RODDY (26, black, intense, dedicated) sits at his desk,
watching the monitor for abnormalities in space. Three empty
cups of coffee sit on his desk, and he rubs his eyes while
trying not to fall asleep.
Hip-hop and rap music blare in the background as Roddy dances
his way to get more coffee. He pours another cup and returns
to his station.
Endless blips sound on the screen, and they are accompanied
by flashes of light. He leans closer to the monitor,
increases magnification, and focuses on the screen. The rate
of the blips increases until the screen is covered with
flashes of light.
Roddy sets his coffee down, mutes the music, and dials Amanda
(40s, no-nonsense) at headquarters.
RODDY
Amanda, this is Roddy at BB1. I’m
seeing a lot of activity from that
meteor shower they warned us about.
(a beat)
At first, it looked to be heading
toward Asia, but now I see meteors
moving in all directions.
AMANDA
We’re getting similar reports from
other stations. Keep an eye on it.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
3 -
Infiltration Protocol
EXT. OUTER SPACE - NIGHT
A large spaceship hovers in space, mixing in with waves of
meteors hurtling toward Earth. Inside are FOUR ALIENS
(ageless, leather-like grayish skin, tall, with elongated
faces, ears and noses, yellow vertical slits for eyes) and a
PILOT (ageless, inquisitive).
2
PILOT
Áda'áł daazhwigo hazhó" ii dah
ałkadziilyé bił ałkáád biiltá."(The
human’s monitoring activity
indicates we may have been
noticed.)
KARO (ageless, leader, logical, practical) moves to the
monitoring screen and studies it. He adapts his speech device
to English.
KARO
Ensure it doesn’t happen again.
Karo makes a few adjustments to his device so that his
English is flawless.
KARO (CONT’D)
Pilot, I need to communicate with
all landing parties. And make it a
code six communique.
Pilot adjusts the radio waves and signals to Karo.
KARO (CONT’D)
This is Commander Karo. We have
successfully broken the first
barrier and anticipate teams to be
inserted soon.
(A beat)
Each landing party will be dropped
near the targeted cities. Once
there, you will insinuate yourself
into the positions you were
assigned.
(a beat)
And don’t forget, the key to
success is secrecy, so if anyone is
injured or requires medical
attention, swallow your capsule.
Karo ends the conversation, then presses a button on the
chair and it molds into a comfortable cushion.
KARO (CONT’D)
You will forget your real names,
and assume the names of the human
forms chosen for you. Once you
subsume a form, you not only look
identical to them, but you obtain
their memories as well.
(pause)
(MORE)
3
KARO (CONT’D)
And get used to your new body. You
will likely die in it.
CREW MEMBER ONE
Anything else?
KARO
Previous landing parties have
reported a condition called
photophobia.
(a beat)
It makes your eyes sensitive to
intense light: headlights, strong
sunlight, but not typical lighting.
We are working on a fix but so far,
nothing.
CREW MEMBER ONE
Do we have a choice in the form we
assume?
KARO
You can accept the form we chose,
or you can swallow your capsule.
JUSTINE
And you, Commander? Whose form will
you take?
Karo smirks at JUSTINE (30s, bulldog tenacity, determined,
focused).
KARO
I have been granted a reprieve from
the High Commander. I will keep my
current form — for now.
JUSTINE
You’re waiting for a high-level
target, aren’t you?
Karo’s ears twitch and his eyes roll to the side, his best
attempt at a smile.
KARO
Just remember that these are
violent people.
4
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
4 -
Breaking News and Breakfast Banter
INT. GALLO HOUSE - DAY
RANCE GALLO (35, inquisitive, ambitious, active, relentless)
bounds down the steps and into the kitchen, where EMILY GALLO
(35, trim and fit, perky and sassy, fiercely intelligent)
sits eating breakfast.
A newspaper is spread on the table in front of her.
RANCE
How is my beautiful wife this
morning?
Emily sips her tea and takes a bite of her bagel.
EMILY
Still beautiful.
RANCE
Of course, you are.
EMILY
I was just about to wake you. I
don’t mean to dampen your mood, but
take a look at your competitors'
headlines. It seems as if you
missed the story of the year.
Rance moves behind Emily and looks over her shoulder. He
snatches the paper from her and scans the headlines.
RANCE
Son of a bitch!
Rance pours a cup of coffee, sits at the table, and reads. He
then opens his phone and turns it on to see ten missed calls.
He kisses Emily and rushes for the door.
RANCE (CONT’D)
Gotta go, babe. Call you later.
EMILY
You want me to come?
RANCE
You know your father's opinion
about women in the newsroom.
EMILY
His views on women make it all the
more reason to go. That nonsense
stopped decades ago.
5
RANCE
I'm fine.
Rance opens the door and rushes out.
Emily grabs her purse and starts for the door. She's halfway
there when Rance comes back in. He laughs when he sees her
prepared to go.
RANCE (CONT’D)
You knew I'd come back.
EMILY
I've been married to you for a long
time, Mr. Gallo.
Rance chuckles, then breaks into a full laugh.
Genres:
["Drama","Romance"]
Ratings
Scene
5 -
Tensions in the Newsroom
INT. WWNEWS - DALLAS - DAY
Rance steps off the elevator to see RJ Stryker (60s, intense,
determined) berating the newsroom employees.
RJ
You're supposed to be goddamn
reporters, so how did we miss this?
Rance approaches RJ and taps his shoulder.
RANCE
I've got this, RJ. It was my fault,
not theirs.
RJ
You're damn right it was your
fault. I’ve already fired your
boss, and if you don't turn this
around, it’s your turn.
(a beat)
I ought to have Emily run the show.
RJ glares at Rance, then heads to his office. He is startled
to see Emily sitting in a chair by his desk.
RJ STRYKER
What the hell are you doing here?
The newsroom is no place for a
woman.
Emily stands and looks into the newsroom. She places her
hands on her hips and turns to face RJ.
6
EMILY
And I thought dinosaurs were
extinct.
RJ mumbles something unintelligible, then puts on his cowboy
hat and heads for the door.
Rance faces the group with a scowl.
RANCE
Don’t think I’m here to coddle you.
All of you are at fault. When I
didn’t answer the phone, somebody
should have come to get me.
Rance stands atop a chair and raises his voice.
RANCE (CONT’D)
I want to know why we were scooped
by The Tribune, The Post, The
Times, and others. And most
importantly — why no one notified
me.
Rance holds up the front pages of three papers.
INSERTS:
THE TRIBUNE:
Meteors hit Kansas City and Phoenix. Fires still burning.
THE POST:
Meteor showers hit major cities around the world.
THE TIMES:
Meteor shower shuts down Cairo and Paris.
RANCE
Two million people a month travel
between Dallas, Phoenix, and Kansas
City. And Cairo and Paris have a
combined population of almost 25
million. So why the hell don’t we
have these headlines?
(a beat)
(MORE)
7
RANCE (CONT’D)
If we hope to survive as one of the
last print papers, we need stories
— good stories.
TONY (40, top-notch reporter, all business, articulate) yells
out.
TONY
There were reports of UFOs hiding
among the meteors.
Rance laughs and puts a cigarette in his mouth, but he
doesn’t light it.
RANCE
Tony, do you know how many UFO
sightings we’ve had in the past few
years? Too many to count and waaaay
too many to print?
(a beat)
But if you find me a source who
will talk about the UFOs, maybe
I’ll run it. It’s not page-one
material, but it might be printable
— if we have a reliable source.
Tony grabs his briefcase and his recorder and heads toward
the door.
TONY
I’ve got just the source. He saw
one of them land.
RANCE
What’s his occupation?
TONY
He’s an attorney, a good one, and
he’s right here in Dallas.
RANCE
I don’t trust attorneys, but if you
get a good vibe, run with it.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
6 -
The Vanishing Figure
INT. SIMMS AND PARKINS OFFICE - DAY
Tony sits in a chair across from TIMOTHY (40, blue suit,
glasses, intense look). He places a recorder on the table
between them and leans back.
Timothy takes a deep breath and leans forward.
8
TIMOTHY
I was on my way home, about twenty
miles northwest of the city, when I
saw this weird light descending
into the woods west of me. And
before you ask — no, I hadn’t been
drinking.
TONY
So, west of you, the driver’s side?
TIMOTHY
Yes. Anyway, I drove on for another
mile or so, then I decided to see
what it was. I was on a dark road,
heavily wooded, when something
showed up in my headlights. It
looked like a man, and it, or he,
lifted its hands and shielded its
eyes. I slammed on the brakes, but
not in time. I hit it pretty hard.
TONY
What then?
TIMOTHY
Now comes the weird part. I jumped
out of the car and went to see if
he, or it, was all right, but when
I rounded the front of the car,
nothing was there. I looked under
the car and went into the woods
nearby, but whatever I hit was
gone.
TONY
Gone?
TIMOTHY
Yeah, gone, as in disappeared. Not
there. Vanished.
TONY
And you’re sure you hit something?
Maybe it was a deer or a coyote,
and it ran off.
Timothy laughs.
9
TIMOTHY
I knew I’d get this reaction, but
no, it definitely wasn’t a coyote
or a deer. It was human or human-
like, and I hit it hard enough so
that it should still be there; in
fact, it dented my fender. I’m
taking the car to the repair shop
to see about fixing it.
Tony perks up.
TONY
How about giving me the repair
shop’s name so I can check it out?
Timothy writes down the address and hands it to Tony.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
7 -
Under the Hood
INT. EPPS CAR REPAIR - DAY
Tony ducks under the garage door and approaches LEX (50,
scraggly beard, hoarse voice).
