6x17
Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.
[
bottom
]
TEASER
FADE IN:
1 EXT. OUTSIDE WOLFRAM & HART. NIGHT. 1
The front doors to the building are KICKED open, with ANGEL,
SPIKE, CONNOR and TAYLOR running out into the street, alarms
blaring behind them.
The boys try to regroup as they distance themselves from the
building - we can already hear police sirens approaching.
They head towards the cover of a row of small shops across
the street, where SONIA and ILLYRIA are waiting for them.
SONIA
Okay, this doesn't look like a
planned retreat...
ANGEL
Sonia! Did you see a black van
leave the underground car park just
now?
SONIA
Yeah, came screeching out of there
in some kind of hurry, then took
off. I was gonna try and follow it,
but then the alarms went of and I
figured you guys'd be out any
second...
Sonia notices Spike, who is pacing, looking up and down the
street, clearly on edge.
SONIA (cont'd)
(off Spike)
Is he okay?
TAYLOR
They took Skye.
ILLYRIA
(catches up)
The Slayer was in the vehicle was
saw leaving.
ANGEL
Right, so that means we need to
find it, and soon.
SONIA
I think I got a licence plate,
maybe we could-
Everyone ducks for cover as a trio of police cars screech to
a halt outside of the building.
Spike glares out from the shadows.
SPIKE
Explain to me why we're standing
here and not moving?
ANGEL
We can't get the cops involved in
this, you know that. They could get
hurt.
SPIKE
No, I meant why are we here, and
not out there, looking for Skye?
TAYLOR
Hey, we don't even know where to
look yet! We just need to figure
out where they could be heading,
and then we'll go find her.
Spike doesn't look convinced as Illyria lays a hand on his
shoulder. He turns to her, seeing an odd look in her eye.
ILLYRIA
I will help you.
SPIKE
How?
ILLYRIA
I can create a portal to move us
somewhere higher, then I will try
to locate Skye with another piece
of magic, I should be able to-
ANGEL
Illyria, I don't want you to use
your magic.
She turns to stare at Angel, not understanding.
ANGEL (cont'd)
It's too risky, last time you used
your powers all the time you almost
blew up and took out half the city,
and until Wes becomes more co
operative we don't have any way of
stopping that. So, no magic.
SPIKE
Alright, so what's your plan then?
It's obviously an inspired slice of
fried gold that none of us have
thought of yet...
Everyone turns to look at Angel, who stares back, uncertain,
before we cut to:
2 INT. BLACK VAN. NIGHT. 2
We're inside a speeding van, the rear compartment set up like
an ambulance, complete with a gurney that holds the
unconscious form of SKYE.
Sat beside her are two technicians from the Wolfram & Hart
science division, and a figure in a brown hooded cloak - two
glowing yellow eyes peer out from inside his hood.
In the front of the van, riding shotgun, sits THE KEEPER, his
tall, black-cloaked frame filling most of the cabin.
KEEPER
We are approaching our destination.
Begin the ceremony.
The techs nod, and one rolls up Skye's t-shirt to reveal her
midriff. The figure in the brown hood leans forward and
reaches out a hand - purple-skinned and definitely demonic -
and places it on her belly.
There is a HISS and a SIZZLE, and a small cloud of steam
rises from beneath his hand.
Skye murmurs and shifts, still out cold but reflexively
moving against whatever's being done to her.
The hooded figure withdraws his hand - and imprinted on
Skye's belly is what looks like a jet black tribal tattoo
design, a circle filled with elaborate designs, curled sharp
edges and points.
HOODED FIGURE
It is done, her body is ready for
the transfer. Whether she will
survive the ritual, I cannot say.
The Keeper nods and turns to the van's driver.
KEEPER
Faster.
He doesn't need volume in his voice for the driver to get the
hint, and as the van picks up speed, the outside world
zipping by as a series of blurred lights, we:
BLACK OUT:
END OF TEASER
ACT ONE
FADE IN:
3 INT. WOLFRAM & HART - LOBBY. NIGHT. 3
There are several crowds of people filling the floor space of
the lobby, despite the late hour - two squads of cops are
talking to various W&H personnel, interviewing and taking
notes.
KITRIDGE makes his way through and into the building,
challenged twice by police officers but waving them away with
his business card.
As he gets clear of the crowd, KIRSTEN hurries over to him.
Kitridge spots her but eyes her warily - he's learned a lot
the past few days, and it's lead him to stop trusting the
people around him!
KIRSTEN
James! Hey, sorry to call you out
so late like this, but, well...
(indicates crowds)
We do have a little emergency.
KITRIDGE
So I can see. What's happened?
Another visit from Angel?
KIRSTEN
(nods)
He brought his whole team with him
this time, started tearing up the
science labs before taking off. By
the time we'd raised the alarm, he
was gone.
