HUNTING HUMANS by Kevin Kangas Kevin Kangas PO Box 1347 Glen Burnie, MD 21060-1347 WGA REGISTERED © 1999, Marauder Productions FADE IN White letters on black background: No one can see murder on your face: there is no brand that sets you apart from the crowd, no outward sign that the dark flower is growing in your soul. People will see you as they've always seen you if you can only bury fear and confusion and remorse along with the evidence. --Tim Cahill - "Buried Dreams" FADE OUT FADE IN EXT. STREET - NIGHT MOVING PAST A CROWDED CITY STREET Could be The Block of downtown Baltimore. ARIC (V.O.) Hunting humans. We're in a car - it turns onto another street. We can see ARIC briefly, but only from behind. ARIC (V.O.) A lot of you wouldn't sleep well at night if you knew how easy it was. SHOT OF ARIC'S HAND TURNING STEERING WHEEL. ARIC (V.O.) I mean, you're all so unaware of what's going on around you. So caught up in your lives. Tunnel- vision of the weak-minded. (beat) I'll show you what I mean. CUT TO: EXT. CAROL'S HOUSE - NIGHT Suburbia. Colonial two-story with well-trimmed hedges. A Chevette pulls into the driveway. ARIC (V.O.) Carol Ann Stennings. Twenty six years old. CAROL, mid-twenties and confident in her manner, gets out of the car and heads for the door. ARIC (V.O.) She works at a flower shop part time, goes to the local community college. Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, she's there from 9:30 in the morning to 3:30 in the afternoon, with an hour for lunch. Mondays and Fridays she eats out, Wednesday she brings lunch. Tuesday and Thursday she has night class from 7:50 to 9:50. Carol carries books to the door, unlocks it and steps in. ARIC (V.O.) That's where she's been. She wants to be a florist. She's got this insane love of flowers that you might call pathetic. I know I do. INT. CAROL'S HOUSE Carol comes through the door. ARIC (V.O.) Her parents died in a plane crash a few years back and she inherited the house, which she keeps like a shithole. Carol puts her books down on the kitchen table as her dog comes bounding down the hallway and jumps on her leg. She gets down on her knees to greet the dog. CAROL Hey there, cutey. The dog licks her. ARIC (V.O.) First thing she does when she gets home is let her dog, Holly, out for a half hour. While he's playing and doing his business, she takes a shower. CAROL (to Holly) Come on. She opens the back door and lets the dog out. IN THE BEDROOM It's dark. Carol enters, flicks on the light and begins to strip. When she's down to her undershorts and bra, she grabs a bathrobe and heads to the bathroom. WE FOLLOW AS SHE ENTERS THE BATHROOM BUT SHE SHUTS THE DOOR IN OUR FACE. IN THE BATHROOM She hangs the bathrobe on the hook attached to the door. ARIC (V.O.) When she's done showering, she'll let Holly back in and make herself a steaming cup of cocoa. The powder kind that you spoon out of the jar. She takes off her bra and panties. She sits down on the toilet and pees, cocking her head for a moment as she hears HOLLY BARK ONCE. She wipes and stands up. ARIC (V.O.) Unfortunately for her, there'll be no cocoa tonight. As she reaches for the shower curtain, it's whipped aside. ARIC STANDS THERE with a big knife in his gloved hand. She opens her mouth to scream and his hand DARTS out to clutch her around the neck. He stabs her in the chest twice with the knife and watches as the life drains out of her eyes... DISSOLVE TO: BLACK - THE SOUND OF A SHOWER RUNNING ARIC (V.O.) That went well. I hadn't really thought of it, but it was kind of a reverse Psycho thing. Pretty clever, if you think about it. FADE IN CLOSE ON ARIC'S PROFILE He lets the water cascade over his face as he smiles slightly. PULL BACK SLOWLY to reveal Carol's naked body hanging by a belt to the shower rod. Her dead eyes stare off in the distance. We get a good look at Aric. He's tanned, handsome and muscular. Youth at its prime. He turns to let the water hit his front and notices Carol. He smiles a bit, taps her playfully on the cheek. ARIC Chin up, honey. He turns off the shower. CUT TO: TITLES CUT TO: BATHROOM - LATER Aric pours something from a large bottle into the bathtub drain. ARIC (V.O.) Industrial-strength drain cleaner. Won't be finding any of my skin or hair in those pipes. When I'm done vacuuming, they won't find any of me anywhere in the house. CUT TO: BACK DOOR - LATER Aric's got the drain cleaner in one hand and a vacuum bag in the other. He opens the back door, pushes open the screen and Holly comes in. Holly tries to jump playfully on his leg. Aric smiles. ARIC She should have locked the door when she let you out. She never locked the door. He locks the door and exits. CUT TO: EXT. STREET - NIGHT Aric walks down a dark sidewalk and stops at his car. He puts the cleaner and the vacuum bag in the trunk and gets in. ARIC (V.O.) The car is a rental I parked two blocks away. It's registered to Mike Amanner, someone who doesn't exist. All you need to get a rental is a credit card, and all you need to get a credit card is a social security number and a clean credit history. Neither has to be yours. It's pretty easy to get both if you know how. Aric drives off. ARIC (V.O.) The trick is to pick the car up when they're busy, 'cause they're more than willing to cut corners. Then, just drop it off so they charge it to your card. All you need to do is sign a piece of paper and you're outta there. Of course, I ditch the vacuum bag and the cleaner in an alley dumpster before I return the car. CUT TO: EXT. STREET - NIGHT Aric's walking down the street toward a parking garage. ARIC (V.O.) My name is Aric Blue. A-R-I-C. My father hated the spelling, but for once, my mom won an argument. ARIC (V.O.) It wasn't the only thing he hated about me, but I guess you have to expect that from an alcoholic gambler with impotency problems. Aric's at his car, gets in. ARIC (V.O.) If he was still alive, I'd probably kill him. Wouldn't be smart, but I'd do it. Aric's back on the streets, as if on the prowl. ARIC (V.O.) You gotta have rules, if you're gonna do what I do. With everything the police have at their disposal to catch you, you've gotta have rules or they'll put you away. Aric's stopped at a light, stares at the bars covering up a store. ARIC (V.O.) Not that jail frightens me. It's just another playground, like this. Only, the prey is more dangerous. The light turns green and he's moving again. ARIC (V.O.) Anyway, the rules. First and foremost: Never have a motive. The easiest way for the cops to catch you is if you have a reason for killing the victim. That's why I never kill anyone I know. He smirks for a moment. ARIC (V.O.) Okay, there was that one time. But that was beautiful. A work of art. She was in my building, right above me, and she was pretty hot stuff. Sometimes I could hear her taking a bath, just sloshing around up above me. Man, it was all I could do to keep from whacking off. He pauses for a moment, lost in the memory. ARIC (V.O.) She was a health nut. She'd blend up a bunch of raw eggs in the morning and drink it. I know, because I checked her trash to see what she ate. He smiles, makes a turn. DISSOLVE TO: INT. BUILDING - FLASHBACK Aric's in an apartment building, stands at a door number 312. He knocks. ARIC (V.O.) So I go up there one night when I know she's alone and ask to borrow a couple of eggs. MONICA opens the door, pretty in a health-nut sort of way. She smiles at him questioningly. ARIC (V.O.) She's all over me, invites me in and stuff--does everything but offer to drop trow on the kitchen table. But I get the eggs and promise to repay her. DISSOLVE TO: INT. ARIC'S APARTMENT - FLASHBACK Aric's at the kitchen table, eggs, a spoon, a hypodermic needle and some superglue in front of him. SHOTS OF WHAT ARIC SAYS FOLLOW: ARIC (V.O.) So I took those eggs--those exact eggs she gave me--and poked a needle thin hole in the bottom of three of them. I sucked out some of the clear insides to each, then mixed in some codeine I had from when I got my wisdom teeth out. And I mixed in a lot. Couple minutes later and the lethal mixture was back in each egg, yolk still intact. A light film of rubber cement to keep it all in, and I was done. DISSOLVE TO: INT. BUILDING - FLASHBACK Aric's back at the door with a carton of eggs in his hand. ARIC (V.O.) So I took her back the eggs in a different carton. Monica opens the door, smiles in recognition. They exchange words that we can't hear, and Aric hands her the carton. He smiles, ending whatever he was saying as we can see him mouth "Talk to you later". HOLD ON HIS SMILE as she shuts the door and a shadow falls across his face. The smile slowly fades. CUT TO: EXT. STREET - NIGHT Back to present. Aric's still cruising. ARIC (V.O.) She was dead two mornings later. Cops came, made their rounds, but there was nothing to be found. They knew how she died, but they just assumed it was some psycho who was poisoning eggs. Big egg scare after that, though it was nothing compared to the Tylenol- cyanide thing. Oh yeah, I knew her, but the key was that there was no motive. Aric chuckles. ARIC (V.O.) Which brings me to something important. The reason I've been able to kill twelve people so far, in this city alone. I start the count over every time I move on, but the total would easily make me the most prolific serial killer in history. (beat) Anyway, the reason it's been so easy to kill people are their patterns. Aric pauses for a moment, almost like he's hearing something. ARIC (V.O.) Yeah. Everyone's got them, except me. I study my prey until I've got their pattern, and then it's easy to do the rest. He shakes his head. ARIC (V.O.) Everybody's got them. Some are harder to find than others, but they're there. Bizarre rituals, like. Get up a certain time of day. Eat a certain place on a certain day. Shop at a certain store. Play a certain sport. One way or the other, there's something that everyone does on a regular basis. EXT. ARIC'S HOUSE Aric pulls into the driveway of a house. IN THE CAR he takes a moment to sweep the area with his eyes, but sees no one. He gets out. ARIC (V.O.) Front, side or back? Last night was side, night before back. Side tonight. He goes to the side door and unlocks the three locks, disappears inside. INT. ARIC'S HOUSE Aric re-locks all the locks. One might notice that all the shades and curtains in the house are shut. Some are pinned together. Aric throws his keys on the table and takes off his jacket. ARIC'S BEDROOM - LATER Aric's lying in bed with his eyes open. There's a gun on the table next to his bed. ARIC (V.O.) See, if Carol had just