TONY
Timothy told me I might run into
you here.
Lex looks out from under the propped-up hood of a pickup.
LEX
Everybody knows I’m here. What do
you want?
TONY
Timothy said he suffered damage to
the bumper on his car last night.
Mind if I see it?
Lex gestures to a car waiting in the next bay.
LEX
Not much to see, but there it is.
Tony bends down and inspects the bumper, using a magnifier to
view more detail.
TONY
Do me a favor. Don’t do anything
with this. I’ll call a buddy and
see if he can get a forensics team
here.
(MORE)
10
TONY (CONT’D)
They usually don’t come unless
there’s a body, but they may make
an exception.
Lex shakes his head.
LEX
Can’t do it. Tim’s a good customer,
and I told him I’d get right on it.
Tony pulls out a wad of hundreds and hands two bills to Lex.
TONY
This make it worth your while?
Lex takes the bills and pockets them.
LEX
That’ll do until noon tomorrow.
After that, I can’t promise
anything.
TONY
That should work, thanks.
Tony heads for the exit when he meets Officer Justine Marcus
entering with ANOTHER OFFICER. He looks quizzically at them,
then stops for a talk.
TONY (CONT’D)
Can I help you?
Justine shakes her head as she nonchalantly looks around and
inspects the fenders of each car.
JUSTINE
Here to gather some evidence from
an accident last night.
TONY
If it’s the one with the lawyer, we
already have a CSU team on the way.
Should be here soon.
Justine glares at Tony and heads for the door.
JUSTINE
Guess you don’t need us then.
Tony watches as she exits. He takes out his phone and records
a few thoughts.
11
TONY
(talking into phone)
Why are the cops so interested in a
minor accident? And why did they
come so quickly?
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
8 -
Breaking News: The Urgency of the Moment
INT. WWNEWS - NY - DAY
MARIO Pallini (45, well-dressed, focused, questions
everything) turns the volume up on the POLICE RADIO and leans
down to listen closely.
POLICE RADIO
Repeat, armed robbery in progress.
Proceed with caution. The suspect
has a gun.
Mario jots down notes while the radio is on, then he grabs
his jacket and camera and rushes for the exit.
MARIO
I’m going to check this out. I’ll
call if it’s noteworthy.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Thriller","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
9 -
Night Patrol: The Unlocked Pharmacy
INT/EXT. POLICE CAR - TARRYTOWN - NIGHT
OFFICER ROB JAMIESON (50, jolly but by-the-book rigid) picks
up the mic and answers the call.
OFFICER ROB JAMIESON
This is patrol car 276. I’m blocks
away and will respond immediately.
Stand by for updates.
A block away from the pharmacy, Rob turns off the lights on
his patrol car. He inches up toward the front door and slowly
gets out, drawing his firearm as he does.
He tests the front door and finds it unlocked, so he
carefully opens the door and steps inside.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Thriller","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
10 -
Midnight Heist
INT. PHARMACY - TARRYTOWN - NIGHT - CONTINUOUS
A HOODED FIGURE (male, dark-green hoodie, slim) stands behind
the counter going through bottles of prescription drugs. He
turns quickly and sees Officer Jamieson approaching, gun
drawn.
The hooded figure crouches and moves quickly toward the back
door, stuffing bottles of pills into a bag he carries.
12
Officer Jamieson peers over the shelves stocked with canned
foods and bags of snacks.
OFFICER ROB JAMIESON
Stop or I’ll shoot!
Jamieson points his gun, but the hooded figure runs. Jamieson
cocks his gun and fires, hitting the man in the upper arm,
but he continues running toward the back door. Jamieson fires
three more times but misses.
He looks out the back door and sees nothing but woods and
darkness. Jamieson goes back through the store and stops to
look at a small pool of blood near the counter.
OFFICER ROB JAMIESON (CONT’D)
Sally, I need CSU to gather blood
evidence at Nelson’s Pharmacy and,
let me know as soon as you get it
analyzed.
(a beat)
I’ll alert the local hospitals and
urgent care centers to be on the
lookout for anyone seeking
treatment for a gunshot wound.
Jamieson hangs up and turns around to see Mario from WWNEWS.
OFFICER ROB JAMIESON (CONT’D)
(startled)
What the hell are you doing here?
You scared the hell out of me.
MARIO
I caught it on the radio. Besides,
I needed to see what was going on.
OFFICER ROB JAMIESON
It’s crazy shit, Mario. Whoever did
this, left all the painkillers and
Schedule III drugs.
Mario jots down some notes as Rob talks.
MARIO
You see anything else like this?
OFFICER ROB JAMIESON
I heard Barney’s place was hit last
night, but I don’t know what they
took. I’ll call him and find out.
Mario puts the notebook in his pocket and taps Rob on the
shoulder.
13
MARIO
Keep me posted, will you? Between
the two of us, we just might find
out who’s behind this. I could use
a good story, and something like
this might fit.
Mario takes another look around, jots down a few more notes,
then walks toward the exit.
Genres:
["Crime","Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
11 -
Mission Focus Amidst Crisis
INT. KARO’S HOUSE - DAY
Karo sits on a sofa with Crew Members One and Two (35 - 40,
fit, smooth talkers). They’re both drinking condensed milk
from small bottles. A few of them drink tomato juice.
CREW MEMBER ONE
I heard Richard was hit by a car.
KARO
We expected a casualty or two, but
I prefer to look at the statistics
in a positive light: we had almost
200 who arrived safely.
(a beat)
So let’s put Richard’s demise aside
and focus on the mission.
Karo sips his coffee, then whispers to his companions.
KARO (CONT’D)
Now that you have assumed your
positions, we are prepared to help
others when they arrive. We have
taken forms in law enforcement,
politics, the newspaper, and more.
Use this to our advantage.
CREW MEMBER TWO
What about —?
KARO
The High Commander will arrive
soon. You will be notified when
it’s time. Until then, stay
invisible. If I need you, I’ll make
the call.
Karo heads toward the kitchen.
14
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
12 -
Unraveling the Mystery
INT. WWNEWS - DALLAS - DAY
Rance picks up the phone, a frustrated look on his face.
RANCE
Yeah, what do you want?
MARIO (V.O.)
Rance, you old shit, you’re letting
your Philadelphia roots show.
Where’s that Dallas charm?
RANCE
You know where you can stick your
Dallas charm. What’s up?
MARIO
Lookin’ for a story, as always, and
I think I might have one.
(a beat)
We’ve had a few pharmacies robbed,
but they didn’t take any Schedule
III drugs.
Rance loses his smile, gets up, and closes the door.
RANCE
What did they take?
MARIO (V.O.)
Not what you’d expect. They took
drugs for cholesterol, blood
pressure, liver problems. . .
Nothing addictive.
RANCE
You’ve got my attention now. We’ve
had two pharmacy break-ins, and
they took the same kind of drugs.
We didn’t investigate because they
looked to be random break-ins.
MARIO (V.O.)
Damn. Did we stumble onto a new
cocktail the kids use to get high?
RANCE
Good question. Have your people
keep their eyes open, and I’ll do
the same.
(MORE)
15
RANCE (CONT’D)
I’ve got my best guy on a UFO
sighting — which is right up his
alley — and once he’s on a story,
he’s like a dog with a bone. But
I’ll get someone else on this.
CYNDI (40s, business suit, ponytail) enters the office but
Rance motions her to leave.
CYNDI
(whispering)
I’ll only be a minute, sir. I need
to see your files on that rash of
carjackings last week.
Rance points to his bottom desk drawer and stretches his
landline cord so he can sit on the edge of his desk, then his
cell phone rings.
RANCE
Mario, let me get back to you; I’ve
got Tony calling on the other line.
TONY (V.O.)
Rance, I called in a favor to get
Sofia here as soon as possible. And
I ran into Officer Justine Marcus
while I was here. I didn’t like the
way she acted. Nothing I can put my
finger on, just a feeling.
RANCE
I’ll get on it. Good job.
TONY (V.O.)
And by the way, I’m looking at this
in a whole new light.
RANCE
How so?
TONY (V.O.)
The lawyer had his story together.
He was credible, and he definitely
hit something with his car. I hope
Sofia can tell us what.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Mystery","Crime"]
Ratings
Scene
13 -
A Dangerous Directive
INT. CREW MEMBER ONE’S CAR - DAY
Crew Member One’s cell phone rings, and she pulls to the
shoulder of the road.
16
CREW MEMBER ONE
Yes, Commander.
KARO (V.O.)
The reporter at WWNEWS needs to
disappear, and quickly.
CREW MEMBER ONE
Gallo?
KARO (V.O.)
No, the one who works for him —
Tony. He knows too much.
CREW MEMBER ONE
I’ll let Officer Marcus know.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
14 -
Unexpected Encounter
EXT. WEST OF DALLAS - NIGHT
Tony exits the freeway and turns down a side road. Within
moments, he sees flashing lights behind him. He checks his
speed and decides to ignore it. He turns at the next
intersection and slows down even more. The cop car follows,
and he hears the siren WAILING, so he pulls over.
Officer Marcus steers her patrol car to the shoulder of the
road. She gets out of the car but leaves her lights flashing.
She walks to Tony’s car holding a flashlight.
JUSTINE
Please step out of the car and show
your license and registration.
TONY
What is this regarding, Officer?
JUSTINE
Routine check.
Tony looks up at her and stares, then he reaches for the
glove compartment and hands the documents to her.