KITRIDGE
(frowns)
That's odd. What was he after?
KIRSTEN
(evasive)
Uh... We're not sure yet.
Kitridge steps past her and heads towards the stairs, but a
COP steps in front of him.
COP
Sorry, sir, I need you to stay in
the lobby until we've taken some
more statements. We need to get
descriptions of the-
KITRIDGE
I'm the CEO of this company. I'll
give you all the statements and
descriptions you need, but I have
to get to my office first to make
sure nothing's been stolen!
The Cop hesitates, looking from Kitridge to the crowds in the
lobby, then reluctantly nods and steps aside.
COP
I'll have to ask you to not leave
the premises.
KITRIDGE
Don't worry, officer.
Kitridge starts up the stairs, Kirsten jogging to catch up
with him.
KITRIDGE (cont'd)
This doesn't make any sense. What
would Angel want? We haven't taken
anything of his, there's no reason
for him to attack us, unless...
Kirsten tries not to look too guilty as Kitridge pauses,
thoughtful.
KITRIDGE (cont'd)
He must have been here to try and
find the Keeper. Was there anything
about him in the scrolls we let
Spike take away?
KIRSTEN
Uh, I don't know, I could ask-
Kitridge raises an impatient hand to cut her off.
KITRIDGE
Forget it. I ask one question and
get two right back round here at
the moment.
They turn off into another corridor.
4 INT. W&H - CORRIDOR. NIGHT. 4
Kitridge marches on, deep in thought, Kirsten trying to keep
pace with him.
KITRIDGE
Is Mr. Manners available? I need to
ask him if this whole Keeper thing
was planned out before I even got
here, if it was then it's
compromised my entire operation!
KIRSTEN
Why don't you go to your office,
and I'll go find him?
Kitridge stops at the foot of another set of stairs. He looks
at Kirsten, who smiles hopefully back at him, then with a nod
he starts up the staircase.
KITRIDGE
When I let Spike steal that scroll,
I just wanted him to know about the
Shanshu, I wasn't made aware of
anything about the Keeper in it. If
Manners was withholding information
from me, then he and I need to have
a little talk.
Kitridge disappears round a corner in the stairs, and we stay
with Kirsten.
After a beat, HOLLAND MANNERS steps into frame, and she
starts as she looks round and sees him.
KIRSTEN
You made me jump!
MANNERS
Sorry about that, Kirsten. I'm
afraid it's part of the package
deal of being a ghost, sneaking up
on people becomes a habit.
(off Kitridge)
How mad is he?
KIRSTEN
He's pretty upset, sir. He thinks
you had all this planned before you
even called him in, and that you
misled him about crucial
information, and-
MANNERS
And he'd be absolutely right.
Kirsten SIGHS, leaning against the corridor wall.
MANNERS (cont'd)
Something on your mind?
KIRSTEN
Sir, I know you and the Senior
Partners had your plan, you know,
all about bringing the Keeper back
and making sure James kept Angel
busy so you could do that, but...
MANNERS
But you still feel bad about lying
to him for so long.
Kirsten nods, and Manners smiles warmly at her.
MANNERS (cont'd)
It's part of the job here, Kirsten.
You'd better get used to it. If
you're having second thoughts, we
can always discuss changing the
terms of our agreement...
The colour drains from Kirsten's face, and she looks at
Manners with wide, pleading eyes.
KIRSTEN
No, sir, I don't have a problem. I
was just... I was just letting my
feelings get the better of me.
Satisfied, Manners turns and starts to walk away. As we stay
on Kirsten, however, the look on her face makes it clear she
is not happy about the way things are going.
5 EXT. LA - ROOFTOP. NIGHT. 5
Looking out across the city from a busy rooftop, wide and
flat but covered with smokestacks, small utility huts and
other clutter, Spike, Illyria and Angel step out from a
doorway leading off the top floor.
Spike jogs to the edge of the rooftop, closing his eyes and
sniffing the air.
ANGEL
Spike, what are you doing?
SPIKE
Trying to catch her scent.
ANGEL
From up here? We're in LA, Spike,
the air round here isn't exactly a
good conduit for anything that
isn't toxic.
Spike turns angrily from the edge and marches over.
SPIKE
Listen, I've had just about enough
of-
ANGEL
Illyria, are you ready?
She steps forward, her arms folded in front of her, staring
out across the lights of the city.
ILLYRIA
I am.
Spike frowns, looking from Illyria to Angel.
SPIKE
I thought you said-
ANGEL
I didn't want her using a portal to
get up here, and then another spell
to find Skye. Too much risk of
letting her powers build up. So...
SPIKE
(catching up)
So that's why we walked up here
instead!
(turns to Illyria)
You reckon she can find her?