locked the door when she let her dog out--not even all the time, just some of the time--I wouldn't have known when I could get in her house. Sure, I could have picked the lock and still killed her, but it would have made it a little more difficult. Patterns are what killed all of my victims. A smile and he closes his eyes. DISSOLVE TO: INT. OFFICE - DAY An office in a strip mall. Desks sit out in the front, and the back is divided into smaller offices, each equipped with desk and phone. Aric walks in. BARB, their receptionist, is at the front-most desk. BARB Good morning, Aric. ARIC (sincere smile) Hey, Barb. ARIC (V.O.) Slut. Two kids to different men, and neither one stuck around long enough for the birth. KEN, leaning back in his chair so only his head is visible, calls out when he hears Aric's voice. KEN Aric! Hear you had some big loans clearing. ARIC (moving into his cubicle) You betcha, Ken. Good stuff. KEN Great to hear it. You wanna go get some drinks after work? ARIC (V.O.) If you stick your tongue up my ass any further, Ken, you'll taste my colon. ARIC Sounds good. Let me check my schedule and see how it works out. KEN Great. He sits down and begins pulling papers out of his briefcase. ARIC (V.O.) Only good thing about this job is the time it gives me to watch for patterns. I can make my own hours and I don't have to actually be here that often. Not that I really need the money. One of the guys I killed--a big-time gambler-- happened to have over two-hundred thousand dollars cash on him when I killed him. BRAD, typical mortgage type, is moving past Aric's cubicle. He glimpses Aric and catches himself by the door, pulls himself back. BRAD Aric, you the man! Racquetball later? ARIC Sure thing, Brad. Brad moves off as fast as he appeared. ARIC (V.O.) Cocksucker. Brad's a big hunter himself, but he likes to shoot deer. Impressive gun collection, but he's still a pussy. Barb comes by his office. BARB Aric, you have a key to the utility closet, don't you? ARIC Yeah, why? BARB Can I borrow it? Mine's at home. ARIC (V.O.) She'd lose her head if it wasn't attached to her neck. ARIC Anything for you, Barb. Barb smiles, embarrassed, and Aric hands her his keyring from off his desk. BARB I'll give it right back. ARIC Great. She disappears out the door, and his friendly expression turns distasteful. He shakes his head. CUT TO: EXT. SUPERMARKET COREY gets out of his car and heads toward the supermarket. ARIC (V.O.) Corey Aaron Markbright. He gets mail as Corey and Aaron. INT. SUPERMARKET Corey's standing at a refrigerated section staring at the jars. ARIC (V.O.) Corey is as nutty as a fruitcake. I mean, I've seen some strange patterns, but this guy really wins the prize. Every day, he comes to this supermarket between noon and one. He stands at the pickle section--not just any pickle section either. He's gotta have the Klaussens. So he stands there for at least ten minutes, like he's making a decision, but he always gets the same jar of pickles. The Klaussen mini's. Corey's been staring at the pickles in some kind of internal debate. Finally, he leans down and picks up a jar of Klaussen mini's and heads for the check-out counter. EXT. SUPERMARKET On Corey's car. ARIC (V.O.) Then he'll head back to work, where he'll sit in the parking lot and eat every pickle before going in. Corey comes out of the supermarket and gets in his car. ARIC (V.O.) Every pickle. I mean, what the fuck? EXT. APARTMENT COMPLEX - NIGHT We see the left half of a big blue dumpster on the edge of the parking lot. Dark forest behind it. WE PAN past a three story brown brick building to the entrance, expectantly waiting for someone to exit. ARIC (V.O.) Pickles aren't really his problem, though they're one of his many patterns. The thing that got him in trouble was Wednesday nights. Trash night. WHIP PAN back to the dumpster, and we can see the right side of it. Aric--in baseball hat--is strangling Corey from behind with a rope. On the ground is a bag of garbage. Aric drags the still-struggling Corey into the shadows of the trees and waits for the life to drain from Corey. After a moment, Corey stops struggling. Aric waits a few seconds more and drops him to the ground. He takes the rope that's still around Corey's neck and ties it into a knot, tightening it viciously. Aric moves cautiously to the fringe of woods. Seeing no one, he goes to the bag of garbage and throws it in the dumpster. He moves back into the woods. He grabs the rope around Corey's neck and begins dragging him into the woods. A hundred feet in, Aric lets the rope go and keeps walking. ARIC (V.O.) (breathing heavy) Heavy fucker. Must be all those pickles. EXT. ROAD The road borders the woods. Aric's at the edge. He looks both ways--no cars--and comes out, heads to his car on the side of the road. ARIC (V.O.) Corey lives with his girlfriend, but she won't be back from work for a half hour. Aric pulls a socket wrench out of his pocket and takes off his back tag. He pulls another tag out of his trunk and screws it on. Real fast, like he's done it before. Sparing one more glance both ways--still no cars--he gets in and drives off. ARIC (V.O.) Lucky thirteen. INT. ARIC'S CAR Aric's driving, but he still seems so predatory. When he's stopped at a stoplight, his eyes rove from one car to the next, from people walking to the woman in the car next to him. Always looking for another victim. ARIC (V.O.) One of the other rules of the game: Don't be an idiot. It's pretty all-encompassing. Don't keep newspaper clippings of everybody you've killed. Don't bury your victims in your new concrete garage foundation. Don't park your car where you're going to get a ticket. Fucking Son Of Sam would still be killing if he'd parked in a public lot. Aric's car pulls off. A WHISPER can barely be heard O.S., but it's impossible to tell what it was and it only lasts for a brief second. ARIC (V.O.) (as if answering a question) Remorse? For what? Nothing I do is wrong. Nietzsche said that morality is the herd instinct in the individual, and if you think about it, you'll see he's right. There's no remorse. I see people-- every person I look at, you know what I think? I think: The only reason you're still alive is because I've decided to let you live. (beat) I'm natural selection personified, man. I'm a force of nature. Remorse--it's just not a part of me. EXT. ARIC'S HOUSE Aric's car pulls up to the curb. He gets out and heads to the front door. ARIC (V.O.) Adrenaline's still going through me. Take the feeling you get when you're on a rollercoaster that's just dropped a hundred feet a second, and magnify that by a million--that's the way I felt when I had Corey around the throat. That's the way I feel every time. He disappears inside the house. INT. ARIC'S HOUSE/BEDROOM - LATER In bed again, gun on table next to him. ARIC (V.O.) You know, I just don't know whether the cops are aware of what's going on. Do they know the same person is killing all these people? If they do, they've kept it from the press. Granted, I've killed with different instruments, always covering my tracks, but a smart detective could have figured it out. Maybe they know. Maybe they're hunting me right now. He smiles. ARIC (V.O.) I like that. It keeps me sharp. He closes his eyes. CUT TO: INT. OFFICE - DAY Aric's in his office on the phone. ARIC --we work with your bank to try to get you a better rate on your mortgage. (beat) Well no, we're not actually with your bank-- He makes a sour face and hangs up the phone. ARIC Dickhead. KEN (O.S.) Hey now, such language! Aric swings around, startled to see Ken standing in his office doorway with a big smile on his face. KEN That won't get you any money. Aric recovers quickly. ARIC Aw, you know. I hate it when people hang up on me. I'm just trying to help them save money. Ken is so disgustingly nice that it's hard to believe. KEN You can lead a horse to water, but you can't make it drink. ARIC (smiling) I can try, right? ARIC (V.O.) I'm gonna have wet dreams about killing you, Ken. KEN Hey, you snuck out yesterday before we could go get some drinks. ARIC Had an appointment with a client, buddy. Gotta keep the money coming in if I want the honeys to love me. KEN I know what you're saying. We have got to go party sometime, man. We would have a great time picking up chicks. ARIC I bet you're a ladies' man, huh Ken? KEN I get my share. ARIC (V.O.) You probably whack off to Plumpers magazine. ARIC I'm pretty booked up tonight, but maybe we can see about Friday. KEN Good deal. I'll talk to you about it tomorrow. ARIC Great. Ken moves off into the office and Aric turns back to his desk, his smile disappearing. ARIC (V.O.) Christ, it's like I work with Mr. Rogers' son. On Aric's look: CUT TO: BLACK ARIC (V.O.) Found him. Mister Fourteen. FADE IN INT. MOVIE THEATRE - NIGHT DOUG, dressed conservative-nice. Shirt and tie, but jeans. He's carrying a ring full of keys as he walks up the main hall of the theatre. ARIC (V.O.) Doug Fellows. Head projectionist for Golden Arts Theaters. Doug goes to the door leading upstairs and punches in the code, disappears inside. SPIN AROUND to Aric coming out of the restroom and heading toward the exit door, apparently not paying any attention to Doug. ARIC (V.O.) Code to upstairs: 2435. IN THE PROJECTION ROOM Doug splices film together. ARIC (V.O.) He works every night except Sunday and Monday. I talked to a manager on the phone about getting a projectionist's job. Guy said they don't need one. I asked him, doesn't his projectionist ever get sick? Said Doug hasn't called out once in over four years. Doug's working like a madman; the guy really knows what he's doing. ARIC (V.O.) I've got a feeling that pretty soon, they're going to be looking for a new projectionist. CUT TO: EXT. MOVIE THEATRE - NIGHT The only car in the lot is Doug's jeep. Doug exits the building and goes to his jeep. He unlocks it and gets in as WE ZOOM: ALL THE WAY TO A CAR ACROSS THE LOT: Nestled in the darkness of trees at the edge of the lot. INSIDE SITS ARIC ARIC (V.O.) Thursday nights, he doesn't get done splicing together the new movies until at least three-thirty in the morning. Sometimes as late as four-thirty, if more than two new movies arrive. From Aric's POV, we see Doug's jeep drive off. TO ARIC, sitting half in the dark. The only part of his face we can see is the lower part: the half smile of a predator stalking his prey. CUT TO: DARKNESS WE HEAR AN ALARM GOING OFF FADE IN INT. ARIC'S HOUSE/BEDROOM - LATER Aric turns off the alarm clock(reads 2:40AM) and smiles. ARIC (V.O.) Tonight's the night. CUT TO: EXT. MOVIE THEATRE - NIGHT Aric walks casually across the parking lot with a baseball hat covering his hair. He's headed toward the theater's doors, and once again, Doug's jeep is the only one in the parking lot. ARIC (V.O.) The cleaning guy leaves about 1:30, but no later than two. I call him Pepe, 'cause he's mexican and doesn't speak much English. If he did, he'd listen when Doug tells him that he's got to push the doors when he leaves, or they won't lock. AT THE DOORS we can see that they're not shut all the way. By pushing the other side in, Aric is able to pry the door open. Aric enters the theater. ARIC (V.O.) The cameras don't work, and haven't since the theater opened, even though all they'd have to do is hook up a VCR. Lazy. DOLLY BACK AWAY FROM ARIC as he walks toward the coded door leading upstairs. ARIC (V.O.) That's gonna cost somebody big time. Aric rounds the corner and we hold on him as SHOCK registers on his face. DOLLY SLOWLY TO HIS EXPRESSION. On the ground in front of the door lies Doug, his front soaked with blood. His head lolls to the side lifelessly. His dead hands clutch a piece of paper that says in dark black ink: I'VE GOT YOUR PATTERN. Aric's having a hard time believing what he's seeing. He looks around cautiously, then back to the body. He stands there in indecision for a moment, as time seems to stop for him. He pulls the paper out of Doug's hands and hurries out. THEATER POV: We see Aric hurry across the parking lot, looking like he might bolt at any second. He casts glances around him as he rushes away. INT. ARIC'S CAR Aric's driving, deep in thought. His looks are no longer predatory, but now worried. It's an expression that seems alien to Aric's face. THERE'S A WHISPER THAT'S GROWING VERY STEADILY. Almost like the wind, but it should begin to put the audience on edge. We can see how tightly he's gripping the wheel as he stops for a stop light. A second later, a car pulls up next to him. Aric turns to look just as TONY--in the other car--does the same. Aric locks eyes for a moment and looks away, clearly wondering whether this is the person who left the note. Aric's elbow slides over and pushes the door lock down. Aric looks over at Tony, who smiles, having seen the lock- door maneuver. It's impossible to read his expression. It could be "That's funny, you locking your door like you think I'm a nut" or it could be "Did you see the way I slaughtered that guy?" Aric's foot stomps on the accelerator and he takes off, through the red light. Teeth clenched, he watches in his mirror, but the car doesn't follow him through the intersection. He spends more time watching it than he does the road in front of him. THE WHISPERING GROWS - ALMOST DISCERNIBLE WORDS He clenches his teeth and drives on. CUT TO: INT. OFFICE - DAY ON SOMEONE'S SHOES - FOLLOW THEM FORWARD and TILT UP to see Ken walking toward Aric's section, a smile on his face. KEN Hey, Aric-- He rounds the section of wall and sees Aric's empty office. He frowns and heads back to the front. KEN Hey Barb, where's Aric? BARB He called out sick. KEN Called out sick? That's not like him. I hope he's all right. He stares off out the front door as we: DISSOLVE TO: EXT. ARIC'S HOUSE Aric's car is parked out front. All the curtains are still drawn. No movement. INT. ARIC'S HOUSE Aric's at his bedroom window, stock still, watching through a crack in the curtains. He's like a statue. INT. ARIC'S HOUSE - LATER It's noticeably darker in the house. Aric's in the exact same position, watching out the window. It has to have been hours later, and he hasn't moved. WHISPERING Aric's head moves slightly as he sees something outside. ARIC'S POV - OUTSIDE Across the street, a MAN's walking his dog. ON ARIC'S EYES - INTENSE CONCENTRATION AND DEEP HATE His eyes follow every movement of the man. ARIC (speaking quietly) Fifth time in four hours. Dogs don't have to go that often. Aric leans back slightly and grabs his gun from the table. Then back to the window. The dog's shitting, so the man just stares off in thought. ARIC He's being pretty careful. Never looked once toward my house. Twice to my left neighbor and now to my right...but not once at my house. The dog's done, so the man moves off down the road. WHISPERING. ARIC Gonna have to work harder than that to beat number one. Aric spins and is out the door in the flash. EXT. ARIC'S HOUSE/BACK DOOR Aric slides out the back door and runs off behind his house. He leaps a fence and disappears into the darkness. The WHISPERING IS GROWING LOUDER BY THE SECOND. EXT. STREET The man is taking his time, letting his dog sniff trees, the ground. He's walking toward CAMERA down a line of hedges as Aric steps out from the end, behind him where he can't see. THE WHISPERING IS LOUD ENOUGH TO BE INTELLIGIBLE, if only it wasn't ten voices speaking at once. The man hears something and turns, but Aric is no longer there. He shrugs it off and turns and keeps walking. As the man reaches the other end of the shrubs, Aric grabs him by the shirt and hits him across the face with the gun. The dog turns to leap at Aric. He shoots it, the SHOT DEAFENING in the stillness of the night. Aric turns back to the man and SHOOTS him in the head, and for a moment, the WHISPERING is drowned out by the sound of the GUNSHOT. When the echo fades, the WHISPERING is gone. Without wasting another second, he picks up the spent shells and bolts off into the darkness. CUT TO: INT. ARIC'S HOUSE - LATER Aric's in bed again, eyes open. ARIC (V.O.) I wonder who he was. How he got on to me. I don't have a pattern. I take great pains not to have a pattern. Somehow... He frowns. ARIC (V.O.) I wonder...maybe he was like me. Well, obviously, not as smart as me, but he could have been hunting humans. And maybe he picked me as his next victim. So he stalks me to find my patterns...and the only pattern he finds is that I'm hunting humans too. For a moment he's lost in that thought, as if wondering what he'd do if he discovered one of his victims was killing people. ARIC (V.O.) He must have followed me for quite some time. Must have even seen me kill Corey and Carol, maybe even Vince before that. Then, he sees me watching Doug and figures out what I'm going to do and does it before me. Aric reaches over and flicks the switch to turn on his alarm. ARIC (V.O.) He was slick, you gotta give him that. But that crap with the walking the dog in front of my house...sloppy. That kind of sloppy can get you killed. He smiles and rolls over to go to sleep. CUT TO: EXT. OFFICE - DAY Aric gets to the door, briefcase in hand, and Ken pops out to hold the door open for him. KEN Aric! How are you, we were all worried sick when you didn't show yesterday-- ARIC I'm good, Ken. Twenty-four hour bug is all it was. Aric moves past him into the office. Barb is not at her desk, and otherwise, the office is silent. ARIC Where's Barb? Where is everybody? Ken moves in after him. KEN Don't know. Nobody showed up today. ARIC How'd you get in--? Aric stops cold as he gets to his cubicle. Barb is seated facing away from him, but her head hangs over the back of the chair. Her throat is cut, blood trailing off her jaw and down past her ears. Aric calmly turns back to Ken, who suddenly has a bloody switchblade in his hand. ARIC What's going on, Ken? KEN Nothing, buddy. Got 'em all for you though, didn't I? Saved you the trouble. Aric's PAGER goes off. He looks down at it, but doesn't turn it off. The number says 666-6666. He's confused, looks back at Ken. KEN I did good, didn't I? Ken stabs himself in the chest, then again. KEN I did good, huh? Didn't I? He stabs himself in the chest again. The PAGER continues beeping and CUT TO: INT. ARIC'S HOUSE Aric's eyes open and he's instantly aware. He reaches over and turns off his alarm clock--which sounds a lot like the pager in his dream. ARIC (V.O.) Huh. He takes another second to mull it over, then slides out of bed. CUT TO: EXT. OFFICE - DAY Aric gets to the door, briefcase in hand, and Ken pops out to hold the door open. KEN Aric--how you feel? We were worried about you when you didn't show up yesterday. Aric's got a big case of deja vous. ARIC I feel fine. Just a twenty-four hour bug. No big deal. (beat) Barb in? KEN Yeah, of course. What's the matter? ARIC Nothing. He moves past Ken into the office and smiles when he sees Barb at her desk writing in a pad. She sees Aric and shuts the pad. BARB Oh Aric, we were so worried about you yesterday--you never call out! ARIC Gotta be a first for everything, huh? He smiles and heads toward his cubicle. DISSOLVE TO: INT. OFFICE/ARIC'S CUBICLE - LATER Aric's on the phone, pen in hand with an appointment book in front of him. ARIC Six-thirty's good? (beat) No, that won't be a problem. I'm sure we're going to be able to help you out. (beat) Yes, that's way too high for you to be paying. I don't know how that company sleeps at night charging those kind of interest rates. (beat) All right, ma'am, I'll see you then. Bye bye. He hangs up, pencils in the time in his book. ARIC (V.O.) Feels good to be back on track. I made eight cold calls and got seven appointments out of it. That's unheard of. (beat) Back on top of my game. And speaking of the game... CUT TO: EXT. CITY DOCKS - EVENING Sidewalk shops line the sides of the road, and people are everywhere. Watching the boaters, moving from shop to shop, taking pictures. RANDY comes out of a restaurant, pulling an apron off and heading for the parking lot. ARIC (V.O.) Randy Aaron Green. He waits table at Ruddy's Crabs in downtown Annapolis. Randy stops by another bar and taps at the glass, waves at someone inside. ARIC (V.O.) His schedule is hard to pattern. His manager's completely inept, so his weeks never run the same. AT THE PARKING LOT Randy gets to his car and unlocks it. In the far-off background, Aric appears to be talking on a pay-phone, but he's watching Randy. ARIC (V.O.) He parks here every day that he works though. Randy's in, the car starts and he drives off. Coincidentally, Aric hangs up the phone and walks off in the opposite direction. INT. RANDY'S HOUSE - LATER Randy lets himself in and locks the door behind him. ARIC (V.O.) Randy's got aspirations--soon to be unfulfilled aspirations--to be an artist. Randy moves down a hall and into the bathroom. ARIC (V.O.) I let myself into his house a couple of days ago and checked out his art. He should be glad I'm gonna kill him; He paints like a blind man. Randy comes out, shrugging on a paint-stained shirt and heading into his paint-room. He sits on a stool, pouring out paint. He begins to brush it onto the canvas at