TONY
I saw you at the car shop this
afternoon, so what are you doing
this far west of town?
Justine shines her flashlight on the documents and appears to
read them.
17
JUSTINE
Would you please step out of the
car, sir?
TONY
What for?
Justine sighs.
JUSTINE
Just step outside and place your
hands on top of the roof.
Tony reluctantly gets out, turns around, and puts his hands
on the roof.
TONY
You want to tell me why you stopped
me?
Justine pulls a device from her side pocket and shoots him.
The smell of burning flesh permeates the air, and his body
glows bright, then brighter, until he disappears. A large
puddle of liquid lies on the ground where Tony stood.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Thriller","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
15 -
Missing in Action
INT. WWNEWS - DALLAS - DAY
Rance mumbles to himself as he paces the office looking more
frustrated with each step. The longer he continues, the
louder his voice gets.
RANCE
Where the hell is Tony? Damn! It’s
nine o’clock.
Cyndi taps Rance on the shoulder, and when he spins around,
Cyndi takes a step back.
RANCE (CONT’D)
If he calls in, I’m holding a spot
for him above the fold, but if he
doesn’t, I’ve gotta cancel.
CYNDI
That’s what I came to tell you,
sir, Tony’s wife called. They found
his car several miles from his
house, but he wasn’t in it, and so
far, he hasn’t been found.
18
RANCE
What the hell is going on?
CYNDI
(hesitantly)
Sir, I did some checking, and the
road where Tony’s car was found is
not on his way home, but it does
lead to that attorney’s house —
Timothy . . . something.
RANCE
(smiling)
Good job, Cyndi.
Genres:
["Drama","Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
16 -
A Reporter’s Desperation
EXT. TONY’S CAR — WEST OF DALLAS - DAY
Rance pulls to the side of the road, parking behind several
patrol cars. He opens the door and steps alongside Officer
Justine Marcus.
RANCE
You know anything yet?
JUSTINE
Who are you?
Rance reaches for his wallet. He pulls out his license and
his WWNEWS ID and hands it to her.
RANCE
Rance Gallo, WWNEWS. The reporter
who’s missing works for me.
Rance moves to the front of the car and bends down to inspect
the bumper. He pulls out a flashlight to see better.
Justine taps him on the shoulder.
JUSTINE
This is a crime scene. You need to
back up.
Rance stands and offers an apologetic grin.
RANCE
Just checking to see if he hit
something.
Justine shakes her head.
19
JUSTINE
I’m sorry your friend is missing,
but I don’t see how him hitting
something would cause him to
disappear.
Rance takes another look around, then heads back to his car,
sidestepping a puddle of water as he passes Tony’s car. He
opens the door, gets behind the wheel, and drives off.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Mystery","Crime"]
Ratings
Scene
17 -
Chase in the Shadows
INT. RANCE’S CAR - NIGHT
The road is narrow and winds through the woods in a tortuous
path. As Rance navigates a bend in the road, light reflects
off the rearview mirror. He gives a cursory glance and then
adjusts the mirror to deflect the glare.
Rance increases his speed to fifty-five, but continues to
glance in the mirror. He takes a few turns on less-traveled
roads, but the lights remain.
Rance heads toward the city and sees a crowd gathered at an
intersection ahead. He pulls over, quickly gets out, and
looks behind him.
The car that was following him takes a turn. Rance stares
until the car disappears, then he drives home.
Genres:
["Thriller","Mystery","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
18 -
A Tense Reunion
INT. GALLO HOUSE - NIGHT
KITCHEN
Rance takes off his jacket, grabs a beer from the fridge, and
sits at the table.
RANCE
Hey, doll. I’m finally home.
Emily sits next to Rance and kisses his cheek.
EMILY
How was your day?
Rance pulls her close and hugs her.
20
RANCE
My day was crazy, but I’m more
concerned about what happened on
the way home. I’m pretty sure I was
followed by a cop.
EMILY
Why would you be followed - unless
it was for bad reporting?
Rance throws a dish towel at her and laughs, then he opens a
beer, leans back, and sips it. Emily sits on his lap and
snuggles.
RANCE
I can’t imagine why anyone would
follow me, but I’m sure someone
was.
EMILY
Whether there was or wasn’t, I
wouldn’t shrug it off so quickly.
RANCE
Don’t go getting weird on me.
EMILY
I’m not, but as much as I disagree
with my father, he’s right about
one thing: you should always carry
a gun because you never know who
you might have to shoot.
Genres:
["Drama","Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
19 -
Cliffside Catastrophe
INT. NELSON’S PHARMACY - TARRYTOWN - NIGHT
OFFICER CRENSHAW (55, bald, heavy, focused) sits in a folding
chair, guarding the blood sample left by the robber. The CSU
team enters and gathers the blood evidence and looks for
more. After bagging everything, they leave.
EXT. CSU VEHICLE - WEST OF TARRYTOWN - DAY
DRIVER (40, competent, nonchalant) drives slowly down a road
that winds along the cliffs above the Hudson River. He
admires the view and points out historical sights to the
other techs.
21
INT. CSU VEHICLE - CONTINUOUS
As Driver rounds a bend on a cliffside road offering a
spectacular view of the Hudson, a garbage truck increases
speed on a road about to intersect the CSU vehicle.
A MAN jumps from the truck just before it hits the CSU
vehicle broadside and pushes it off the cliff. The car
tumbles over the edge and plummets to the river.
The truck follows the car over the edge and both go up in
flames as they crash onto jagged rocks below.
Genres:
["Crime","Thriller","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
20 -
Tension in the Newsroom
INT. WWNEWS - NY - DAY
Mario slams the phone onto the receiver and then picks it up
and calls Rance.
MARIO
I’m starting to get suspicious,
Gallo. We just lost an entire CSU
team. They were gathering evidence
on one of the pharmacy break-ins
and their car was pushed over a
cliff. All three of ‘em dead.
RANCE (V.O.)
And my reporter is missing. What
the hell is going on?
MARIO
Maybe you better check your
evidence.
RANCE (V.O.)
Shit! CSU is gathering the DNA, but
I haven’t checked on them. I need
to see Sofia.
MARIO
The same Sofia you used to date?
RANCE
The Sofia you knew is long gone.
Depending on the day, she now has
purple or green streaks in her
hair, and she wears blue and brown
contacts — one of each.
(a beat)
And did I mention her tongue ring?
22
Genres:
["Crime","Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
21 -
A Race Against Time
INT. CSU OFFICE - DALLAS - DAY
SUPER: TWO HOURS LATER
Rance enters the office and shows his ID to the DESK SERGEANT
(50s, gruff).
RANCE
Here to see Sofia.
The desk sergeant points to a hall on the right. Rance walks
to the end of the hall and enters the lab.
LAB AT CSU OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
SOFIA (30s, scientist, light-hearted) peers through a
microscope at DNA evidence.
RANCE
Get anything yet?
Sofia grins and steps away from the table.
SOFIA
Christ’s sake, Gallo, I just got
back from gathering evidence. It
takes a while to do this right.
Besides, you should feel lucky. I’m
sure I shouldn’t be doing this.
Rance smiles, then leans in and kisses her cheek.
RANCE
And you know I appreciate it.
SOFIA
If you want, copy the papers in
that folder on top of the inbox.
It’s not much, but it includes some
preliminary results.
RANCE
Lex say anything?
SOFIA
I didn’t see Lex, but there was a
guy with his head buried in an
engine.
(MORE)
23
SOFIA (CONT’D)
All I saw were a couple of cops.
Justine . . . something, and her
partner.
RANCE
Justine Marcus?
SOFIA
That’s her, why?
RANCE
Sofia, I’ve got to get going, but
I’ll fill you in later.
Genres:
["Crime","Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
22 -
Suspicion on the Road
EXT. RANCE’S CAR - DAY
Rance drives toward his office and calls Mario on the phone.
RANCE
Mario, I just checked, and the lab
has the evidence. I’m waiting for
them to finish the analysis.
MARIO (V.O.)
They give you anything?
RANCE
Got a folder with a few notes in
it, but I haven’t gone through it.
But there was also a curious
coincidence: an officer named
Justine Marcus showed up at several
places related to this, and those
places were too far apart to have
been her normal patrol area.
MARIO
You think she’s complicit?
RANCE
Hell, I don’t know, but I’ll keep
an eye on it. In the meantime, let
me look through the folder.
Rance reaches to the passenger seat and shuffles through a
small stack of files.
RANCE (CONT’D)
Shit! I must have left it there.
He makes a U-turn and heads to the CSU lab.
24
Genres:
["Crime","Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
23 -
Aftermath of the Explosion
EXT. CSU OFFICE - DAY
Rance parks across the street from the office, gets out, and
locks the door. He half jogs toward the building, but before
he reaches the curb, the building EXPLODES and goes up in a
flash of light.
The force knocks Rance down. Shards of glass hit his chest
and arms, but he manages to shield his face.
As Rance crawls to the curb, an ambulance pulls up. TWO TECHS
rush to help — his arms and his shirt are soaked in blood.
The techs get him to the EMS truck to treat the wounds.
RANCE
(gasping)
Anybody know what happened?
Tech One shakes his head as he gives Rance a shot for pain.
TECH ONE
You need to ask the cops.
The tech finishes with Rance’s wounds and then he helps him
to the burning building. Two cops stand guard outside, their
backs facing him.
RANCE
Excuse me, Officer. I have a few
questions.
The officer turns around, and Rance takes a step back.
RANCE (CONT’D)
Officer Marcus, what are you doing
here? You’re not homicide.