ANGEL
Let's hope so.
Illyria closes her eyes, tilting her head back as a soft
breeze blows her long hair out behind her.
She raises one hand, palm down, moving it from side to side
as she starts her spell.
We cut from Illyria's look of concentration to:
6 EXT. CENTRAL MUSEUM. NIGHT. 6
The black van from Wolfram & Hart pulls to a stop outside the
city's main museum, and as the various doors open, the Keeper
begins to head up the long line of steps that head for the
tall, glass front doors.
Behind him, the techs have Skye on a stretcher, and start to
carry her up the steps.
7 INT. MUSEUM - FOYER. NIGHT. 7
A jittery member of the museum staff, MITCHELL, rushes up to
the front doors, fumbling with a key chain as he opens them
up to let the Keeper and his men inside.
The Keeper glances round the foyer - decorated to advertise
the forthcoming 'Dinosaurs Among Us' exhibit - before looking
down at Mitchell.
KEEPER
Is everything prepared?
MITCHELL
(stammers)
Y-yes, sir, uh, Mr. Keeper, sir.
Mr. Manners let me know all the
details, so I...
Mitchell trails off as the Keeper turns away, striding down
one of the corridors leading from the foyer. The techs, with
Skye on the stretcher, pass him too, and Mitchell GULPS,
already sweating nervously.
8 EXT. LA - ROOFTOP. NIGHT. 8
Illyria's eyes suddenly FLICK OPEN, and she raises her hand,
sensing something.
ILLYRIA
She is close.
SPIKE
How close? Sonia said that van was
moving at full whack, why were they
in such a hurry if they were only
going down the road?
ILLYRIA
(looks up)
They do not have much time.
Spike and Angel look up.
Above them, the half-moon hangs in the starry night sky. Not
far from the moon hangs a brighter star with a long,
glittering trail following it, and Angel squints at it.
ANGEL
What is that?
SPIKE
Looks like a...
ILLYRIA
A comet.
She turns to them, looking serious.
ILLYRIA (cont'd)
I know what they may want with the
vampire. We must move quickly.
Spike and Angel share a look, as we cut to:
9 INT. W&H - KITRIDGE'S OFFICE. NIGHT. 9
James is checking over his office, but it hasn't been
disturbed. Frustrated, he flops into his chair, and after a
beat, he angrily SWIPES at the folders and papers stacked
there, spreading them across the floor.
He doesn't look up as Manners walks over, appearing seemingly
from nowhere as always.
MANNERS
Temper, temper, James.
KITRIDGE
(cold)
I think it's a little late for
that, sir.
MANNERS
Have we come so far? Has everything
I've done for you here been
forgotten so easily?
KITRIDGE
Far from it! Everything you've done
for me since I got here has just
been one big game! You never needed
me to take over the Angel case, you
just needed someone to distract him
while you brought that... that
thing back!
Manners walks over to the large office windows, looking up
into the night sky.
MANNERS
I'm sorry we had to deceive you,
James, I truly am. Your work here
has been important to use, don't
ever forget that. The Senior
Partners won't let your efforts go
unrewarded.
KITRIDGE
Right now, I'd settle for a crash
course in what's going on.
(serious)
All of it.
Manners glances at James, nods, then turns back to the
window.
MANNERS
All right. I'll tell you what I
can. I can't promise, however, that
you're going to like what I hear.
KITRIDGE
I'm sure it can't beat me finding
out the hard way that the last few
months I've been working here was
all just a big diversion!
James leans back in his chair, waiting for Manners to start,
and we cut to:
10 EXT. LA - STREET. NIGHT. 10
Waiting outside the building we just left Angel and the
others on, we pick up Taylor, Sonia and Connor, the two
youngsters fidgeting nervously as Taylor scans the streets.
SONIA
What are they doing up there,
anyway?
CONNOR
Probably trying to find Skye's
scent. Either that, or Illyria's
gonna use some of her magic after
all. The only problem with that
is...
Connor trails off, trying to think of the best way to
describe what'd happen.
SONIA
What?
CONNOR
In a nutshell? Boom. If she let her
powers build up too much, she'd
just explode.
Sonia bites her lip and looks up towards the rooftop.
SONIA
Then let's just hope they have-
SPIKE (O.S.)
Good news!
Spike, Angel and Illyria walk back into frame, Spike looking
much happier.
TAYLOR
Anything?
ANGEL
We found them.
SPIKE
Seems they took her to the museum,
Blue here picked up the Keeper's
trail no problem, says it was- what
was it, again?
ILLYRIA
Pure evil.
A beat. Spike still looks upbeat and starts walking away.
ANGEL
Spike, wait!
SPIKE
For what? Come on, you lazy
buggers, there's one of our own
needs rescuing!