work. ARIC (V.O.) Finish it tonight, Randy. Tomorrow, your stuff could finally be worth something. CUT TO: INT. ARIC'S HOUSE - EVENING Aric's eating at the kitchen table when there's a hard knock at the front door. He gets up quietly and creeps to the door. He peers out the eyehole. Standing on his doorstep is someone who looks suspiciously like a police DETECTIVE. Aric doesn't panic, just runs the options through his mind real quick. He combs a hand through his hair and opens the door. DETECTIVE Anne Arundel County P.D. How you doing, sir? ARIC Good. The detective flips open a pad of paper and has a pen ready. DETECTIVE You mister...Charles Anders? ARIC No, I'm Eric Wexler, his nephew. FLASH CUT: Aric killing Mr. Anders. FLASH CUT: Aric chases after his wife and grabs her by the hair as she's about to make it out the door. FLASH CUT back to Aric's hint of a smile. ARIC He's out of town for a few weeks and I'm watching the house for him. Nothing's happened to him, has it? DETECTIVE I wouldn't know. I'm sorry to disturb you this late, but we tried earlier and no one was home. ARIC No problem, I was just getting a bite to eat. DETECTIVE I'm sure you know that we had a murder right down the street the other night. ARIC I read about that. You know, I may have even thought I heard a gunshot that night, but I just figured it was my imagination. DETECTIVE Really? About what time was that? ARIC I really couldn't say. I woke up for a moment, but then went right back to sleep. DETECTIVE Didn't look at the clock, maybe? ARIC (shakes his head apologetically) Nope. (as if it just occurred to him) Hey, do you mind telling me who got killed? I saw his name in the paper, but it didn't ring a bell. DETECTIVE His name was Oliver Rust. Lived five doors down, 'cross the street. ARIC You serious? Did he just move in or something? I mean, I don't think I've seen him before, and I've lived here a while. DETECTIVE He's lived there... (checking notebook) ...almost seven years. The detective is looking down at his notebook, so he doesn't see how much that chills Aric. DETECTIVE Do you own a handgun, Mr. Blue? ARIC A handgun? No...I've got a .22 rifle though. The detective makes a note on his pad, then folds it up and tucks it away. DETECTIVE Ok. Here's my card. If you remember anything, even something you think is worthless, give me a call. Aric takes the card. ARIC Sure thing. The detective turns and walks to his car. Aric watches until he gets there, then shuts the door slowly. He whirls around as THE WHISPERING IS BACK - GROWING IN STRENGTH ARIC (V.O.) It can't be...he couldn't have been following me for seven years-- SHUT UP! Aric whirls and heads for the kitchen, pulling his shirt off and tossing it aside. In the kitchen, he yanks a drawer open and seizes a knife. He raises it to his chest like he's going to jam it in. WHISPERS (like the wind, in and out, sibilant) Who is it? Who is it, Aric? The point of the knife penetrates Aric's flesh slightly. The WHISPERS begin to fade slightly. Instead of pushing the knife in, Aric runs it up his chest, digging a bloody trail in his flesh. By the time the knife reaches its apex, the whispers are gone. Aric's breathing heavy. He grits his teeth, whirls and flings the knife away from him. It ricochets across the table and lands on the floor. INT. ARIC'S BATHROOM Steam rises from the still water. The surface ripples as Aric lies back into FRAME. The hot water soothes him and he lets most of his body lie immersed, only holding his face above. Then he submerges that too, holding his breath, letting the heat sink in. ARIC (V.O.) Just need some time. I can sort it all out, I just need some time to think. There's got to be some explanation-- Aric is grabbed by the hair, a gun barrel pressed to his forehead. He gets a gulp of water as he's pulled up. He catches only a glimpse of whoever's got him and his eyes are full of water, so it's not a good one. DARK Not like you to leave your door unlocked, Aric. I'm Dark. The hand with the gun is pulled away for a second, and then the man's fist slams into Aric's forehead, pounding him back into the linoleum. Aric blacks out. His head lolls to the side, his hair spreading into the water like long spider legs. IN THE LIVING ROOM Someone shuts the front door behind them. A second later, the deadbolt turns, being relocked from outside. DISSOLVE TO: INT. ARIC'S HOUSE - LATER DIFFERENT SHOTS of the inside of Aric's house. Still. Quiet. IN THE BATHROOM Aric surges awake in the bathtub, a growl coming immediately, like he awoke from a dream where he was a primeval man. There's not much humanity in his eyes as he leaps from the tub and races out. He snatches his gun from the nightstand and bolts out. Still naked, he systematically begins to search his house. When he's done, and he finds no one, he stands in the middle of his living room, looking around in indecision. Sanity begins to return as he realizes he's alone in the house. He suddenly feels the pain from where he was punched in the forehead, touches the spot gingerly. Naked, he stands there with the gun in his hand. CUT TO: INT. ARIC'S CAR - MORNING Aric's in work clothes, driving down the street. If looks could kill, every person he sees would be a corpse. ARIC (V.O.) I'd gotten lazy. Been stupid, and I almost got killed. I'm not the only one hunting humans. Whoever's hunting me...he's smart. He's good. A smile crosses his face. Not the kind of smile you want to see, though. It's cold as ice. ARIC (V.O.) I'm better. And I'm going to prove it. INT. OFFICE Aric rock-and-rolls through the door. BARB Hi, Aric. He ignores her, heading straight for his cubicle. He drops in his chair, grabs the Yellow Pages from a stack of books and flips it open. He's thumbing through the pages as Ken comes around the corner. KEN Aric, how are you feeling, buddy? ARIC (without turning) Good, I'm a little busy right now. KEN Got a hot lead, huh? ARIC I'm a little busy right now. KEN (put off) Oh. All right. He trudges away. Aric finds what he's looking for and grabs the phone. He doesn't dial though, as the thought hits him: ARIC (V.O.) These phones, there's no telling who could be listening in. He places the receiver back in its cradle. He stares at the opened page of the phone book, repeating a number silently. He closes the book, re-shelves it and heads out. As he walks past Barb, her head comes up. BARB That was quick. Aric says nothing as he's pulling something from his pocket, pushing open the door and leaving. Barb stares after him, her brows knitting in confusion. IN HIS CAR Aric's got his cel-phone out, dials the number he memorized. ARIC (into phone) Hi. I was looking to hire someone, and wondered if we couldn't meet to discuss it. (beat) No, I'd rather not. Do you know the bike trail where it crosses 100? Could you meet me there in an hour? My name is Aric. (beat) I'd prefer to discuss it then. Okay, see you there. He hangs up and smiles. There's definitely a plot forming in his devious mind. CUT TO: EXT. OVERPASS - DAY Aric's leaning back against the fence-barrier that prevents people from jumping onto the road below. His relaxed posture belies the tension in his body. A BIKER appears, cruising at a good speed toward Aric. Aric watches him until he passes and disappears in the other direction. A second goes by and someone steps onto the trail, enters the overpass. MARV ADAMS is young, maybe just past thirty. He's dressed down, just jeans and a T-shirt, with a windbreaker over it. He approaches Aric warily, stops short of him. MARV You Aric? Aric stands, but one of his hands is conspicuously in his pocket. ARIC Yeah. Marv pulls out a wallet and flips it open. "Private Investigator" can be seen easily, and a picture of Marv. MARV Marv Adams, Adams Investigations. He waits until Aric has finished inspecting the badge, then puts it away. MARV I have to tell you, this is pretty cloak and dagger stuff. Compared to my normal routine, I mean. Most a the time, I'm bustin' insurance scams, catchin' cheating husbands. That kind of shit. ARIC I'm sure. How long have you been a P.I.? MARV Eight years. Came out of the military, went right into it. ARIC How many people work for you? MARV Just me. I deal with other agencies sometimes, but it's just me. ARIC Good. I want this as quiet as possible. No one else knows about this but you. MARV Not a problem. ARIC Good. Someone's following me. They've been doing it for a while, and they even broke into my house a few nights ago. I want you to get pictures, and a name. Anything extra nets you a bonus. MARV Cash? ARIC I'll be paying you entirely in cash, and I don't want a receipt. I want you to get me what I asked for, and then forget about the whole thing. Marv eyes him up. MARV I'm not gonna be a party to any illegal shit, you know. If you're going to hurt him, or kill him, I don't wanna know about it. ARIC No illegal shit. Just find out who he is. MARV I'm $250 a day, plus expenses. Aric pulls an envelope out of his jacket pocket. He tosses it to Marv. ARIC That's two grand, cash. I don't expect it to take any more than that to get his name and pictures. MARV How am I going to contact you? I don't even know your last name. ARIC My address is in that envelope. Stake it out. I'm sure he's watching me there. My cellular phone number is also in there. Call me when you have something. MARV Not a problem. Aric walks away. Marv watches him for a moment, then peers inside the envelope, fanning the bills to see if they're real. They are. He puts the envelope in his windbreaker, heads back the way he came, WHISTLING a tune. CUT TO: INT. RANDY'S HOUSE Randy walks in, locks the door behind him. He pulls off his shirt and tosses it aside, heads for his painting room. When he walks through the door, Aric steps out and swings a steel chair leg at him. The leg hits Randy in the forehead with a thud like a fist hitting a watermelon. Randy drops immediately. ARIC You didn't think I was going to forget about you, did you Randy? DISSOLVE TO MINUTES LATER Aric's throwing gasoline all over Randy, on his clothes, his paintings, wherever. He tosses the can in the corner of the room. He moves to the doorway. Pulls a pack of matches out. Strips one out, strikes it to the black strip, and then uses it to light the rest of the pack. The glow of the fire burns in his eyes, twinkling as he takes in the scene for a moment. He throws the burning pack into the room as we CUT TO: INT. ARIC'S CAR - LATER Aric's cruising once more. ARIC (V.O.) I'm not positive that Marv will find this guy who calls himself Dark. I've got a feeling that Dark's