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Date Posted: 17:19:00 08/11/02 Sun
Author: N
Subject: Act Three
In reply to: Jonny 's message, "Ripper 02- spectacularly unedited" on 17:13:20 08/11/02 Sun

ACT THREE

Interior, Abandoned Warehouse, Afternoon
The large, open warehouse is poorly lit, and filled with old boxes and machinery. It has clearly been abandoned, but judging from the number of figures moving around it, it is obviously being used for another purpose…

Camera follows a man’s feet through the dark building.

The camera stops as he walks over a grate.

The grate is pushed and slid open from underneath.

Pause.

The SKINHEAD VAMP emerges, hauling himself up. He is followed by his mate, the 2nd VAMPIRE.

They walk a small way through the warehouse, before coming to a wider, more open section, clear of boxes, where the loading doors are. Facing away from them, a boss-type man in a suit is shouting to a guy operating a forklift truck.

VAMP BOSS
[shouting to forklift driver]
Just drop it over there.

SKINHEAD VAMP
Boss!

The VAMP BOSS turns around, a tough, ganstery type, looking distinctly Vinnie Jones in 'Lock, Stock...' if he drank blood and didn't get out all that much in the day. He has a heavy voice, and cockney accent.

VAMP BOSS
Lads. Did you take care of it?

SKINHEAD VAMP
Yeah. We killed one of them Watchers, ‘n roughed
up the other one. ‘E won’t be back anytime soon.

VAMP BOSS
You let one of them get away?!

2nd VAMP
‘E won’t be back, boss. ‘E was scared shitless.

VAMP BOSS
[pissed off]
Was I not clear enough when I said “kill them”?
I wanted them dead, not ‘dead scared’.

SKINHEAD VAMP and the 2nd VAMP look nervous.

VAMP BOSS
(continued)
Did they have the body?

2nd VAMP
Yeah, it was in the back.

VAMP BOSS
And you got rid of it along with the Watcher’s
body?

SKINHEAD VAMP and the 2nd VAMP look at each other nervously.


Interior, Seth’s Car [moving], Afternoon
GILES and SETH rush to EMILY's location.

SETH
What’s going on? What’s the deal with these
‘bite marks’, or whatever?

GILES
More than likely- vampires.

SETH
[sceptical]
Vampires?! You are kidding, right?

GILES
I’m afraid not. I’m surprised they’re just not
more common in Britain, seeing as the bloody
sun’s never out. Makes it seem a bit ill-conceived
that the forces of darkness decided to put a
Hellmouth in California, really.

SETH
So the sunlight thing works?

GILES
Technically. Although not well enough in most
cases; it takes direct sunlight to kill one. If its
overcast enough, they can have free reign.

SETH
But direct sunlight? That’ll kill them?

GILES
Usually. It depends on how powerful the
vampire is. Some are able to survive for
longer than others, but it’s normally just a
matter of seconds.

SETH
I swear, my life is getting stranger by the day.
I’m just glad Rob’s around to remind me of
when thing’s were normal around here.


Exterior, Bath, Afternoon
EMILY is waiting with the body of the WATCHER by the ambulance. She looks impatiently at her watch.

Several figures appear behind her.

EMILY turns around suddenly and gasps.


Interior, Seth’s Car [moving], Afternoon
GILES and SETH are in the car. The car approaches the street EMILY called from. GILES and SETH look for EMILY or the ambulance.

SETH
I can’t see her.

GILES
This is where she said she was calling from.
Pull over.


Exterior, Bath, Afternoon
GILES and SETH get out of the parked car.

GILES looks around desperately for clues or a sign of the ambulance being driven off in any direction.

GILES
Damn it!

SETH
Are you sure this is where she said she was
calling from?

GILES
Positive.

SETH
Can you think of any reason she might have
left, gone somewhere?

GILES
[pointedly]
And taken the ambulance with her?

SETH
There must be some explanation.

GILES
There is. She’s in trouble.

SETH
We don’t know that.

GILES
[impatiently]
Then what would you suggest?

SETH
I don’t know. But just because someone
doesn’t meet you somewhere doesn’t
automatically mean they’re in trouble. Not
in the real world, anyway. She’s probably
not in any danger at all.


Interior, Ambulance [moving], Afternoon

VAMP BOSS
You don’t realise just how much danger
you’re in.

EMILY backs away from the VAMP BOSS; both are in the back of the moving ambulance.

EMILY
[feigning bravery]
You can’t scare me. Not after what I saw
yesterday.

VAMP BOSS
Is that a fact? Well then I guess it’s a good
thing I don’t need you scared. Just dead.

EMILY backs as far as she can into the ambulance. She jumps slightly as she backs into the far wall.

EMILY
You’re not going to kill me.

VAMP BOSS
And why’s that, luv?

EMILY
I.. I know people. Important people, that
you don’t want to piss off.

The VAMP BOSS laughs.

VAMP BOSS
Yeah, you do know important people. People
important to me, as it happens. But you’re
wrong about one thing.

EMILY
What’s that?

VAMP BOSS
Me not wanting to piss them off.