He jogs off screen, and Angel turns to the others. Connor
picks up on his dark look straight away.
CONNOR
What is it, dad?
ANGEL
I just... I want you all to be-
TAYLOR
Please, God, do not say 'careful.'
I know you can be a little cliched
at times, but that's just pushing
it.
ANGEL
I was going to say 'ready,' but
'careful' works too. This Keeper
made a mess of Spike in a few
seconds, we still don't know how
powerful he really is. I don't want
anybody taking any risks until we
know more about him.
SONIA
So what's the plan? Go in, get
Skye, leave? No fighting?
ILLYRIA
I would prefer a proposal with
added violence.
TAYLOR
Angel's right. This guy could make
a mess of us without breaking a
sweat, going off what he did to
Spike, so let's watch each other's
backs.
Angel glances at Taylor - and with a nod, a mutual
understanding of leadership passes between them.
ANGEL
Let's go.
He turns and heads after Spike, the others following.
11 INT. MUSEUM - 'DARK RELIGIONS' EXHIBIT. NIGHT. 11
Mitchell leads the Keeper and his team into one of the
museum's halls, which is filled with display cases and
dioramas showing the darker side of religion through the ages
- cults, voodoo, the Ku Klux Klan, ritual sacrifices and
similarly unpleasant topics.
MITCHELL
I tried to, ah, keep everything
just how I was told, so, you know,
there wouldn't be any added
complications, when the, ah, comet
was passing overhead.
KEEPER
You have served us well.
Mitchell smiles and starts to speak, but in an instant, the
Keeper's hand is around his throat, and with a twist of his
wrist, Mitchell's neck SNAPS.
The Keeper drops him to the floor and turns to the techs.
KEEPER (cont'd)
Place the vampire in the circle,
and then dispose of the underling's
body.
Unnerved, the techs try to avoid looking at Mitchell's
crumpled body as they head towards an exhibit at the far end
of the hall.
Turning to look down on the exhibit itself, and rising up to
peer down onto it, we see what Mitchell was keeping safe - a
huge MAGIC CIRCLE, painted in blacks, golds and reds, candles
laid carefully around its edges.
A sign marks the circle as a 'Re-creation of an actual black
magic summoning circle,' but as the techs carefully lay down
the stretcher and lay Skye's body in the centre of the
circle, we can tell this is far from a re-creation - it's the
real deal.
The Keeper steps forwards, looking down at Skye's still
unconscious form, before we:
BLACK OUT:
END OF ACT ONE
ACT TWO
FADE IN:
12 INT. W&H - KITRIDGE'S OFFICE. NIGHT. 12
We're back with Kitridge and Manners. James is sitting down,
his hands folded in front of him, looking shocked by what
he's just been told. Manners still stands at the window,
looking across the city lights.
MANNERS
So now you know.
Kitridge nods, slowly.
MANNERS (cont'd)
Now you see why we couldn't tell
you your part in all of this -
there were too many things that
could have been revealed before
time, too many details that we had
to consider. It was safer for us to
lead you to believe you were here
for the Angel case alone.
Kitridge stands, taking a deep breath and starting to pace up
and down his office. Whatever he's just been told appears to
be weighing heavily on his mind.
KITRIDGE
It's just all so...
MANNERS
(turns)
Complicated?
KITRIDGE
(nods)
Exactly.
(beat)
Wait, what about Kirsten?
MANNERS
What about her?
KITRIDGE
You mentioned that she was put here
to keep an eye on me, make sure I
didn't find out too much too soon.
What part does she have to play
now?
MANNERS
Last time I checked, you were still
CEO of this company, and as such
required a dedicated, full-time
personal assistant!
KITRIDGE
(blinks)
So that's it? The big plan is
revealed, events set in motion and
all that other stuff you told me,
and now what? I just sit back
behind my desk like a good little
boy and go back to work?
Manners throws a dark look at James, not impressed by the
tone he's using.
MANNERS
Be careful, James. There's still
much to do, you'd be advised to-
KITRIDGE
Forgive me for being so blunt,
Holland, but I think I'm done for
this evening.
Kitridge grabs his coat from the back of his chair and puts
it on, turning towards the office door.
KITRIDGE (cont'd)
(tetchily)
I think your people have everything
under control, so I'm going back
home. I'll be in tomorrow morning
as usual. That is, of course, if
nothing else I haven't been told
about is about to happen? No more
big events I should stick around
for?
Manners stares at Kitridge for a beat, then shakes his head.
KITRIDGE (cont'd)
Great. Well then, good night.
Kitridge walks straight out of the office without looking
back, the anger clear all over his features.
Manners calmly watches him go before turning back to the
windows.
MANNERS
You'll understand, James. Give it a
little time.
[
top
| next
]
Script created with Final Draft by Final Draft, Inc.