better than that. That he'll catch Marv and kill him. Either way, it's a win-win situation for me. Marv should be able to keep him busy for a couple of days at least, before he gets himself killed. By then, maybe I'll have figured out who he is. Aric pulls up in front of his house. He gets out and goes to his porch, but stands there for a moment, staring out at the houses around his. No movement. Nothing. ARIC (V.O.) He could take me anytime. Put a bullet in my head from a half mile away. But he doesn't want that. He wants a game of me, and for that I respect him. (beat) I'm still going to butcher him like meat though. Aric turns, walks around the side and enters his house through that door. CUT TO: EXT. ARIC'S HOUSE - NIGHT From Aric's porch, we can see someone standing underneath the street light out front. Not much visible, as their entire body is cloaked in silhouette. Whoever it is, he's wearing a long trenchcoat, and he's watching Aric's house. SOMEONE STEPS INTO FOREGROUND and he's got a gun in his hand. It's Aric. The man on the street doesn't seem alarmed, even though he seems to be looking right at Aric. Aric moves down the cement front steps, his eyes scanning the area, either looking for witnesses or signs of a trap. When he's only about twenty steps from the stranger, Aric stops. DARK Aric. ARIC Who are you? DARK Dark. Aric smirks slightly. ARIC I think it's just the lighting. (beat) Who are you? DARK I'm the reason Jack the Ripper was never caught. I'm the reason you'll never be caught. Aric raises the gun at the man's head. DARK You're hunting humans, and I'm hunting you. The man smiles, and even in the dim light, his long canines shine palely. Aric frowns, tries to pull the trigger on the gun, but he's holding a knife now. The man rushes forward, his trenchcoat billowing behind him like a cape and-- INT. ARIC'S HOUSE Aric thrashes himself off of his bed and lands on the floor. He sits up fast, trying to get his bearings. The PHONE STARTS RINGING almost immediately. Aric's still a little disoriented. He gets up, pulling his senses together, and then picks up the phone. DARK (O.S. - PHONE) Hello, Aric. Aric smirks. ARIC If you're going to ask me what my favorite scary movie is, I'm gonna have to hang up. DARK (O.S. - PHONE) A sense of humor, I like that. Did you pick up the paper today? ARIC You don't know whether I picked up the paper today? DARK (O.S. - PHONE) You haven't. But do. You'll see my work. If you can outdo me within 2 days, I'll give you a week before I come at you again. ARIC What are you talking about? DARK (O.S. - PHONE) Stop playing stupid. I know you. I know your heart. You've got one like mine. It's dark and mangled, twisted and ugly. You think you're better than me, and you're going to try and prove it. So outdo me, and I'll give you a week. ARIC I don't need your week. I am better than you. DARK (O.S. - PHONE) Funny, that's not what you were saying when you were naked in the bathtub. Aric's jaw tenses; he's pissed. DARK (O.S. - PHONE) Play my game. If you don't, the authorities might come knocking at your door again, and this time, they might have evidence. I mean, did you have to shoot the dog too? DIAL TONE. Aric gently puts the phone back in the cradle, but the fury is just beneath it all, as if at any moment he could explode into a rage. WHISPERS, but they're not so insistent. WHISPERS that sound like "howdygeddin howdygeddin" over and over. ARIC He must have used lockpicks. Would have been easy enough with me in the bath. The WHISPERS continue, but they're almost unintelligible. Almost. ARIC SHUT UP! Surprisingly, they do. CUT TO: INT. ARIC'S CAR - LATER CLOSE UP on newspaper. The headline in question says "Three Dead In Brutal Daylight Slaying". PULL BACK and we see Aric is reading the article. Finished, he tosses it on the passenger seat. ARIC (V.O.) I hope that's not the best he can do. Three people having a picnic in the woods. Child's play. He smiles, CLOSE ON HIS SMILE. PULL BACK and it's hours later, and he's in a different parking lot. All we can see are trees behind him. He's looking at something OFF SCREEN. ARIC (V.O.) It's stupid. Reckless. It goes against one of the rules, but that's why I'm gonna do it. He gets out of his car, still surveying the area. ARIC (V.O.) You never hunt in the same place twice. Not normally. FOLLOW HIM as he walks toward what he was looking at. It's the movie theatre where he found Doug dead at the door. INT. MOVIE THEATRE Aric comes in from purchasing a ticket. ARIC (V.O.) I bet after Doug's murder they beefed up security...at night. Not a single guard in sight during the day. He doesn't purchase popcorn, but he does grab a napkin. ARIC (V.O.) This town's going to be talking about this for some time to come. Making sure no one is around, he opens an auditorium door with the napkin, slips in. A second later, he shoulders his way out again. ARIC (V.O.) Too many people in that one. He moves to the next one, enters. INT. AUDITORIUM The movie is playing, so it's pretty dark. Aric scans the crowd, which consists of four people, and not one couple. ARIC (V.O.) Perfect. Not one couple. Nobody in the back row. Aric sits in the back row and watches. He pulls a pair of gloves out of his pocket and nonchalantly slides them on. ARIC (V.O.) Must be some movie. Aric takes off his jacket and lays it on the seat next to him. Then he pulls out a WICKED KNIFE. The closest person to him is two rows up and to his right. Aric gets up, being careful to hold his seat so it doesn't rebound up and make noise. He moves quietly and sits directly behind the GUY, who doesn't even turn. Aric waits a second, then reaches around, covers the guy's mouth, and slices his throat. The guy struggles for just a second, but stops quickly. Aric pushes the guy's body gently to the side, so he slumps over and can't be seen. Next, Aric moves down the row, then up one, weaving back toward a FAT MAN munching on popcorn. As Aric sits behind him, he spares a look back, but isn't alarmed; Aric's staring raptly at the screen. As soon as the man turns back toward the screen, Aric lurches forward, covers the man's mouth and slices his throat. The man shakes and his popcorn almost falls off his knee. Aric manages to stab his knife into it, holding it up, as he keeps his hand over the guy's mouth. After a moment, the man is still. Aric grabs the popcorn and sticks it in an empty seat. Again, he pushes the man over. Aric sits back for a moment surveying. One PUNK toward the front on the right aisle seat, and a WOMAN toward the left. Aric gets up and strolls down to where the punk is, sits behind him. A second later, he slashes the punk's throat. The punk's leg kicks spastically at the seat in front of him, making a NOISE. PROFILE ON THE WOMAN She's heard the noise, but politely waits a moment, then turns. WOMAN'S POV Aric's watching the screen intently. There is no one in front of him. The woman turns back to the screen. She's Aric's last target. Aric smiles--almost done--then hears the auditorium door open before he sees anyone. The BOYFRIEND walks in through the door on the other aisle, heads toward the woman. He sits down next to her and hands her something, and in the dark, doesn't seem to have seen the bodies slumped over in their seats. ARIC (V.O.) Huh. Trouble. Aric backs up a row, casting a quick glance toward the projection booth; no one there, though. He crosses to the side where the couple is, and sits down behind them. The man gives him a wary once-over, but turns back to the screen when he determines Aric's not a threat. Aric takes a moment, a breath, and then grabs the woman by the hair and slices her throat. She makes a QUIET SQUEAL that's cut short when her windpipe is severed. Her boyfriend turns, sees her, makes the connection, comes lunging at Aric over the seats like a crazed bull. Aric puts one hand up and jabs the knife into the man's chest. The man's weight comes down, and his hands make it around Aric's throat, but the strength is leaving his body. He goes limp and Aric pushes his body to the side, not caring about noise anymore. Aric stands up and looks around to make sure he's not forgetting anything, hasn't overlooked anybody. He retrieves his jacket. At a fast walk, he heads toward the emergency exit and is gone. EXT. MOVIE THEATRE Aric pauses outside the door to survey the area. He pulls on the jacket, drops his bloody gloves inside and zips it up to cover the blood stains on his shirt. He walks to his car, pumped. ARIC Top that, you dark mutherfucker. Top that. He smiles viciously and gets in his car. EXT. ARIC'S HOUSE - LATER He gets out of his car and is heading for the back door when his cel-phone RINGS. ARIC Yeah. MARV (O.S. - PHONE) This is Marv. This Aric? ARIC Yeah. MARV (O.S. - PHONE) Got something for you. The guy that's watching you, I don't think he's your man. Aric makes his way into his house through the back door. MARV (O.S. - PHONE) He's taking pictures of you, but he's making a lot of phone calls. I got the impression he's like me, and he's reporting to someone. ARIC Shit. MARV (O.S. - PHONE) It's not so bad. He doesn't seem to be very good. He lost you when you left today, and he just gave up and went home after he made a call. ARIC What else have you got? MARV (O.S. - PHONE) The guy's name, his address. I watch him long enough, I'll find out who he's reporting to. ARIC No, that's okay. Bring the info by and put it in my mailbox when you know the guy's not out there. There'll be a packet of cash in the mailbox. Take it and forget about the whole thing. MARV (O.S. - PHONE) You sure? Most fun I've had in months. ARIC I said forget about it. MARV (O.S.) Okay, okay. I'll drop the packet off before midnight. Aric hangs up. ARIC (V.O.) Shit. Dark is two steps ahead of me. I've got to catch up. DISSOLVE TO: INT. ARIC'S HOUSE - LATER Aric walks in the door with a large manila envelope in his hand. He drops on the couch and pulls out a stack of photos. ARIC (V.O.) Frank Cooper. Aric takes a good long look at a photo of FRANK, who is standing behind a bush. Aric thumbs through more photos, and a couple of them show him watching Aric's house. In some, he's in his car, in others, he's got high-powered binoculars. ARIC (V.O.) He's been a busy boy. Aric scans a typed sheet of paper detailing Frank's activities, and it's got his address on it. ARIC (V.O.) Time for me to do the same. CUT TO: EXT. FRANK'S HOUSE - MORNING Frank comes out, gets in his car and drives off. A moment later, Aric slips around the side of the house and opens the screen door. He pushes the door