Justine shakes her head and focuses on the building.
JUSTINE
Responded to a report of an
explosion. It might have been some
chemicals that didn't react well
with each other.
Rance stares suspiciously.
RANCE
But we both know it wasn’t, don’t
we?
25
Marcus looks at Rance and slowly shakes her head.
JUSTINE
No, Mr. Gallo, I don’t know
anything other than what I said. If
you know differently, you should
tell me.
RANCE
All right, let’s forget about that.
Do you know if Sofia, the lead
scientist, is okay?
JUSTINE
Haven’t seen a body yet, but we’ve
got a lot more of the wreckage to
go through.
Rance inspects the scene looking for evidence, but he doesn’t
find any. He walks the scene once more, then he gets in his
car and drives off.
Genres:
["Crime","Thriller","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
24 -
Tension in the Newsroom
INT. WWNEWS - DALLAS - DAY
Rance wrings his hands as he paces the newsroom floor. A HALF-
DOZEN reporters gather around.
RANCE
The CSU lab just blew up, and I
doubt it was an accident. I want
two teams at the explosion site,
and I want them there now!
Rance stops and points his finger at Cyndi.
RANCE (CONT’D)
Get to the lawyer’s house and
interview him again. See if he
remembers anything new.
(a beat)
And I want everyone to remember,
we’ve got a colleague missing — a
fellow reporter. We need to find
him.
RANCE’S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
Rance walks into his office and slams the door. He punches
the wall several times, smacks his palm on the desktop, and
sits behind his desk. Within seconds, the phone rings.
26
RANCE
Gallo.
Rance walks back and forth, stretching the cord of his
desktop phone to its limit.
SOFIA (V.O.)
I called as soon as I heard. What
happened?
Rance shuts the office door and sits behind the desk.
RANCE
Thank God you’re alive. All I know
is I drove back to the lab to pick
up the folder I forgot, and just as
I was about to go inside—BAM the
whole place exploded. I thought you
died.
SOFIA (V.O.)
Why would someone blow up the lab?
It doesn’t make sense.
RANCE
A lot about this doesn’t make
sense. I think you should disappear
for a few days. Go somewhere nobody
knows about. And don’t take your
regular phone; buy a burner on the
other side of town and take that.
SOFIA (V.O.)
Is all this because of that
evidence from the car?
RANCE
I don’t know what any of it’s about
yet. It might be one of the drug
cartels protecting evidence or it
might be aliens doing God knows
what. And yes, I said aliens, so
just do what I said.
SOFIA (V.O.)
You still want to know about the
evidence?
Rance perks up. He opens his laptop and prepares to type.
27
RANCE
I’m ready. Give me all you’ve got.
SOFIA (V.O.)
I don’t know what you were looking
for, but what we examined was
pretty normal DNA.
Rance cocks his head and looks puzzled.
RANCE
Nothing unusual?
SOFIA (V.O.)
The only thing unusual was the DNA
showed a low phosphorous count.
Low, as in, I’ve never seen it that
low.
RANCE
What does a low phosphorous count
mean? What causes it, and what
symptoms are associated with it?
SOFIA (V.O.)
I'd have to check to find all of
the symptoms, but off the top of my
head — anxiety, bone pain and
fragile bones, irregular breathing,
and many more.
RANCE
And that’s all you have for me?
SOFIA (V.O.)
And I’m not getting anything else
without evidence.
Genres:
["Thriller","Mystery","Crime"]
Ratings
Scene
25 -
Consequences of Betrayal
INT. KARO’S HOUSE - DAY
Karo picks up the phone and sits on the sofa.
KARO
Speak quickly.
UNKNOWN CALLER (V.O.)
I don’t know much. Gallo is nosing
around, but the DNA evidence was
destroyed in the explosion.
28
KARO
What explosion?
UNKNOWN CALLER
The lab. They blew up the lab after
he inspected the reporter’s car.
KARO
Is Gallo getting closer?
UNKNOWN CALLER (V.O.)
He’s becoming more convinced, but
he has no evidence to back up his
suspicions.
Karo puts the phone on speaker and pours a glass of wine.
KARO
Keep an eye on him, and let me know
if things change. But do not do
anything. We can’t afford to have
more bodies turn up.
(A pause)
We have hundreds of agents here,
and we don’t want them exposed.
(a beat)
Now, get everyone on a priority
call.
Karo pulls out a few more papers and waits for acknowledgment
that everyone is on the call.
KARO (CONT'D) (CONT’D)
I have no choice but to alert the
High Commander.
CREW MEMBER III
"What? Why?"
KARO
I mentioned no less than three
times that secrecy was the key, and
that means not just each of you,
but your actions as well. Leaving
the reporter's car was a mistake,
albeit one that could be
overlooked. But—and he points a
finger at Justine—blowing up the
lab was unforgivable.
JUSTINE
Why? The humans aren't smart enough
to put the pieces together.
29
Karo glares.
KARO
Do you remember Tł'ííłgóó Haneenizí
(Ilgo the Conquerer)? His most *
famous saying still holds true:
hééhí t" áá naasht" éí áłtséédi
shishtł" óóhí łééchąą" í shił
yá" át" ééh dah niiłt" í (Those who
underestimate their enemies are *
destined to lose).
JUSTINE
But—
KARO
No buts. Crew Member III, step
forward.
As Crew Member III moves forward, Karo pulls his weapon and
shoots him. His body vanishes, leaving behind a small pool of
liquid. Karo points to Justine and motions her over. *
KARO (CONT’D)
Be thankful for our history, and *
remember, the next time, it may be *
you. *
(a beat) *
Now get that mess cleaned up. *
Genres:
["Thriller","Sci-Fi"]
Ratings
Scene
26 -
Unraveling Mysteries
INT. WWNEWS - DALLAS - DAY
Rance moves to the center of the office floor and speaks
loudly.
RANCE
Everybody, listen up. We’ve got
evidence missing in NY and three
people dead. And Tony is still
missing. Not to mention the CSU lab
has been blown up.
Rance pauses and looks around the room.
RANCE (CONT’D)
I don’t grasp the implications of
this yet, but it’s clear that
somebody doesn’t want us to see
this evidence.
(a beat)
(MORE)
30
RANCE (CONT’D)
It may be a drug cartel, or as some
people claim, it may be aliens.
Regardless, we will get to the
bottom of it.
(a beat)
I don’t want carelessness, but I
want every lead tracked down and
reported.
People begin to exit the room, when Rance lets out a shrill
whistle.
RANCE (CONT’D)
Hold up a minute. Let’s take a
moment to say a few prayers or at
least think good thoughts for our
fellow reporter. Tony is, or was, a
good man and a damn good reporter.
Some people fold their hands in prayer, and some simply bow
their heads, but all of them remain silent out of respect.
WWNEWS - RESTROOM - CONTINUOUS
Rance walks into the men’s room and sees BOBBY (40s, suit,
glasses) leaning against the counter and giving himself a
shot in the stomach.
RANCE
(chuckling)
Damn, Bob, what the hell are you
doing? You becoming a drug addict?
BOBBY
Already am one.
Bobby clicks the needle and holds it up for Rance to see.
BOBBY (CONT’D)
Twice a day insulin shots. Why?
Rance stops and stares. His eyes light up, and he snaps his
fingers.
RANCE
That's it, Bob. That's it!
BOBBY
(puzzled)
What's it? What the hell are you
talking about?
31
RANCE
Don't you see? You take insulin for
your diabetes. If this is about
aliens and they have problems like
low phosphorous, they must take
something for it.
BOBBY
Aliens? What the hell are you
talking about?
RANCE
The aliens from the UFOs — they
have low phosphorous.
Bobby shakes his head and puts the needle back in his case,
then he holds his hands under the faucet so he can wash them.
BOBBY
Hold on, Rance. Nobody said there
were aliens. I know Tony’s missing,
but he might have just taken off
somewhere. And the CSU team in NY
might have really had an accident.
Rance purses his lips and nods reluctantly.
RANCE
I’m willing to consider this is all
a coincidence, but keep an open
mind because it might be a lot more
than that.
BOBBY
All right, tell me how to help. The
least I can do is turn over a few
rocks.
RANCE
Good, then find out if Officer
Marcus frequents any eating spots
or corner stores and let me know.
RANCE’S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
He opens his laptop and searches for ‘low phosphorous’
symptoms, but then his phone rings.
RANCE
Sofia, I told you not to call.
32
SOFIA (V.O.)
I thought you’d want to know this:
Low phosphorous can be treated with
foods like milk and tomato juice,
and especially condensed milk.
RANCE
I don’t know that anything would
make me drink condensed milk, but
thanks for the info.
Genres:
["Mystery","Thriller","Sci-Fi"]
Ratings
Scene
27 -
A Risky Proposition
EXT. RANCE’S CAR - DALLAS - DAY
Rance pulls to the curb and gets out of his car. He waves TWO
KIDS over and flashes a few fifty-dollar bills.
RANCE
This is yours if you do your job.
He hands a fifty to the TALL KID (16, scruffy, rail-thin,
with streaks of dirt across his face). He has a cigarette
dangling from the left side of his mouth. Rance yanks the
fifty back.
RANCE (CONT’D)
Not until the job’s done.
TALL KID
What needs to be done?
Rance gestures to the diner across the street.
RANCE
Inside that diner are a few
officers stuffing their faces. I
want you to get a table close
enough so you can tell me what
they’re eating and drinking.
(a beat)
Don’t be obvious and don’t leave
until after they’re gone.