EMILY swallows hard.


Interior, Seth’s Apartment, Afternoon
ROB is pacing the living room in Seth's flat.

A vehicle is heard from outside.

ROB rushes over to the window and glances out onto the street. He sees the ambulance pull up, and the driver. His eyes widen.

ROB rushes to the phone.


Exterior, Bath, Afternoon
SETH gets a call on his mobile. He answers it.

SETH
Yeah?

ROB
[V.O.]
Help.

The line goes dead.

SETH looks worried.

SETH
[panicked]
We have to get back.

GILES
Why, what’s-

SETH
[interrupting]
That was Rob. Something’s wrong. We have
to go, now.

GILES
Now? We can’t, Emily’s still-

SETH
We’ve got no idea where she is!

GILES
All the more reason to find her before anything
happens!

SETH
We don’t even know where we should start!
Look, I’m concerned about her too, but we
don’t even know where she might be, or if
she’s even in any danger at all. Right now,
my friend’s in trouble, and we can help him.

GILES nods reluctantly. They jump into SETH’s car.


Exterior, Bath, Afternoon
SETH’s car pulls up in the street outside his apartment building. He and GILES get out and run into the apartment building.


Interior, Seth’s Apartment, Afternoon
The door to SETH’s apartment comes bursting open, and he and GILES barge in.

ROB is standing in front of them, waiting.

SETH
What’s wrong?! What’s the problem?

ROB’s eyes move to the doorway.

ROB
They are.

GILES and SETH spin around to face the open doorway.

The VAMP BOSS and his two lackeys are on the other side of the door. The SKINHEAD VAMP has a hold of EMILY.



He tells Seth that he's been paying attention to him after he found out that Rob was heading south and when he saw Emily and opportunity fell into his lap. He orders him to invite him in or Emily dies...

ROB
Don’t do it mate! They can’t come in unless
you invite them. As long as you don’t invite
them in, we’ll be safe.

SETH
We might be. But Emily won’t.

SETH looks to GILES.

GILES
[calmly]
Be careful.

Seth looks at the BOSS VAMP.

SETH
Come in.

The BOSS VAMP smiles.

SETH
[adds calculatingly]
Just you.

The look on the BOSS VAMP’s face sours a little.

GILES looks about for a weapon.

ROB picks up a chair, and smashes it off the floor. He hands GILES a broken, makeshift-stakeish leg.

The BOSS VAMP walks in. He grabs EMILY from the SKINHEAD VAMP and throws her at SETH, knocking him over.

GILES attacks the BOSS VAMP with the stake, but the vampire easily fends him off. He knocks the stake from GILES’ hand, and throws him across the room onto a cabinet, knocking several things off, among them a cross.

The BOSS VAMP moves towards ROB, who looks on nervously.

Suddenly, GILES jumps up between them, and repels the vampire with the cross.

The BOSS VAMP retreats to the doorway. He looks pointedly at GILES.

BOSS VAMP
Let’s go lads. It looks like there’s already
someone ‘ere who’ll deal with our problem.

The BOSS VAMP and his lackeys clear out of the building.

GILES turns to ROB.

GILES
I think it’s time you told us what’s really
going on here, don’t you?

The camera fades out, and then fades in on a new scene, same location:


Interior, Seth’s Apartment, Afternoon
It is several minutes later.

ROB
…so they’re part of a larger drug-running
syndicate that deals to other vampires, some
demons that feed on human blood, too. They
sell blood that’s been ‘tainted’ with various
stimulants- heroin, ecstasy, whatever they can
lay their hands on, really.

SETH
[sceptical]
Vampires?

ROB nods.

SETH
Running a drug syndicate? But that’s…

GILES
I know, it’s a difficult to come to terms with
in the beginning. The truth about this world,
the occult, it can be pretty… overwhelming.

SETH
Actually, I was going to say ‘lame’.

Beat.
ROB
Come again?

SETH
[completely incredulous]
Well I was expecting something a little more
mythic, or Machiavellian, or something. We’re
talking about vampires here. You know, actual,
real vampires, eternal children of darkness
that feed on life itself. And you’re telling me
that aside from having some dental issues,
they’re actually no worse than half the criminals
in East London? That actually, they’re not all
that interested in bathing the blood of virgins,
and they’d rather just make a sly tax-free
hundred quid here and there from dealing?
[sarcastic]
How sinister! We might as well go and stake
half the people in Leicester Square through the
heart.

ROB
Well, when you put it that way…

GILES
It’s a tad more complicated than that, in most
cases. There are some vampires with slightly
more baleful intentions. Although you’re
probably right about Leicester Square; I suspect
we’d be no worse off…

ROB
Actually, the trade’s centred in Manchester.
Besides, we’re not talking about a sly hundred
quid here and there. These guys are making
some serious money off the back of this.

EMILY
[O.S.]
How much money?

EMILY walks in from the kitchen, holding an icepack to her elbow.

GILES
[to EMILY]
Are you alright?

EMILY continues to walk in and perches on the end of the sofa.

EMILY
Yeah. It’s not badly hurt; I think I just bruised
it a little hitting the floor.