and it opens. ARIC (V.O.) Frank's not the sharpest tool in the shed. Doesn't even have a deadbolt. Ever want to get through a one-knob door, tape some packing tape on the front, right where the core sticks out. When the door is opened, the tape will stay on and bend back over as the door is shut. It'll get in the way so the door can't lock. It's a lot easier than picking a lock. Of course, it doesn't work on newer locks with stiff springs, but on older ones, it's pretty reliable. Aric peels off the tape and shuts the door behind him. Aric systematically checks out the house, looking in closets, reading mail and bills. In the bedroom, he hits paydirt. A desk with a computer on top. He sits down, turns it on and begins to rifle through the desk drawers. The computer BEEPS. On the screen is the word "PASSWORD". ARIC Fuck. Aric continues to flick through the papers he's pulled out. He sets them down in the same order he pulled them out, then reaches farther in and pulls out a bank balance sheet that also has canceled checks in it. Aric smiles. ARIC (V.O.) Frank...you sweet, stupid idiot. (beat) He's put his social security number on his checks. Word to the wise--not a smart thing to do. That number is your life. Aric begins scribbling info on a scrap piece of paper he's pulled from his pocket. He flips to the actual statement portion and his eyebrows rise. ARIC (V.O.) Nice chunk of change he's got in his savings account. Wonder where that came from. Aric turns back to the computer. ARIC (V.O.) Some password programs will report any attempts to infiltrate them. I can't take the chance with this one, but I'd love to see what's so important that he needs a password. Aric shuts off the computer. ARIC (V.O.) Good enough for now. CUT TO: INT. OFFICE/ARIC'S CUBICLE - LATER Aric's at his desk. ARIC (V.O.) I run a credit report on Frank. Marv gave me an approximate age, which gave me a rough year of birth. After eleven tries, I get his month and year, and with his social security number, his credit history is mine. Brad comes by, sees Aric in his cubicle and stops. BRAD Aric, little early for you, isn't it? ARIC Got some good stuff going. ARIC (V.O.) So fuck off. BRAD Nice. You ought to come over my house, see the new addition to my gun collection. ARIC What did you get? BRAD An SKS assault rifle. Chinese version of the Ak47. Some kind of sweet. And technically-- (he winks and lowers his voice) --you're not supposed to be able to buy them in this state anymore. ARIC You lawbreaker, you. BRAD (like he's slick) I got connections. But you ought'a see it, man, it's even got a bayonet on it. ARIC You gonna shoot a deer with that? BRAD Maybe. But hey, it's good home protection, anyway. There's a lot of nuts out there. You hear about those people that were killed at the movies yesterday? Aric plays stupid. ARIC No, what happened? BRAD You're not going to believe it, but like ten people were killed while they were watching a movie. Each one had their throat cut open. Aric makes a suitably-horrified face. BRAD No shit. The cops don't know how it was done, unless there was more than one killer. ARIC Wow, that's unbelievable. BRAD Yeah. Hey, you need a gun, just let me know. ARIC (ala Lost Boys) I'll let you know. BRAD Anything for a buddy. He gives him a wink and points his finger at Aric like a gun, makes a cheeky noise. BRAD Talk at ya later. ARIC (V.O.) (sarcastic) Wonderful. ARIC Count on it. Aric turns back to the credit report. ARIC (V.O.) Frank lists his current employer as Cooper Snoopers. (shakes his head;you gotta be kidding) Two previous employers still on record. Last known address is correct. Aric purses his lips. ARIC (V.O.) He's got nine credit cards and every one is paid in full. That's not the American way. Aric leans back in his chair, thinks hard. ARIC (V.O.) I've got to get into his computer. CUT TO: EXT. FRANK'S HOUSE - NIGHT Aric's behind a tree with a pair of binoculars to his face. THROUGH BINOCULARS is a window with the blinds partially open, and we can see FRANK typing on his computer. BACK TO ARIC ARIC (V.O.) Been a while since I had to stoop to being a peeping Tom. He's probably typing up a report about how he couldn't find me today. THROUGH BINOCULARS Frank finishes and turns off the monitor. He stands up and heads for the bathroom to get ready for bed. Aric smiles. ARIC (V.O.) Bless your stupid little heart, Frank. This pattern is going to come back to bite you on the ass. CUT TO: INT. ARIC'S HOUSE - LATER Aric's at his computer. ARIC (V.O.) Frank's an internet surfer. In the interest of saving time and wear on his computer, he leaves it on all night, just turns off the monitor when he goes to bed. CUTS OF ARIC'S HANDS TYPING, HIM REMOVING A DISC FROM HIS DISC DRIVE. CUT TO: EXT. FRANK'S HOUSE - NIGHT Aric walks down the sidewalk casually, like someone taking a walk at night. He's scanning the houses around, but there are no lights on in any of them. He darts to Frank's door and flattens himself in the darkness of the doorway. ARIC (V.O.) It takes me an hour and a half to get what I need and come back. I've also got my gun in case he wakes up. If I have to kill him, the entire plan is shot. This time, Aric uses lockpicks to let himself in. ARIC (V.O.) Hollywood would have you think picking a lock takes ten seconds. More like five minutes, and that's if you're good. Sometimes you can get in faster through a technique called scrubbing the pins, where you apply a little torque to the doorknob and--hell, like you know what I'm talking about. INSIDE he doesn't even shut the front door all the way. He makes his way slowly, the gun held at ready as he creeps toward the bedroom. He stops at the doorway to the bedroom and peers in. Frank is in bed, and appears to be sleeping. Aric gives it a moment and moves cautiously into the room. He goes straight for the computer. He doesn't sit in the seat, just hunches next to it. He gently depresses the monitor button and eases it up so it makes little noise. He's greeted by a Windows 95 desktop. He maneuvers the mouse quietly, click, move, click, and he's looking at a DOS prompt. ARIC (V.O.) (whispering) This could be a little loud. He slides a disk into the drive slot, wincing at the click. He spares a look toward Frank, but Frank hasn't moved. Aric types something, taking pains to be very quiet, then hits enter. The drive whirs for a moment, then the DOS prompt comes back. Frank moves. Aric stands up, quick as a cat and just as quiet. His gun is level at Frank, and there's a red laser dot on the back of Frank's head. Frank shifts some more, settles, then FARTS. Aric's hand never wavers. When he thinks Frank isn't going to move anymore, he reaches over with his free hand and gets back to the Windows screen. Still keeping the dot on the back of Frank's head, he quietly turns off the monitor. Aric lets up on the laser sight, but still keeps the gun on Frank as he backs out of the room. INT. ARIC'S CAR Aric's driving off. ARIC (V.O.) I installed a key-capture program on his computer. It's running behind Windows, so there's almost no way he'll find it. It's not a virus, so a virus-checker isn't going to locate it either. What it does is make a record of every keystroke he makes. Aric smirks. ARIC (V.O.) Unfortunately, I have to go back in his house to retrieve the file. By tomorrow night, I'll have his password. I'll know everything he typed the entire day. Day after that, I'll spend some time getting to know Mr. Cooper. Wouldn't be at all surprised to find some kiddie porn on his hard drive. I mean, really. The people I have to deal with. He makes a turn onto another road, and that's when the phone rings. Aric looks at it suspiciously before picking it up. ARIC Yeah. DARK (O.S. - PHONE) Hey buddy. Aric licks his lip distastefully. ARIC How'd you get this number? DARK (O.S. - PHONE) Oh, I got all your numbers, Aric. ARIC How'd the number five sound to you? DARK (O.S. - PHONE) (chuckles) That was good work, I'll give you that. You topped me. ARIC Wasn't too hard. DARK (O.S. - PHONE) (chuckles some more) Feisty, aren't you? Don't worry, I'll give you the week I promised you. ARIC Don't go out of your way on my account. DARK (O.S. - PHONE) No problem. Hey, what's that? ARIC What? DARK (O.S. - PHONE) In your rearview mirror. Aric checks. Headlights approaching in the distance. Aric's eyes narrow dangerously. ARIC What are you talking about? Dark doesn't respond. The headlights are getting closer, as whoever is in the car is driving faster than Aric. Aric's eyes jerk back and forth between the road in front, and his rearview mirror, tracking the progress of the car as it nears. Then: DARK (O.S. - PHONE) I'm just fucking with you. Like I know where you are. Aric purses his lips in anger, watches as the car passes him. There's a woman driving. ARIC I'll see you soon. He hangs up. ARIC (V.O.) I'm gonna kill him good. CUT TO: EXT. FRANK'S HOUSE - NIGHT Aric's back at post, binocular-watching Frank. Frank turns off his light and gets ready for bed. Aric smiles. ARIC (V.O.) Like clockwork. INT. FRANK'S HOUSE Aric lets himself in the front door, gun in hand. Again, he makes his way to Frank's bedroom door. He peers in, sees Frank sleeping. Moves quietly to the computer and clicks on the monitor. He quickly gets to DOS and inserts a disk, keeping half-an-eye on Frank the whole time. He types copy keycap.txt A: and hits return. The disk drive whirs for a couple of seconds and stops. He takes out the disk. He stands, puts the laser dot on the back of Frank's head. ARIC (V.O.) I should put a bullet in the back of his spying head. It would be that easy. Aric allows the smallest hint of a smile, but then the red dot disappears. ARIC (V.O.) Can't let Dark know I'm onto him though. He leaves. CUT TO: INT. ARIC'S HOUSE - LATER Aric's at the computer, reading a screenfull of text, and writing down specific things. ARIC (V.O.) The first thing he typed when he got up in the morning is "spyguy". Looks like his internet password. If he's an idiot, it's the same password he uses everywhere. He wrote a message to someone he calls Al about how much it'll cost him to find a missing relative. He powered down the computer sometime later-- He smiles, shakes his head. ARIC (V.O.) And then powered up using the password "spyguy" to get into his computer. All I have to say is, he must be good at surveillance. There's no way an idiot like this could be keeping an eye on me without me noticing unless he's damn good. He continues to scan the paper. CUT TO: INT. FRANK'S HOUSE - DAY Aric is in front of Frank's computer, his