The tall kid lifts the cig to his mouth and takes a long
drag, then he looks at Rance skeptically.
TALL KID
That’s it? Tell you what they’re
eating and drinking?
Rance nods and wags his finger at him.
33
RANCE
This could be dangerous, so don’t
take chances.
Rance hands the kid a twenty.
RANCE (CONT’D)
This is for your food and drinks.
But if they spot you, the deal’s
off. I’ll be parked on the street
behind the diner.
The kids head out, then Rance drives around the block and
parks behind the diner.
Genres:
["Thriller","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
28 -
A Tense Encounter
INT. DINER - NORTH DALLAS
He goes in the back door into the kitchen, where he talks to
Sanchez, the chef (50, gruff, talks with a Spanish accent).
RANCE
Sanchez, there will be three cops
coming in to eat. After they
finish, take their silverware,
glasses, and plates to the back
room, but make sure no prints are
smeared. I’ll pick them up later.
EXT. DINER - NORTH DALLAS - DAY
The tall kid and his companion exit the diner only to see a
police car parked across the street. The tall kid whispers to
his companion.
TALL KID
Split up. Head north and I'll cut
across the park and double back to
the reporter's car.
The tall kid hops a fence, cuts through the park, and
casually approaches Rance, who is sitting in his car.
Genres:
["Mystery","Thriller","Crime"]
Ratings
Scene
29 -
A Sweet Deal
EXT/INT. RANCE’S CAR - CONTINUOUS
RANCE
Well?
The tall kid looks around, taps on the window, then opens the
door and gets in the passenger seat.
34
TALL KID
Three glasses of milk. It was
regular milk, but the lady cop
asked if they had condensed milk.
The cops with her had milk too.
Rance smacks the steering wheel and pulls two fifties from
his pocket. He hands the bills to the kid, then rubs his
knuckles on the kid’s head.
RANCE
Good job.
When the kid reaches for the handle to get out, Rance pulls
out a ten-dollar bill and hands it to him.
The kid smiles and stuffs it in his pocket.
TALL KID
Got a card?
Rance hands him a business card, and the kid writes his name
and number on the back.
TALL KID (CONT’D)
Next time you need something, call.
For fifty bucks I'll tell you what
the mayor ate for breakfast.
(a beat)
For a hundred bucks, we’ll go to
Austin and tell you what the
governor ate.
Rance laughs and playfully punches his shoulder.
RANCE
Get outta here and stay safe.
Rance turns over the engine and drives off.
Genres:
["Mystery","Thriller","Crime"]
Ratings
Scene
30 -
Tension in Command
INT. KARO’S HOUSE - DAY
Karo closes his eyes and focuses. Soon, the images of SIX
ASSOCIATES appear in the room, floating in mid-air.
KARO
I’m not blaming anyone for what
happened; I’m simply stating facts.
(MORE)
35
KARO (CONT’D)
There were mistakes the night of
the landing, and they were made
worse by allowing the humans to get
the DNA evidence.
(a beat)
NY has been taken care of, but the
evidence in Dallas is in question.
Karo paces the room and glances at each image as he does.
KARO (CONT’D)
I spoke with the High Commander
last night. He is on his way with a
full fleet. Let’s not have any
surprises for him when he arrives.
Karo turns and stares at Officer Marcus.
KARO (CONT’D)
You need to keep a low profile. The
reporter already suspects you.
Officer Justine Marcus’s image moves forward and speaks.
JUSTINE
Let me get rid of him, and that
problem will be solved.
Karo glares.
KARO
If the situation worsens, I’ll have
to call in a C12. And you know the
High Commander disapproves of C12s.
JUSTINE
If you allow me to —
KARO
You will do as I say, Sub-
Commander, or I will refer this to
the High Commander for judgment.
Justine clenches her fists and grits her teeth.
JUSTINE
Understood, Commander.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
31 -
Urgent Call
EXT. RANCE’S CAR - DAY
Rance dials Captain Hollins and waits for him to pick up.
36
RANCE
Hollins, can we meet? I’ve got a
lot to discuss.
Hollins hems and haws.
HOLLINS
How about your office in half an
hour? I’m on my way to Plano.
Genres:
["Crime","Thriller","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
32 -
Desperate Measures
INT. WWNEWS - DALLAS - DAY
Rance sits behind his desk. He stands to shake hands when
Hollins arrives.
Hollins takes a seat and nods to Rance.
HOLLINS
You’ve got ten minutes, Gallo.
RANCE
Captain, I’m going to call in
whatever favors I’ve earned.
Hollins’ eyebrows raise, and he sits up straight.
RANCE (CONT’D)
I’d like you to launch a full-scale
investigation into my missing
reporter. We filed full reports on
it the day he disappeared.
HOLLINS
Gallo, do you know how busy I am? I
can do the normal investigation,
but I can’t make it a priority.
It's an election year, and the
politicians are itching for
somebody to hang by the nuts.
Rance sets his coffee cup on the table.
RANCE
Captain, I’ve got —
HOLLINS
Yeah, I know, Gallo. I’ve heard all
the rumors: spaceships,
disappearing bodies, dead
scientists, and now a lab that’s
been blown up.
(MORE)
37
HOLLINS (CONT’D)
I’ve got a lot on my plate too, so
forgive me if I take care of
business.
The captain leans forward, and Rance continues to stare.
HOLLINS (CONT’D)
All right. I’ll do what I can
without making it obvious. Now tell
me, do you really believe in all
this shit?
RANCE
I don’t know what to believe,
Hollins, but strange things are
happening, and if you’re smart,
you’ll work with me to get to the
bottom of it.
HOLLINS
I’ll give it thought.
Hollins tosses his business card on the table and stands.
HOLLINS (CONT’D)
Don’t call me unless you have
something real.
Genres:
["Mystery","Thriller","Crime"]
Ratings
Scene
33 -
Urgent Investigations
INT. WWNEWS - DALLAS - DAY
Rance steps off the elevator into a beehive of activity:
Reporters are typing away at their workstations and talking
on the phone. Others are filing reports and sorting evidence.
Rance is on his way to his office when RJ pokes his head out
of the office.
RJ STRYKER
Gallo, I need to see you.
INT. RJ’S OFFICE - DAY
Rance takes a seat across from RJ.
RJ STRYKER
I just heard from the newsrooms in
LA, Philadelphia, and Chicago.
They’ve all had a rash of
pharmacies broken into.
(MORE)
38
RJ STRYKER (CONT’D)
I’m beginning to think this may be
one of the cartels with some new
kind of drug cocktail.
Rance sucks on a dry cigarette.
RANCE
I’m on it, boss. Mario and I are
already checking it out.
Rance heads for the door, but stops and turns to RJ.
RANCE (CONT’D)
And by the way, your daughter is
doing fine. I’ll tell Emily you
asked for her.
RJ STRYKER
Don’t try that guilt shit on me.
She has a phone.
(a beat)
Now get out of here and get to the
bottom of whatever the hell this
is.
Genres:
["Crime","Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
34 -
Chase Through the Night
EXT. RANCE’S CAR - NIGHT
Rance turns the engine over and drives off. He checks the
rearview mirror and sees a cop car following him. As he
passes an intersection, another cop car turns and follows him
as well. He checks the rearview mirror and sees both cars
getting closer.
Rance turns at the next intersection onto a four-lane road.
He checks the mirror again, but they’re still following. He
slows down to get a better look.
As he approaches the next intersection, he sees a concrete
truck racing toward him. He checks his mirror and sees the
cops are close behind him, then he presses hard on the
accelerator and races through the intersection, just in time.
Rance slows down, but then hears the loud WAIL of the sirens
and sees the unmistakable flashing lights. The hackles on his
neck go up, and he flips on the left turn signal.
He doesn’t pull over, but makes a U-turn at the next
intersection and heads to Smitty’s, a bar frequented by
reporters.
39
Genres:
["Thriller","Mystery","Action"]
Ratings
Scene
35 -
A Reckless Deal at Smitty's
INT. SMITTY’S BAR - DAY
Rance scans the bar looking for friends. The bar is crowded
and the tables are full. Rance squeezes between a FEW GUYS
standing at the bar and throws two hundred-dollar bills on
the counter.
RANCE
Drinks for me and my friends — no
matter who they work for.
He goes to the bathroom and peeks out the window. Both cop
cars are parked across the street. Rance returns to the bar,
slaps another fifty on the bar, and orders more drinks.
RANCE (CONT’D)
More drinks for those who can hold
their liquor, but before you slug
it down, know that I need someone
to drive me home. I’m willing to
pay $100 for a sober man — if there
are any here — to drive my car, and
another $100 for someone to follow
us and drive them home.
Many people raise their hands, but Rance picks one near the
back. A BARFLY (female, 20s, long blonde hair, fit body) nods
when Rance selects her, and she points to a MOTORCYCLE MAN
(40, leather jacket) accompanying her.
BARFLY
He’d be good to go along with us.
MOTORCYCLE MAN
I got a ride, so she can come back
with me.
Rance nods.
RANCE
Let me finish this drink, and we’ll
get going.
Genres:
["Thriller","Mystery","Crime"]
Ratings
Scene
36 -
Flirting with Danger
EXT. RANCE’S CAR - NIGHT
Rance gets into the passenger seat and the BARFLY drives his
car while the MOTORCYCLE MAN follows on his bike.
Barfly turns left on a back road and Motorcycle Man follows.
Rance looks behind him and snaps pictures with his phone.
40
RANCE
The cars following us are the ones
that tailed me earlier.
