovery. MORSE So let�s go. He�s the proof you wanted. HARRIS Yes. He is. PITCHER That sucks man, I quit, send me to the pen. I can find a nice gang, it�ll be good. KLINE I won�t let you. JERRY Doc. I don�t think that�s where this is going. HARRIS Your problem is our solution Jerry. (sincere) Let us help. EXT. SASHA�S HOTEL ROOM -NIGHT Sasha is beside herself now, pacing the room. Impact holes dot the walls and furniture is all over the place. Her vampire henchmen are scattered, trying to keep as far away as possible lest they incur her wraith. SASHA THAT BASTARD!! She flings a vase at the wall. A knock at the door makes everyone freeze a moment. Lasher quickly moves to the door, opening it. SASHA (cont�d) Darling! Jerry steps into the room and Lasher closes the door behind him, before rabbit-punching the back of Jerry�s head. Jerry folds like a deck chair. Lasher makes to kick him-- SASHA (cont�d) No. LASHER But...Magistrix, he has disrespected you. SASHA Yes, but I am sure he has now learned his lesson. JERRY ...okay, sure. He struggles to his feet, the world swimming. Sasha studies him a moment. SASHA Could it be true? (beat) A blow from a vampire as young as he should have washed over you like a fall rain, Jean. (in french) You have over 300 years of development within you. You should nearly as powerful as myself. JERRY I don�t have a clue what you just said, lady. Lasher snickers. SASHA It is true! You have forsaken your heritage! Not surprising then, that it took you so long to find me. (considers) I am disappointed though. I expected you to be much more than you are. She steps close to him, drinking him in with her senses. SASHA (cont�d) Oh sweet Jean, you are as delicious as ever! JERRY Look, where�s Kerry? SASHA Your whore? Oh, you�ll see her soon enough. EXT. A ROOFTOP - NIGHT Pitcher belly crawls between ventilation fans, wearing energy goggles and carrying a stake-gun. The hotel rooftop is visible across 200 feet of open space. A THUNDERSTORM approaches in the distance, kicking up wind. Lightning strikes mere miles away and the sky rumbles. Pitcher whispers into a throat mike. PITCHER ...i�m there boss. HARRIS (thru headphones) What do you see? EXT. PITCHER�S GOGGLE VIEW -NIGHT The hotel rooftop is seen in the now-familiar green view. Power lines glimmer, crisscrossing in and out of the building. He sees two glimmering balls of energy atop the roof. Sentries walking their beat. PITCHER ...two geeks on the roof... Within the penthouse, five other balls of energy surround a sixth, which is glowing more brightly than the others combined (Sasha). Next to her is a muted glow, only it is shaped like a man instead of a shimmering ball. PITCHER (cont�d) ...looks like six in the room, but one of them is off the charts, man. HARRIS Must be the one he told us about. PITCHER ...great. hold on... INT. HOTEL HALLWAY -NIGHT Harris and Morse move as stealthily as possible towards the penthouse door. Each of them wear energy goggles and are carrying a stake-gun. Harris has what looks like an over-sized hockey puck in one hand. HARRIS (whispering) PITCHER! Dammit, what�s going on? Answer me! MORSE We should do it. Now. INT. HOTEL ROOM -NIGHT SASHA Dear Jean.... JERRY Stop calling me that. SASHA You really don�t remember me do you? Jerry glares at her. She shoots Lasher a look, with which he forces Jerry�s arm into an elbow lock. Jerry grunts in pain. SASHA (cont�d) Careful, dear Lasher. She steps to Jerry and passionately kisses him. It is long and wet. She smiles as they break, stepping back. Jerry glares white fire at her. SASHA (cont�d) Still nothing? Well, I think I have something that may change that. She nods to another