eyes scanning down a screen of text. ARIC (V.O.) I spend most of the day learning all of Frank's secrets. He's got accounting records, client files, he's even got a journal. It's all password- protected, of course. The password's spyguy on all of them. Aric clicks down, the page scrolls. ARIC (V.O.) The journal makes brief mention of Dark. Frank's gotta be a little shady to accept work from someone who pays all cash and only gives his name as Dark. Anyway, it says Dark paid him to watch me at my house, take pictures and note times and...which door of my house I enter and exit from. Aric gives one of his ice-cold smiles as his gaze wanders away. ARIC (V.O.) Frank is the walking dead. I can already feel his lease on life slipping away. Aric turns back to the monitor. ARIC (V.O.) Dark told him not to follow me anywhere, which means Dark must have been following me himself. Aric clicks down some more. ARIC (V.O.) Dark paid him cash, a good bit. From the rest of the journal, it's pretty easy to see Frank's the money-grubbing sort. Not much in the way of morals, long as he gets his money. Aric's fingers start flying on the keys as he gets to work. ARIC (V.O.) Oh yeah, it's all starting to come together nicely. CUT TO: INT. OFFICE/ARIC'S CUBICLE - DAY Aric's at his desk looking pretty bored. ARIC (V.O.) Have to keep up the act, that everything's normal, or Dark may catch on. I'd rather be anywhere else, but I don't have much choice. The PHONE RINGS. Aric picks it up. ARIC Hello? Yes, Miss Harper. Was that today? I'm sorry, I can't make it. (beat) Something came up. I apologize. (beat, then quiet) Get off my back, bitch, I told you I can't make it. He hangs up. ARIC (V.O.) Smooth, real smooth. Aric starts tapping his pencil on the desk, leans back in his desk, letting his thoughts wander. FLASH CUT Aric unconscious in the bath. BACK TO ARIC AT HIS DESK Something's starting to gel in his mind. FLASH CUT Aric by the phone, HARSH WHISPERING "HOWDYGEDDIN" over and over. BACK TO ARIC AT HIS DESK Closer on him. FLASH CUT Aric, cutting into his chest to make the whispers go away. BACK TO ARIC AT HIS DESK Closer. FLASH CUT Someone walking out of Aric's house, the deadbolt locking from the outside. FLASH CUT - CLOSER on the deadbolt locking from the outside. BACK TO ARIC - CLOSE Aric sits up suddenly, his face serious. SLOW MO He stands up, moves to the edge of his cubicle and looks down toward Barb's desk. She's scribbling something, but stops. A moment later, she looks up. Sees Aric's look. Her eyes immediately fall, then guiltily come back, as if reassessing Aric's look. It's still accusing, icy. Her eyes fall again. EXT. OFFICE Around the side of the building. Barb sits back against the wall, nervously smoking a cigarette. Aric's in front of her. BARB He picked me up one night, not a bad looking guy, but nothing great. He just seemed...dangerous, you know, kind of cool. Said his name was Deckard. Aaron Deckard. Aric's silent. BARB We went out a couple of times, and he started asking questions about my work, you know, questions that led to him asking about you. She's having a hard time disguising her shaking hand. BARB He's mean, Aric. First time I stopped answering his questions, he hit me. Hit me hard, but no- where it would show. He said he'd kill me if I didn't do everything he said. He said he'd kill my children, Aric. ARIC So you borrowed my keys for five minutes and made an imprint. BARB I had no choice, Aric, he would have killed Sarah and Michael. He would have, I know it! Aric smiles sadly. ARIC It's okay, Barb. His eyes say different though, but she's looking at the ground. ARIC Now. Here's what you're going to do. And if you don't, I'll rape Sarah and kill her. Then I'll rape Michael and kill him. And I'll let you live. She looks up slowly, as if she didn't hear correctly. She's sees his eyes, the emptiness in them, and she believes him. ARIC Do as I say and you won't have to worry about him ever again. BARB You're like him. ARIC I'm worse. Now here's what you're going to do. His words can't be heard, as we BACK OFF SLOWLY. CUT TO: EXT. ARIC'S HOUSE - EVENING Aric's got a duffel bag as he comes out of the house. He keeps a watchful eye as he heads to his car. FROM INSIDE THE BACK OF HIS CAR POV Aric rounds his car and is out of sight for a moment. Then, a second later, he's back, staring AT CAMERA. CLOSE ON ARIC UNLOCKING his hatchback, flips the door up. THERE'S A DEAD WOMAN LYING THERE, A PIECE OF PAPER IN HER HANDS. It says "Can I Have A Loan Now?" ARIC (V.O.) Miss Harper. Guess I won't have to reschedule that appointment-- A car pulls up in front of Aric's. It's the detective that stopped by before. Aric has balls of stone. He tosses the duffel bag on top of the body as if he opened the hatch back to do just that. The bag doesn't cover much of Miss Harper. He shuts the door and walks to the front of his car as the detective gets out. DETECTIVE Mr...Wessler, right? Aric's got one hand on his hip, and from behind, WE CAN SEE that his gun is just inches from his reach. ARIC (smiles, very friendly) Wexler. How's it going, detective? DETECTIVE Not bad, not bad. ARIC Still canvassing the neighborhood, huh? DETECTIVE Yeah, actually I didn't get a chance to talk to your neighbor here. ARIC Good luck. DETECTIVE Thanks. The detective heads toward Aric's neighbor's house, but then stops and spins. DETECTIVE Hey, sorry. I wanted to ask, was that one shot or two that you thought you heard that night? Aric seems to be thinking about it, but he's trying to decipher the detective's expression. ARIC You know, now that I think about it, it might have been two. I was still a bit groggy from waking up. The detective's look is hard to read. He nods his head. DETECTIVE Okay. Thanks again. This time, he turns and heads to the neighbor's house. Aric's venomous eyes watch him for a moment, but then Aric gets in his car. ARIC (V.O.) Pompous ass. Detectives are all like that. They look at you like you're guilty, like you're automatically guilty because you're not the law. The door opens and the detective says something to the person inside. A moment later, the detective steps into the house and the door shuts. A small smile plays on Aric's lips. He looks around and doesn't see anyone. ARIC (V.O.) Well. This isn't the smartest thing I've ever done. He gets out of the car. MOMENTS LATER, CLOSE UP on a trunk door slamming shut. PULL BACK to reveal Aric has shut the detective's trunk. He quickly walks back to his car and starts it up. FROM BEHIND HIS CAR, we can see into the back, and the woman's body is no longer there. Aric's car pulls off. ARIC (V.O.) I couldn't drive around with a dead body in my car, could I? IN THE CAR Aric's smirk is back. ARIC (V.O.) He probably won't find the body for a good six hours at the earliest. I'll be long gone by then. Aric pulls out his cel-phone and dials a number. ARIC (into phone) Now. DISSOLVE TO: INT. FRANK'S HOUSE Frank's lying on the floor, dead, Aric standing above him. DARK (O.S.) Good work. Aric whips around, knife in hand, going for the pistol at his belt. He stops when he sees the gun that Dark has trained on him. Aric's also a little surprised to notice that Dark is Marv, the detective he hired. DARK Too bad for you that I know all your moves. You just can't trust your friends, or your co-workers for that matter. (beat) Your expression right now is priceless. Aric's still cool and collected though. DARK I've been scanning your cel phone for a month now. I heard you call Marv, and I wanted to keep this between us. As soon as you hung up with him, I called him back as you and canceled the meet. It seems that you reconsidered hiring him. Then I showed up in his place, and you bought it just like that. I was almost a little disappointed. I expected more. ARIC Oh. Like this? Frank. Frank sits up, and he's got a gun in his hand and it's pointing at Dark. He wipes a finger across the "blood" on his neck and pops it in his mouth, nods appreciably. Dark raises an eyebrow, shifts the gun so it's on Frank. Aric takes his time drawing his gun. ARIC You should have paid him more. I did. Dark's thinking hard, it seems. His eyes shift from Aric to Frank, then back again. Aric smiles confidently. ARIC Come on. Don't be bashful now. Dark meets Aric's stare with his own. DARK Hm. (turns to Frank) All right, enough of that. Aric cocks his head like, what? DARK Enough, Frank. Frank smiles, then turns his gun on Aric. FRANK Oh, all right, but it was fun, you gotta admit. I think he thought he had you. Drop the gun. It's Aric's turn to be surprised. He puts the gun on the ground. DARK Saw that one coming from a mile away, Aric. I told Frank up front that if you ever offered to buy his services, I'd offer five grand on top of what you offered. So when you approached him--he was a little surprised to have been made--he came to me and told me about the plan. He looks dead, I catch you, then he pops up and surprises me. Dark feigns a concerned look. DARK How'd I do? Did I look surprised? I tried, I honestly did. FRANK I thought it was good. DARK Thanks. (back to Aric) So...I think you can see which one of us is better at the game. I've been two moves ahead of you at every turn. (beat) Don't play chess much, do you Aric? No words, just Aric's smouldering gaze. DARK If you did, you'd realize that this game is all about anticipating. Anticipating your opponent's moves and countering them, which you'd know if you were really good at the game. But you're not, are you? You're a rank amateur compared to me. You were simply out of your league. Aric's nostrils flare and his look says it before he does: ARIC It's not over. DARK Oh? Another move? Go ahead then. ARIC I can give you more money, Frank. Frank smiles; yeah, right. ARIC I can give you, say...one-hundred and thirty-three thousand, four hundred and twelve dollars and some change. Frank chuckles, as well as Dark. Seems like a pretty pathetic plea to both of them. A moment later, though, and Frank's smile melts. Something's strange about that number. FRANK Where'd you get that figure? Dark notices his discomfort, shifts his looks back and forth between Aric and Frank. ARIC From your computer. Specifically, from your bank saving's account. That's how much money used to be in it. Frank looks at him in speechless disbelief. He shoots a glance at Dark, then back to Aric. FRANK (a challenge) You're lying. ARIC Maybe you're right. Spyguy. Frank raises his gun threateningly level with Aric's head. DARK Hey! He's mine! FRANK (to Aric) You better be fucking lying, you sonovabitch. ARIC (smiles) I