BARFLY
What do you want me to do?
RANCE
How about you and your buddy spend
the night at my place? I’ll give
you another hundred each.
She smiles seductively.
BARFLY
I’m game, but you might want to
check with my friend.
Rance blushes and shakes his head.
RANCE
Not like that. I’m married and my
wife is home. And no, she’s not
into that scene.
Genres:
["Thriller","Mystery","Crime"]
Ratings
Scene
37 -
A Call for Urgency
INT/EXT. RANCE’S CAR - NIGHT
On the way home, Rance calls Emily.
RANCE
Babe, I want you to pack for a mini
vacation?
EMILY (V.O.)
What’s wrong? You sound worried.
RANCE
I’ll explain when I get home. Just
pack a few bags.
Genres:
["Thriller","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
38 -
A Night of Tension and Tenderness
INT. GALLO HOUSE - NIGHT
Rance walks into the foyer followed by his two “friends.” He
hugs Emily, then pours wine for himself and Scotch for the
two who drove him home.
Rance sits on the end of the sofa and sips his drink. Emily
sits next to him. She kisses his cheek and whispers.
41
EMILY
You didn’t tell me you were
bringing guests.
RANCE
I didn’t plan on it, but I was
followed again.
Emily sits up straight, a startled look on her face.
EMILY
A cop?
RANCE
I don’t know, but I want you to go
somewhere to be safe.
EMILY
You’re the one in danger.
RANCE
There are a lot of things going on
that make me nervous, and I don’t
understand it yet. I’ll feel better
if I know you’re safe.
Emily holds his hands and squeezes.
EMILY
Is this about that UFO stuff?
RANCE
Don’t ask. Just take the car and
go. I don’t even want to know where
you’re going. And don’t use your
phone under any circumstances.
He hands her a small burner phone.
RANCE (CONT’D)
If you need a phone, use this.
Emily shakes her head and has a determined look on her face.
EMILY
I’m not leaving. I can handle
myself; I’m more worried about you.
Rance hugs her tightly and kisses her.
RANCE
Come on, babe.
42
Emily purses her lips and shakes her head, but Rance stops
her with a kiss on the lips. Then he pulls away and stares
into her eyes.
RANCE (CONT’D)
Do it for me. Please?
Emily’s mouth curves up slightly.
EMILY
If you die . . .
Rance laughs and hugs her again.
RANCE
If I die, you won’t be able to say
I told you so.
Emily reluctantly packs her suitcase and heads toward the
door. She stops and kisses Rance on the cheek.
EMILY
I’ll call when —
Rance raises his voice.
RANCE
Don’t call anyone. I’ll get word to
you when it’s safe.
EMILY
You’re scaring me, Rance.
Rance hugs her and pats her back.
RANCE
I understand. I don’t believe this
nonsense, but it’s smart to be
scared. Just remember, if you feel
threatened, get to where a lot of
people are.
INTERCUT BIG BEND OBSERVATORY/GALLO HOUSE — NIGHT
Rance sits on the edge of the table and dials the phone.
RANCE
Roddy, what’s up, buddy? You called
earlier.
Roddy loads his briefcase as he talks to Rance.
43
RODDY
I called to talk, but we can’t do
it on the phone. Where can we meet?
RANCE
(a pause)
When do you need to do this, Roddy,
cause my plate is full. Hell, it’s
overflowing.
Roddy finishes packing his briefcase, and then he puts files,
folders, and a hard drive into a large canvas bag.
RODDY
It’s important, Rance. It’s damn
important.
RANCE
It better be.
RODDY
You know I wouldn’t ask if it
wasn’t.
RANCE
All right. San Antonio is about
halfway between us. Let’s meet at
the Embassy Suites by the airport.
RODDY
If the flights are on schedule, I
can be there by nine A.M.
RANCE
See you at the restaurant.
END OF INTERCUT
Rance looks to the Barfly and her friend.
RANCE (CONT’D)
I need you to drive me to the
airport at four A.M.
BARFLY
Four A.M. will cost you extra. A
lot extra.
RANCE
I know. I know. But you realize
this is breaking me. This is my
money, not the paper’s.
44
Rance reaches into his pocket and pulls out two hundred-
dollar bills. He hands one each to Barfly and her friend.
Genres:
["Thriller","Mystery","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
39 -
A Toast to the Unknown
INT. EMBASSY SUITES HOTEL - RESTAURANT - DAY
Roddy glances suspiciously from side to side as he walks to
where Rance sits. Rance stands and extends his hand.
RANCE
Been a long time, Roddy.
Roddy glances at the entrance to the restaurant and then back
to Rance.
The waitress comes to the table and tells them of the
specials, and then Roddy orders.
RODDY
(looking at the menu)
I’ll have eggs Benedict, two cups
of coffee, and two shots of
tequila.
RANCE
Hungry? Or should I say thirsty?
RODDY
I need the tequila to cut through
the bull — while I still have the
courage to do so.
RANCE
The courage? What happened to the
West Philly guy I grew up with? The
one who jumped off the bridge into
the Schuylkill River.
(a beat)
And you couldn’t swim!
RODDY
That was different. This takes a
different kind of courage. And
you’re the only one I trust;
besides, I’m scared shitless.
Remember back home when we were
prepping to fight the Southside
Boys? Remember how scared we were?
RANCE
Like it was yesterday.
(a beat)
I had to toss my underwear after
that.
45
RODDY
That’s how I feel now, only worse.
RANCE
All right. I’ll shut up and listen.
RODDY
Fine, but first I need you to lean
forward and let me shine this light
in your eyes.
RANCE
What the hell for?
RODDY
If you’re an alien, the light will
cause your eyes to glow. It’s the
easiest way to tell.
RANCE
If I’m an alien? Christ’s sake,
it’s me. You’ve known me since we
were kids.
RODDY
I know, but the aliens can take
over a body and make themselves
look identical to the person.
RANCE
And how the hell do you know this?
Roddy fidgets in his seat and continually moves his
silverware, repositioning each piece.
RODDY
Years ago, I spoke to Mark Jackson,
the authority on aliens — if there
is such a thing. He told me the
first wave of aliens came in the
70s, and he said more would follow.
Jackson also said that on the next
wave, they’d begin their takeover.
(a beat)
I think this may be the next wave,
and that’s why I’ve had two shots
of tequila.
(a beat)
I saw a UFO — a goddamn UFO! I was
watching the blips on the screen
when I noticed some of them looked
larger, and they acted weird.
46
RANCE
Weird how?
Roddy uses hand gestures to show the meteors heading toward
Earth, then he uses the spoon to indicate something branching
off in another direction.
RODDY
They veered off in different
directions, which is odd enough,
but then they just disappeared. And
it’s not like they burned up in the
atmosphere or struck the earth;
they were far too high for that.
RANCE
So you think these were genuine
UFOs?
RODDY
I can’t swear to it, but all the
signs are there.
(a beat)
This is no shit, Rance. I’m telling
you because you’re in a position to
do something.
Rance chuckles and wipes his mouth on a napkin.
RANCE
If this were anyone else, I’d say
you were full of shit, but because
it’s you, and because things have
happened recently to make me
wonder, I’ll look into it.
Roddy leans forward and whispers.
RODDY
Meteors do not change directions by
themselves.
Rance sits back in his chair.
RANCE
You got any ideas about what
happened after they landed?
RODDY
None, but give me a couple more
shots and I might.
Roddy downs the last of his tequila and laughs.
47
RODDY (CONT’D)
All kidding aside. They vanished.
Disappeared as if they were never
there. I thought nothing of it
until I heard your reports about
sightings and other odd events.
RANCE
And you’re sure they're UFOs?
Roddy lowers his head and casually glances around.
RODDY
As sure as I can be. And I know
they weren't meteors.
RANCE
Even if I agree to help, it’ll be
difficult to convince people.
RODDY
I know, and it won't get easier,
which is why you need help from
Jackson. No one alive knows more
about aliens than he does.
RANCE
All right, you’ve convinced me.
Now, tell me where to find this
guy?
Roddy sits up straight and turns side to side, then he leans
close to Rance and whispers.
RODDY
Last I checked, he was in San
Francisco, but you can't call him.
And he's paranoid about them
watching. You have to write to him
at a P.O. Box.
Roddy writes an address on a slip of paper and hands it to
Rance who looks at the address and puts it in his pocket.
RANCE
Anything else I need to know?
RODDY
After you write, and if he’s
willing to meet you, he’ll get in
touch. Tell him I sent you.
RANCE
How about —?
48
Roddy shakes his head and sets a few bills on the table.
RODDY
Save your questions for Jackson.
Rance fidgets with his silverware and wrings his hands.
RANCE
All right, I'm heading out. The
sooner I can get on this, the
better.
Roddy gulps the last of his water and stands.
RODDY
I'm right behind you. And remember
to watch your back.
As they walk toward the entrance, Roddy nudges Rance.
RODDY (CONT’D)
I'm taking the shuttle bus to
Avis's lot. You should take
Enterprise.
Rance stares.
RANCE
I flew here.
RODDY
I did too, which makes all the more
sense to drive back; besides, I'm
not going back to El Paso, but I’ll
call you when I’m safe.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
40 -
Skepticism on the Road
EXT. ENTERPRISE RENTAL CAR LOT - DAY
Rance stands in line to rent a car, and when it's his turn,
he gets a one-way rental to Dallas. Rance drives the car from
the lot, but he only gets a few miles away when his burner
phone rings.
RANCE
Roddy, what’s up? You forget
something?