vampire, who leaves the room. JERRY WHERE IS KERRY GODDAMMIT!! Sasha smiles and sashay�s to the balcony door, opening it and stepping out. Lasher forces Jerry to follow. EXT. PITCHER�S GOGGLE VIEW -NIGHT Pitcher sweeps across the penthouse, looking for any others. The storm is closer now, lightning flashing in his goggles. He pans past something and quickly moves back, zooming in. It is the silhouette of a normal human, a slight glow in the brain pan stretching out tiny fingers to the body. Sasha�s glow, moves near the human, followed by Jerry and a second glow. PITCHER (cont�d) ...got her. She�s--- HARRIS Where? PITCHER Aw shit. EXT. HOTEL BALCONY -NIGHT Jerry is struck speechless. Kerry is tied to a chair that is balanced precariously on the railing of the balcony. The winds from the storm buffet her. She screams his name thru a tear-soaked gag. SASHA Is this what you were looking for? Jerry struggles impotently against Lasher. JERRY LET HER GO YOU BITCH!! SASHA As before, my love, a life for a life. EXT. PITCHER�S GOGGLE VIEW -NIGHT He sees Sasha�s glow standing before Kerry, with Jerry and Lasher to one side. PITCHER Boss? Don�t go yet, there is totally a problem man. He scans the penthouse, looking for Harris and Morse, zooming in, finding them in the penthouse hall. Pitcher glances at the hotel rooftop, spotting one of the vampire guards. PITCHER (cont�d) (muttering) Geek 1. Where�s geek 2? HARRIS Say again? PITCHER I said don�t go yet. Static bursts from his headset. Pitcher flinches, yanking at his ears, turning away from the rooftop-- --and sees a glowing ball hovering over him. He doesn�t have time to scream. INT. HOTEL HALLWAY -NIGHT MORSE We have to go, now. Harris hesitates HARRIS Pitcher, what�s going on? PITCHER! (listens, gives up) All right, we�re going. Get ready. He twist a knob on the hockey puck and sends it sliding down the hall floor to rest in front of the penthouse door. EXT. HOTEL BALCONY -NIGHT JERRY WHAT!?! SASHA Swear yourself to me. Embrace what you are and I will let her go. JERRY Why would I trust you? Sasha smiles tightly and gives Kerry�s chair a nudge-- --Kerry SCREAMS as she teeters-- JERRY (cont�d) NO! STOP! I�LL DO IT! Sasha takes hold of the chair leg, steadying it. SASHA Swear to me. He meets Kerry�s eyes. She shakes her head forcefully, her moans muffled. JERRY ...I swear. Sasha nods for Lasher to release him. JERRY (cont�d) Let her go. SASHA (smiling broadly) Of course. INT. HOTEL HALLWAY -NIGHT The puck CLICKS and EXPLODES in a shower of SPARKS. EXT. HOTEL BALCONY -NIGHT Sasha RELEASES HER GRIP ON KERRY�S CHAIR, ALLOWING IT TO TIP OFF THE RAILING! JERRY NOOOOO!!! He LEAPS over the rail before anyone else can move-- --The lights are blown out as the puck�s electromagnetic pulse flows through the room. Lasher screams as he implodes along with several other of the vampires. Sasha is driven to the ground, holding herself together by force of will. THUNDER CRACKS OVERHEAD. EXT. FALLING -NIGHT Kerry�s eyes are bugged wide as the ground rushes up to her-- Jerry is not far behind, the wind bringing tears to his eyes even as his eyes begin to glow bright red. A shimmering wave of energy spreads out from his chest, revealing and devouring pink flesh and white bone, transforming Jerry-- --the ground is miliseconds away-- --Jerry swoops down at her-- EXT. THE ROOFTOP - NIGHT Geek 2 slaps the stake-gun from Pitcher�s hands, sending it flying over the edge. He then flings Pitcher. He skidds across the gravel and nearly over the lip of the roof. Pitcher clings to the roof by his fingerstips, his headset slipping off and beginning the long fall. Lightning strikes all about
Copyright © 2001 Robin Taylor |