would have thought you'd be a little smarter than to use the same password for everything. I mean, your PIN number and everything? Frank looks like he's on the verge of pulling the trigger. ARIC I'll give it all back, just put that gun on him first. Frank's turning the possibilities over in his mind. For a second, the gun wavers between Dark and Aric. FRANK You're lying. He looks to Dark for reinforcement. DARK He's lying, Frank. Calm down. FRANK You fucking calm down! ARIC Check, Frank. See if I'm lying. Aric sends a smug smile Dark's way. DARK He's obviously lying. FRANK Shut up. Frank moves to his computer, powers it up. It BEEPS and he types in his password, presses return. It BEEPS again. ARIC Oh, sorry. I changed the password. Type G-O-N-E. Frank is furious, gives an angry look toward Dark. He types in GONE and the computer begins to whir, booting up. FRANK (to Dark) You better pray my money's still in there. You got me into this, and if I have to shoot you to get out of it... (nods, like--I will) The main screen comes up and he quickly clicks to the web, dials his access number. Aric's eyes meet Dark's. Dark smirks. Aric smiles slightly. Frank's on the web. He goes to his Bookmarks, one marked "Savings Account, First, FRANK COOPER" and clicks there. The web page pops up, and after a second, displays his account. Frank goes down past all his info like name and address and date opened. It's not hard to read all his info. The number $0.00 right next to balance says it all. FRANK It's gone! Frank stands up, knocks a stack of papers off of the desk angrily. Kicks the chair over, livid. FRANK Gone! DARK Calm down, Frank. FRANK You can take your calm downs and shove 'em up your fucking ass, you-- BLAM! Frank looks down, where his shirt is rapidly darkening crimson. His strength seems to leave him, and the gun drops from his hand about the same time his knees hit the floor. He goes face down on his own carpet. Dark turns the smoking gun back on Aric who doesn't seem to be smiling anymore. DARK That was nice. That was...masterful, really. How'd you get all of his money out of there? ARIC I didn't. I just changed his bookmark so it went to another web page. A web page I created that looks just like his savings account page, only with no balance. Dark considers it, then starts laughing. ARIC The domain name looks almost identical, and I figured he wouldn't be in any state of mind to bother considering it. DARK Oh man. Oh man, that is too much. You didn't even have his money. (laughs) Oh man. It's a shame I have to kill you, 'cause together we could rule the world. ARIC I don't need you, to rule the world. DARK Aren't you the broken record? Get over yourself, Aric. You've lost. Aric smiles again. Nods toward the window. ARIC Tell him that. Dark looks, doesn't see anything. DARK Is this a variation on the "There's someone behind you" routine? ARIC It could be, but that wouldn't explain the dot on your chest. Dark looks down. There's a bright red dot from a laser sight, and it's right over his heart. ARIC Checkmate. Deckard. Dark's real unhappy. ARIC Drop the gun. Dark considers it. Dark considers shooting Aric anyway, you can see it in his eyes. A tense second. Then he drops the gun. ARIC (yells outside) Keep it on him, Brad! Dark runs. Just like that, he's out the bedroom door. Aric spares a moment to shoot a glance out the window, then bolts out after him. Dark is around a corner in the hall, and trips Aric with a well-placed foot. Aric goes down hard on his stomach, arms out. Without looking, he aims over his shoulder and FIRES OFF a shot, but it's wide. Dark is moving past him fast, is halfway down the stairs as Aric scrambles to his feet and bolts after him. EXT. FRANK'S HOUSE The door is open as Aric comes out, quick but cautious. He sees Dark running away towards the woods, and heads after him. EXT. WOODS Aric enters the path into the woods. He skirts the edge, moving slowly so he doesn't make much noise. He stops and hunches down, begins to scan the woods around him. ARIC (V.O.) The first thing the human eye notices is movement. The second is color. He's not dressed-- Aric's head jerks to the side as he hears a NOISE, like a twig snapping. His stare tries to penetrate the darkness, but can't pick out his enemy. The NOISE, again, but from a different direction. Aric doesn't move his head, just his eyes. ARIC (V.O.) He's throwing sticks to try and get me to give away my position. He doesn't know where I am either. Aric creeps forward slowly. ARIC (V.O.) If he keeps throwing the sticks, I think I can get an idea where he is. Aric goes forward a few more feet, hunches next to a tree. ANOTHER STICK, sounds like it's not far way. Aric smiles slightly. Zeroing in on Dark. He moves forward some more. Waits. Creeps some more. Watches. A SNAP-- Aric frowns, spinning around and looking up as DARK DROPS ON HIM from a branch above. Dark knocks into him, but Aric manages to fall back and not get caught underneath his weight. Both men are up fast, but Dark is faster. As Aric brings the gun up to aim, Dark lashes out with his foot, hits Aric's hand and knocks the gun away. Aric winces, shakes his hand in pain. Dark smiles. He likes the way it's going now. DARK Let me guess. You were trying to figure out where I was by the sticks I was throwing. No response from Aric. DARK Would have worked too, but you were thinking two dimensional instead of three. ARIC Don't you ever shut up? DARK (smiles) May the best man win. ARIC The best man will win. Aric rushes him and punches at Dark's face. From the way Dark moves and reacts, he's obviously trained in the martial arts. He wing-blocks Aric's punch, and back-fists him. Aric stumbles back, but Dark presses his advantage, following with a side-kick to Aric's midsection. Aric drops to his knees and Dark, smiling confidently, steps back to savor the moment. DARK It's a shame, with that physique of yours, that you never learned how to fight. Me, I've been training my body for almost ten years. I've got advance belts in four different martial arts. (motioning at his own body) I may not look as good as you, but I can kick your ass seven ways to Sunday. Aric stands. He shoots looks to Dark's left, then his right. Looking for something. He rushes Dark, trying to tackle him. Dark stands his ground as Aric grapples around his midsection. He slams the sharp side of his hands down on Aric's neck--hard--and Aric drops to his knees again. Dark tries to knee him in the face, but Aric manages to catch most of it with his arm. He falls away, rolls and tries to come up ready. Dark's not pushing it. He's enjoying the moment. Aric hands are moving around in the leaves, searching for something. DARK What are you looking for? Your gun's over there. (points away) A stick maybe? Go ahead, I've learned how to defend against sticks. Knives. Swords. Nunchucks. If it makes you feel better, go ahead. Aric comes up with a branch. He holds it in front of him like a sword, then takes another go at Dark, swinging across at Dark's head. Dark drops to the ground and sweeps a leg out, up-ending Aric, who lands on his back. Dark moves back into his stance, dances around a little bit like Bruce Lee. He's having a lot of fun. Aric stands up and takes the moment Dark gives him to look around like he's getting his bearing. Aric flexes his muscles bit, tries to loosen up. After a moment, he rushes Dark again. Dark steps to the side and judo-throws Aric past him. Aric lands on his stomach in some shrubs. He crawls to a tree, hunts in the grass. DARK You're getting pretty pathetic. I like that. Aric finds something in the grass. There's an AUDIBLE CLICK, very metallic. Very recognizable. The hammer of a gun being cocked. Aric stands up and there's a gun in his hand, but not the one he came in the woods with. Aric takes a second to catch his breath, but his smile doesn't wait. ARIC How's that three-dimensional mind of yours processing this? Nothing. Dark's expression is sombre, but it's changing. Turning to rage. ARIC I knew you were gonna to go to Frank's house, and I knew you were gonna run into this small patch of woods. Know how many guns I hid out here? (doesn't wait for an answer) Eighteen. He smiles death. ARIC You win some...you win some. Dark clenches his teeth, the rage finally in control. With the beginning of a growl in his throat, he rushes Aric. Aric shoots him in the head. Dark falls flat on his face. Aric takes a step closer, FIRES another shot into the back of Dark's head. He takes a moment. Then he walks off back toward the house. CUT TO: EXT. FRANK'S HOUSE Aric walks up to the front of Frank's house where Brad is waiting out front, gun case in hand. BRAD Where is he? ARIC He got away. I told you he'd whack out. BRAD I heard shots out there. ARIC He shot at me. I'm telling you, all this for a girl. BRAD We gotta call the cops, man. That guy in there...he's dead. ARIC I know. We'll get the police and they'll straighten it all out. Brad nods, turns toward his car. Aric pulls the gun from his waistband and shoots Brad point-blank in the back of the head. Brad's body topples to the ground. Aric picks up his spent shell and puts it in his pocket. He moves off into the darkness, at home in the black. CUT TO: EXT. ROAD A car we don't recognize zips down the road. INT. ARIC'S CAR It's Aric's new car, and he's dressed to kill, excuse the pun. ARIC (V.O.) When it was over, I had to kill them all. Barb. Ken. A few others. It went against the rules, but I had to do it. They knew too much. (beat) Ok, I killed Ken on principle alone, but the others knew too much. Aric merges onto a larger road, an expressway. ARIC (V.O.) It's time to move on again. There are too many bodies behind me. The police would catch up soon. Aric's voice gets an edge to it. ARIC (V.O.) Nietzsche said that every living thing reaches out as far from itself with its force as it can, and overwhelms what is weaker. He smiles at the thought. ARIC (V.O.) I'm going to be reaching out in a new city. I'll have new prey. A new playground. Should be exciting. (beat) Never know, it could be your city. Of course, I won't be the only one hunting humans there. I never am. So the next person you come across, stare him deep in the eye and see if there's anything behind that glassy surface. (beat) Do you know what he's thinking? Are you sure? You never know, he could be me, or maybe like me. You just never know. Aric smiles, cold as death. ARIC (V.O.) I'm not the only one hunting humans. I never am. He drives on. EXT. ROAD His car continues on towards the new city as we FADE OUT