RODDY (V.O.)
I got a sense you didn’t fully
believe me, and I don’t blame you,
but this shit is real. UFOs have
arrived, and if we don’t stop them
soon ...
49
RANCE
(sighs)
Look, Roddy . . .
RODDY (V.O.)
I didn’t expect you to buy into
this right away but even if you
don’t, write to Jackson. Maybe you
can make it into a story — you
know, one of those ‘whatever
happened to...’ and use Jackson as
the centerpiece.
RANCE
(laughs)
Good idea. I’ll think about it.
RODDY (V.O.)
Do it, Rance. Talk to Jackson.
RANCE
I will, buddy. Count on it.
Rance enters the freeway and heads toward Dallas.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
41 -
A Smooth Rental Transaction
EXT. AVIS RENTAL-CAR LOT - DAY
Roddy steps up to the counter and orders a rental.
RODDY
I need a compact, one-way to El
Paso.
The MAN behind the counter, MANNY (50, glasses, calm and
patient) pulls a set of keys off the board and hands them to
Roddy.
MANNY
Your car is 6-12, that’s aisle six,
number twelve.
Genres:
["Thriller","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
42 -
Roadblock Tension
INT. RENTAL CAR - DAY
Roddy starts the engine and revs it up. He checks the map and
then pulls onto I-10 heading west.
INT/EXT. RODDY’S RENTAL CAR - 1-10 - NIGHT
Roddy drives at a steady pace of sixty mph, heading west on I-
10. He passes a road sign:
50
INSERT: EL PASO - 150 MILES.
Fifty miles east of El Paso, flashing lights reflect in
Roddy's rearview mirror. He reluctantly pulls to the shoulder
of the road, opens the glove compartment, retrieves a gun,
and puts it under his leg.
FIRST COP (30s, cowboy hat, uniform, stern demeanor)
approaches the car carrying a clipboard. He taps on the
driver’s side window.
Roddy rolls the window partially down.
RODDY
What’s the problem, Officer?
FIRST COP
Routine check. You looked to be
swerving across lanes back there.
Roddy hands him the documents, and then places his hands on
his lap. The cop examines the documents and hands them back.
FIRST COP (CONT’D)
All right, sir. You’re free to go,
but be more cautious. And drive
safely.
The cop drives off. After the car is out of sight, Roddy puts
the gun away, puts his car in gear, turns, and heads south.
As he navigates a long bend in the road, he sees several
vehicles blocking the road, lights flashing. He brings the
car to a stop fifty or sixty feet in front of the roadblock.
SECOND COP (30s, tall, uniformed) approaches Roddy’s car,
clipboard in hand.
Roddy leans over to get his gun, but the cop hollered at him.
SECOND COP
Sit still, sir. Hands on the
steering wheel.
The cop walked up to the driver’s side window.
SECOND COP (CONT’D)
License and registration, please?
Roddy leans his head back and stares, then he removes the
papers from the glove department and hands them over.
51
RODDY
Officer, I just went through this a
few miles back with another cop.
SECOND COP
And now you have to do it again.
The officer examines the papers and then steps back from the
car and places a hand on his weapon.
SECOND COP (CONT’D)
Would you mind stepping out of the
vehicle, sir?
RODDY
What for? What did I do?
SECOND COP
We just need to check out a few
things. Now if you don’t mind
getting in the back seat of my car.
Genres:
["Thriller","Mystery","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
43 -
Transformation in the Night
INT. POLICE CAR - NIGHT
Roddy gets in the car and Second Cop gets in alongside him,
holding a clipboard.
SECOND COP
I’m going to have to write you a
warning. There is no fine, but it
remains on file for ninety days.
Roddy smiles.
RODDY
Thank you, Officer. The last thing
I need is a ticket.
Second Cop hands the warning to Roddy, and then with his
other hand, he injects Roddy with a needle.
Roddy appears shocked, then he stares ahead and his eyes fix
in place.
The second cop gets out of the car, and an alien being takes
his place. The alien is tall, with an elongated face, nose,
and ears. And its eyes are vertical yellow slits.
The alien reaches for Roddy, but he remains fixed in place.
When the alien touches him, Roddy’s skin develops tiny cracks
that slowly spread across his face and then down his body.
Once the cracks reach his legs, they widen and then erupt
into smoldering skin exuding smoke from all over.
52
The smoke rises almost to the roof of the car, then floats
toward the alien’s body. The smoke circles the alien, then
slowly infuses into it. The alien molds into a replica of
Roddy, whose skin is now smooth, just like it was.
Roddy opens and closes his fists and stretches his neck from
side to side. The driver turns and looks at him.
DRIVER
Take it from me, getting used to a
new body takes time.
Roddy steps out of the car and taps the outside door of the
driver’s side, and then he walks back to the original Roddy’s
car. He gets in and sets the direction for El Paso.
Genres:
["Science Fiction","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
44 -
Financial Tensions and Unrecognized Potential
INT. WWNEWS - DALLAS - DAY
Rance steps off the elevator and goes to the break room to
get coffee. He fills a styrofoam cup and walks to his desk.
On the way, he passes Cyndi.
CYNDI
Mr. Stryker would like to see you.
RJ’S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
Rance knocks and then enters RJ’s office.
RANCE
You wanted to see me, boss?
RJ STRYKER
We’re still bleeding money, Gallo.
Rance stares.
RANCE
I’m doing what I can, RJ.
RJ STRYKER
What about your trip to San
Antonio? And what about the
overtime? We’ve already spent more
than all of last year.
RANCE
Is it always about money, RJ?
RJ STRYKER
Only when it isn’t.
53
RANCE
Be careful, you’re starting to
sound like my father-in-law.
RJ laughs heartily as Rance heads for the door. He’s almost
there when he stops and turns.
RANCE (CONT’D)
RJ, we might have ourselves a home-
grown reporter. Cyndi has come
alive since this meteor shower mess
started. She’s showing more
interest and has a lot more spunk.
I think she’s ready for more
responsibility.
RJ STRYKER
No promotion yet, but you can give
her a better title; it’ll make her
feel good.
(a beat)
And no damn raise!
Genres:
["Drama","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
45 -
A Call to Caution
INT. RANCE’S OFFICE - DAY
Rance leans back in his chair when the phone rings.
RANCE
(frustrated and tired)
Who the hell is this?
AMANDA (V.O.)
Did he tell you about —?
RANCE
I’ll call on another line.
RANCE’S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
Rance closes his office door and dials.
54
RANCE
All right. What have you got?
AMANDA (V.O.)
First, I need to verify who you
are.
RANCE
I’ve known Roddy since we were
kids; we grew up in a housing
project in West Philadelphia. He
has a big scar across his gut from
a knife fight we had with a rival
gang.
AMANDA (V.O.)
Good enough, Mr. Gallo.
(pause)
I don’t know much, but I know Roddy
was frightened. I mean really
frightened.
Rance gets up and walks around.
RANCE
If Roddy is right, we’ve got a
bunch of aliens down here who are
planning something big. I don’t
know if I buy that completely, but
something’s going on.
AMANDA (V.O.)
I’ve got Roddy’s charts plotting
the trajectory of the meteors. You
want me to send it to you?
RANCE
No! Send it to Mario Pallini, care
of WWNEWS, NY. And let’s keep each
other up to speed; in fact, I’m
going to call Roddy, feel him out.
RANCE’S OFFICE - CONTINUOUS
Rance dials the phone and leans back in the chair.
RANCE
Roddy? Is that you, you old shit?
RODDY (V.O.)
Who the hell else would it be?
55
RANCE
I just called to tell you, I’m
halfway convinced of your story. It
at least warrants checking out.
(a beat)
And besides, I can’t lose track of
my oldest friend — the one who
saved my life.
RODDY (V.O.)
One of us is getting old, buddy. I
don’t remember saving you.
RANCE
You better get a memory check.
Hell, I was saying prayers when you
grabbed my shirt. I’ll be in your
debt forever.
RODDY (V.O.)
I don’t know if I remember it the
same way, but if you feel you owe
me, I’ll make sure you pay that
debt, you newshound.
(a beat)
By the way, you plan on talking to
Jackson?
RANCE
I’ll write to him and hope it’s not
a wild goose chase.
RODDY (V.O.)
Don’t worry. Something will turn up
worth reporting on.
Rance hangs up and dials Amanda.
RANCE
Don’t trust Roddy.
AMANDA
What? Why not?
RANCE
I don’t know, maybe I’m being too
harsh, but something wasn’t right.
He didn’t say anything wrong, but
I’ve got a gut instinct.
AMANDA
A gut instinct is good enough for
me, at least for now. Thanks.
56
Genres:
["Thriller","Science Fiction","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
46 -
Suspicion in the Night
INT. DON BRAXTON'S HOUSE - NIGHT
DON BRAXTON (50s, meticulous) peers out the side window at
the house next door. A light goes on in the kitchen and Don
picks up the phone.
FERNANDO ARGYLE (sheriff, 50, serious) answers.
FERNANDO ARGYLE (V.O.)
Sheriff Argyle. How may I help you?
DON BRAXTON
Fernando, this is Don Braxton.
There might be something funny
goin' on at the Gallo place. I saw
lights go on a few moments ago, but
when I called, no one answered.
FERNANDO ARGYLE (V.O.)
I'll send a unit over to check it
out. In the meantime, make sure you
lock your doors. And you might want
to load one of those .357s you like
to carry around.