ROB
[answering EMILY’s question]
I’m not sure exactly. But it’s a lot. This is big
business.

SETH
Okay. So drug money is big business. But just
tell me one thing. And don’t disappoint me with
this one…

GILES and ROB look expectantly.

SETH
(continued)
-Coffins?

EMILY smiles.

ROB shakes his head commiseratively.

GILES
I’m afraid not. That I’m aware of, only Dracula
ever actually used a coffin.

SETH looks at GILES with a lot of disbelief, but a little satisfaction.

SETH
Dracula is real?!!

GILES
Yes. Although I didn’t actually get to meet
him.

SETH
[sardonically]
What a pity for you.

SETH turns to ROB.

SETH
[to ROB, a little angry]
And you didn’t think it was at all important
to tell me about this shit?

ROB
Hey, I didn’t lie to you, mate. Everything I
told you before was true. I just left out the
tiny fact that my employer was ever so slightly
… undead.

SETH
It should go with out saying that your employer
isn’t “ever so slightly” undead!

SETH turns to GILES.

SETH
[sourly]
But of course, with my exciting new life, nothing
goes without saying any more, does it?

GILES
[calmly]
You can’t blame this on me.

SETH
Can’t I? I meet you, and within two days I’ve
been attacked by a demon-witch that
electrocuted me with dark energy, and
encountered a syndicate of vampire drug
dealers. I don’t call that coincidence, and it’s
not my idea of a good time, no matter what
your hobbies are!

EMILY
[defensively]
That’s not his fault!

GILES
[angrily]
I never asked you to become involved in
any of this! In fact, I told you at every
opportunity to stay out of my life, and my
business, and to leave my out of yours.
And in case you’d forgotten, this latest
situation is all down to you and your mate
here- I had nothing to do with it until you
tried to drag me in!

SETH
[shouting]
Because you don’t give a damn about
anything but- !!

GILES
[shouting]
Don’t even start to take the- !!

GILES and SETH shout so loudly at each other, we can’t hear what they’re saying.

EMILY
[shouting]
Stop it, both of you!

GILES, SETH and EMILY all shout and bawl at each other.

ROB
[suddenly]
Wait a minute?!!

The other three shut up and turn to ROB.

ROB
[suddenly realising]
Dracula’s real?!!

Beat.

There is an awkward pause.

GILES, SETH and EMILY look away from each other and shift uncomfortably, but none starts to argue again.

ROB
So, what do you think we should do?
You know, with the vampires and
everything? It’s kind of a pressing issue.

There is a slight pause. Obviously neither SETH nor EMILY know how to deal with the situation.

GILES looks thoughtful. Something is dawning on him. He looks up, but then looks to EMILY.

GILES
[a little suspiciously]
What were you doing in that part of town?

EMILY
[nervously, and a little taken aback]
What?

GILES
You phoned from next to the ambulance.

EMILY nods cautiously.
GILES
(continued)
But you said you were going back to the
hotel to catch up on some sleep.

EMILY
Yeah… ?

GILES
But the hotel’s nowhere near that part of
town.

EMILY shifts uncomfortably.

GILES
So where were you going?

EMILY
I… er..

EMILY twists awkwardly, and then eventually admits.

EMILY
[directly]
I was heading to the station. I was going to
home, back to Cambridge.

GILES looks and down and closes his eyes. Then he looks back up at EMILY.

There is a misty superimposition of GILES’ memory over the scene (from Buffy#05: Ashes to Ashes)

WILLOW (memory) and GILES
[simultaneously, lightly over one another]
[Upset]
Were you even going to tell us?

GILES looks down. EMILY looks down.

GILES (memory) and EMILY
[Feeling Bad]
No.

EMILY looks at GILES apologetically.

EMILY
[softly]
I just have a lot to work through. Everything’s
just become so complicated so fast. I didn’t
come here expecting to find my father. Not
really. Being optimistic about it is one thing,
but these things don’t happen in real life.
[scoffs]
Whatever that is.
[softly]
I need to go home and think things over
before we develop… whatever relationship
we’re going to have. Do you-

GILES
[gently interrupting]
I understand.

EMILY
[surmising]
I think my life was simpler when my father
was just an obscure nickname in my mother’s
journals. No matter how well I knew my
mother, I didn’t count on you being a ‘retired
Watcher’, or whatever it is you call yourself…

ROB twitches at this.

ROB
[edgily]
Watcher…?

GILES looks at ROB, and then turns to SETH.

GILES
[picking up the cross from earlier]
Seth, is this yours?

SETH
Yeah. It was my mother’s. I’m not really
religious- it’s just one of the few things of
hers I kept. Why’d you ask?

GILES
Just curious.

GILES suddenly throws the cross to ROB, who catches it out of reflex.

ROBS hands start smoking, and he throws it away as he howls in pain.

GILES snatches up his chair-leg stake.

A contractual musician goes nuts with a violin, in true BtVS/AtS style…

CUT TO BLACK.

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  • Act Four -- N, 17:21:02 08/11/02 Sun
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