Genres:
["Mystery","Thriller"]
Ratings
Scene
47 -
Urgent Wellness Check
INT. SHERIFF ARGYLE'S OFFICE - NIGHT
Fernando hangs up with Don and calls one of his patrol cars.
FERNANDO ARGYLE
Patrol Car Four, pick up.
OFFICER FULLER responds.
FULLER (V.O.)
Copy, chief. What's up?
FERNANDO ARGYLE
I need someone to do a wellness
check on the Gallo house, down off
Shadow Lane.
FULLER (V.O.)
We'll respond. We're only a couple
of minutes away.
57
Genres:
["Thriller","Sci-Fi","Mystery"]
Ratings
Scene
48 -
Confrontation at the Lake House
INT. LAKE HOUSE NORTH OF DALLAS - NIGHT
Emily cleans the table and places the dishes in the sink. She
takes a bottle of white wine she’s been chilling and pours
herself a glass, then sits down to work on a crossword
puzzle.
A car door SLAMS and she gets up to look outside. A patrol
car is parked by the curb, and TWO OFFICERS are heading up
the sidewalk. Emily opens the front door but leaves the
screened-in door closed.
EMILY
May I help you?
OFFICER ONE (30s, warm smile, serious) smiles and shows his
badge. OFFICER TWO (30s, rigid, standoffish) stands beside
him.
OFFICER ONE
Looking for Ms. Gallo, ma’am. Is
that you?
Emily trembles but remains calm.
EMILY
What is it you want of her?
OFFICER ONE
Ma’am, we need to discuss that with
Ms. Gallo. Is that you? Or is she
here?
Emily flashes a thin smile and starts to close the door.
Officer One holds his hand and blocks the door. He moves his
other hand toward the gun in his holster.
Emily grabs the shotgun leaning against the wall and aims it
at the officer.
EMILY
Move toward your gun again. Go
ahead.
The cop smiles, but then quickly reaches for his gun.
Emily pulls the trigger, blowing him away. He is knocked back
several feet, then his body glows and disappears.
Officer Two holds up his right hand and backs away, but he
slowly moves his left hand behind his back.
58
Emily glances from hand to hand, and when Officer Two grabs
something from his back pocket, she pulls the trigger again.
Officer Two is knocked off his feet, and before his body hits
the ground, it disappears.
Emily looks around outside, then down at the spot where the
officers stood. All that remains are two puddles of water —
or something.
She pulls out a cigarette, but her hands tremble so badly,
she can’t get it lit.
She dials Rance on the burner.
RANCE (V.O.)
Emily! What the hell is going on? I
told you not to call anyone.
EMILY
I had to. I just shot two cops; at
least, I think they were cops. But
when I shot them they disappeared.
They goddamn disappeared.
Rance pauses.
RANCE (V.O.)
They weren’t cops. If they were,
the bodies wouldn’t disappear.
(beat)
You’re in danger. You need to get
the hell out of there.
Emily moves slowly and steps over the spot where the bodies
were.
She takes her car keys from her purse and heads out. She runs
to her car, starts it up, and heads toward home.
Genres:
["Thriller","Sci-Fi","Action"]
Ratings
Scene
49 -
Facing the Unknown
INT. GALLO'S HOUSE - NIGHT
Rance walks back and forth while holding his cell phone. He
begins dialing several times but stops.
Headlights shine in the driveway, and Rance races to the door
and opens it. Emily gets out of a car, runs to the house, and
throws her arms around him.
59
EMILY
My God, Rance. I’m so sorry I
doubted you.
Rance holds her tightly and pats her back.
RANCE
It’s all right. Everything will be
fine now.
EMILY
Everything’s not going to be fine.
I just killed two cops. I —
(pause)
Rance, I’m scared.
Rance pulls away and steps back. He holds her shoulders and
stares.
RANCE
You did not kill two cops. I don’t
know who or what you shot, but they
weren’t human; besides, they
disappeared, didn’t they? There
won’t be any evidence.
(a beat)
Listen, I didn’t believe much of
this before, but Roddy told me some
things that convinced me.
EMILY
(trembling)
Convinced you of what?
RANCE
That aliens have landed.
KITCHEN - GALLO HOUSE - CONTINUOUS
Rance walks toward the kitchen, then stops and turns, staring
at Emily.
RANCE
I know you’ll think I’m nuts, but I
have to do this.
He pulls a flashlight from his pocket, steps close to Emily,
and shines it in her eyes.
EMILY
What the hell are you doing?
60
RANCE
Sorry, I needed to test you.
Apparently, these beings can assume
anyone’s form and this is one of
the only ways to tell who’s real
and who’s not. Carry a flashlight
with you and test anyone you meet.
EMILY
My God, Rance, now you’re scaring
me more.
Emily stares with her eyebrows raised.
EMILY (CONT’D)
What can we do?
Rance kisses her passionately.
RANCE
We can fight this together. No
goddamn aliens are getting the
better of us.
Emily pats his butt and heads up the stairs.
EMILY
I’m getting some guns and ammo.
RANCE
Get plenty of ammo. I’ve got to run
to the office, and you’re coming
with me.
EMILY
You’re right about that; there’s no
way I’m staying here alone.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Thriller","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
50 -
Urgent Protection
INT. WWNEWS - NIGHT
Rance walks through the newsroom, his head hung low and a
solemn expression on his face.
RANCE’S OFFICE — CONTINUOUS
Rance sits behind his desk and picks up the phone, but he
puts it down when RJ enters.
RJ STRYKER
Where the hell is my daughter? I’ve
called her three times.
61
RANCE
She’s here, probably wandering
around the newsroom, but I told her
not to answer her cell.
Rance leans closer and lowers his voice.
RANCE (CONT’D)
They’ve already tried to get her,
and she killed two of them.
RJ STRYKER
What the hell aren’t you telling
me?
RANCE
I didn’t want to say anything until
I was sure. I can’t swear to it,
but I’m as sure as I can be.
RJ STRYKER
Explain.
RANCE
We’ve got a reputed scientist at
the Big Bend Observatory who saw
meteors going in directions they
shouldn’t have been able to.
(a beat)
We’ve got a renowned lawyer who
swears he hit some kind of being,
but when he looked, nothing was
there. Then, while investigating
it, Tony disappears. And I had
patrol cars follow me home.
(a beat)
Besides all that, there’s the
attack on your daughter. She killed
two of them, and their bodies
disappeared. I mean disappeared.
RJ jumps up and slams his fist on the desk.
RJ STRYKER
Don’t worry about anything else.
Concern yourself with watching
Emily. Get her home and stay there *
until we figure something out. I’ll *
send some men from the ranch to
your house.
RANCE
That’ll help, RJ. I appreciate it.
Now, I’m taking Emily home.
62
NEWSROOM — CONTINUOUS
Cyndi removes her earbuds and dials Karo.
CYNDI
Commander, Gallo is here.
KARO
Find out about his wife. She’s
already killed two of our people.
We can’t afford to lose more.
Genres:
["Sci-Fi","Thriller","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
51 -
Facing the Unknown
INT. GALLO HOUSE - NIGHT
Emily sips on a glass of wine, cocks the shotgun, and sets it
on her lap. She hears a car pulling into the driveway.
She quietly lifts the shotgun, then moves slowly to the front
window. As she pulls the curtains aside, she hears the lock
on the front door turn. She raises the gun, ready to shoot.
The doorknob turns, and the door opens slowly. With her
fingers on the trigger, she aims, but then hears a familiar
voice. It’s DENNY (Ranch foreman, 45, tall, burly).
DENNY
Emily, are you here?
Emily sets the gun down and rushes to hug him. She kisses him
on the cheek and squeezes tightly, but then she steps back
and stares. She pulls out a flashlight and shines it into
Denny’s eyes.
Denny holds a hand up to block the light.
DENNY (CONT’D)
Good God. It’s me. You just saw me
last week.
EMILY
I had to check. Besides, more of
Dad’s men are spaced around the
house, and some of them are
upstairs. *
(a beat) *
I’m worried, Denny. Should Rance
and I leave here and hide?
Rance walks in the back door, shakes hands with Denny, and *
addresses Emily.
63
DENNY
I’ll get a few of my men and patrol
the outside. Holler if you need me.
RANCE
(to Emily) *
Don’t worry. We’ll stay, and we’ll
handle this together. Take a seat
on the sofa while I get a gun. It
might be a long night.
Rance returns carrying a gun. He pours a glass of wine and
sits on the sofa to watch TV. NEWS REPORTER ONE (40, male,
Latino, professional) delivers the nightly news.
NEWS REPORTER ONE
Two police officers have gone
missing after a routine patrol.
Residents of the upscale community
north of Dallas reported hearing
gunshots coming from the house
owned by Rance Gallo, Chief
Reporter at WWNEWS, but upon
investigating, there were no signs
of foul play inside or out. And
there was no sign of either Mr. or
Mrs. Gallo.
Emily leans on Rance’s shoulder.
EMILY
That news report settles it. If we
go on the run, we’ll be hunted like
dogs.
RANCE
Then I guess we’ll have to fight
this as reporters.
Genres:
["Thriller","Sci-Fi","Drama"]
Ratings
Scene
52 -
Watchful Eyes
INT. KARO’S HOUSE — NIGHT
Karo answers a knock at the door and invites Justine in. She
sits in a chair next to Karo.
KARO
I want you to keep a close watch on
Gallo. Mind you, I don’t want
anything done right now, just watch
and report anything of concern.
JUSTINE
What are we going to do?
64
KARO
I don’t know yet, but the fleet is
close, and I will not let Gallo
interfere with our plans.
FADE OUT