Main Characters
Christopher Hilshire
Francis R. H. Holland
Secondary characters and extras
Clare Hilshire
Secretary
Guard 1 & 2
Locations
Large House
Office Interior
By Celia Mitchell
ACT I:
Opens with a hand reaching for the doorbell in the daytime. Two guards are lying motionless on the lawn.
Inside the house: Holland walks toward the door. Opening it without much thought, Holland is promptly greeted with a swift punch to the face.
Cut to Black
ACT II:
Holland wakes up, lying in a chair in his living room, not bound by so much as a rubber band. Chris is standing in the same room, looking out a window. Chris looks back at Holland.
CHRIS
You’re finally awake…
HOLLAND nervously looks around the room.
CHRIS turns his whole body to face HOLLAND
CHRIS
There’s no need to be afraid. I’m not going to do anything to you… yet…
HOLLAND catches his last word, his expression tenses.
CHRIS gives him a calm, cold smile. CHRIS takes a seat across from HOLLAND, looking oddly at ease.
CHRIS
So… I finally meet the man who has been pulling the strings.
HOLLAND looks suspiciously at CHRIS
CHRIS
So, this is how it’s going to work. I’m going to ask you a question, and you’re going to give me an answer. Sound fair?
HOLLAND
What is this? Who are you?
CHRIS
That doesn’t matter. What does matter is the work you do. Tell me about you.
HOLLAND
I don’t have to listen to this…
HOLLAND gets up from his chair.
CHRIS rounds on him, almost nose to nose. CHRISTOPHER takes out a black tactical Salute Knife. CHRISTOPHER caressing HOLLAND’s skin with the blade.
CHRIS
It would be in your best interest to stay put.
HOLLAND looks nervously at the blade and sits down.
CHRIS
You didn’t answer my question.
HOLLAND
I’m not afraid of your threats. I’m not going to tell you anything about me.
CHRISTOPHER bends down and points the knife toward one of HOLLAND’s fingers.
CHRIS
Perhaps I didn’t make myself clear. If you insist on keeping your mouth shut, I will skin one finger at a time until you start talking.
CHRIS moves his knife to the first finger on HOLLAND’s left hand, holding his hand down against the chair, and starts to draw the knife back towards HOLLAND’s skin.
HOLLAND
[Frazzled] WAIT!
CHRIS releases HOLLAND’s hand, looking up at his face.
HOLLAND
I work for the National Security Division.
CHRISTOPHER straightens up, waiting to hear the rest.
HOLLAND
I coordinate the deployment of agents to eliminate threats to the State.
Cut to: Flashback: Office Interior: CHRIS’s office is lit solely by a lamp on his desk.
A file slides over to CHRIS’s side of the desk. He looks up at SECRETARY.
CHRIS
What’s this?
SECRETARY
Orders came in for you. It’s a private mission. They’ve requested you go alone.
CHRIS picks the file up off his desk.
Secretary
[Hesitatingly] A group of doctors have been passing medicine and information to the rebels.
CHRIS looks briefly inside the file, shuffling through a couple pages, looking troubled.
CHRIS
There isn’t a shred of target info!
SECRETARY looks to the side uncomfortably, before turning to walk away.
Cut to: LIVING ROOM.
CHRIS
Who authorizes your orders?
HOLLAND
That’s classified.
CHRIS hits Hilshire across the face with the fist opposite of his knife hand.
CHRIS clearly unhappy glares into HOLLAND’s eyes before pacing in a circle around HOLLAND’s chair.
CHRIS
What was the last mission you issued?
HOLLAND
The last elimination was a group of physicians who turned defector, passing along their state-issued medicines and classified information to the rebels.
Cut to brief flashback:
CHRIS is holding a woman in his arms, kneeling on the floor, rocking back and forth.
CHRIS takes off her wedding ring. Visibly very distraught.
CUT to: LIVINGROOM.
CHRIS’s eyes flash angrily toward HOLLAND.
CHRIS
You slime-ball! Lying will get you nowhere!
CHRIS slams the knife down, point-first, dangerously close to one of HOLLAND’s fingers.
HOLLAND
I assure you, I’m very serious. They’ve been doing this for quite some time. Years in fact…
CHRIS
If they’ve been doing this for years, what changed to make them a threat?
HOLLAND
Things got personal. One in particular got a hold of classified files. Files located and encrypted on your own home computer, agent NOIR-31, Christopher Hilshire. Oh yes, you’re wife, Clare, was the one.
CHRIS stared at HOLLAND, stunned. He went through a few stages of anger, hitting a nearby chair before taking a deep breath and turning back to HOLLAND.
CHRIS
You’ve known it was me this whole time?
HOLLAND
[Smugly] Of course, my dear friend. What other agent in the field has a trademark of skinning the hands off those unlucky enough to be his victims?
CHRIS stared at him, not totally knowing what to say. But then, just moments later, he regained his composure.
CHRIS
But wait, you said classified files. What kind?
HOLLAND
Specifically, profiles of agents. Something that would make you an easy target in the future.
CHRIS
Agent profiles? I realize informing the dogs that do your dirty work, what’s actually going on, is below you, but for this, there should have been mountains of target info. Why wasn’t there any?
HOLLAND
It wouldn’t have benefitted the mission in any way, so I left out unnecessary details.
CHRIS
Unnecessary details…
Brief pause.
HOLLAND
You should read Clare’s file. You’re here after all.
CHRIS
[Defiantly] I have no intention of—
HOLLAND
Did you know that on ten separate occasions, she used your agent code number to get through the gates of a rebel lockdown zone?
CHRIS eyes HOLLAND suspiciously.
HOLLAND
You don’t believe me? How about this… She cooked dinner every Sunday and Monday, except on the anniversary of her mother’s death. Her favorite necklace was a sapphire that you gave her on her birthday. She once spent an entire evening caring for you when you fell ill after your first mission.
CHRIS’s eyes open wide, obviously recognizing the details in HOLLAND’s words.
CHRIS
What—
HOLLAND
That one day she was late meeting you on the lake, she was with her commanding officer in the rebel faction. She’s been playing you! She stole from you! The best thing you ever did was dispose of her. Her treachery would have destroyed you and the state. And the state is everything! Am I wrong?
CHRIS is quiet.
HOLLAND
AM I WRONG?
CHRIS folds his knife back up and puts it back in its rightful place on his belt.
CHRIS
[Mumbles] You aren’t wrong…
HOLLAND
She never really loved you. You should know that. She was just using you for her own gain.
ACT III:
CHRIS is silent, seeming to turn this over in his mind. But then, slowly, he cracks a cold smile.
CHRIS
You know… you almost had me there. If this had been about anyone else, then I would have believed you. But as it happens, I believe beyond any doubt that Clare loved me. And that’s all there is to it.
CHRIS turns to the window.
CHRIS
There’s only one more thing.
HOLLAND is silent.
CHRIS
Why did it have to be me?
HOLLAND rises from his seat.
HOLLAND
I would think that’s obvious. You were the best suited for the job. It was also thought that the best way to inform you of her treason was to see it with your own eyes. That way the satisfaction of ending her betrayal could be yours and yours alone.
CHRIS continues to stare out the window silently. His anger is still boiling as he mulls over his thoughts.
Taking the opportunity with CHRIS’s back turned, HOLLAND lunges forward to choke CHRISTOPHER. HOLLAND’s arms begin to take hold of CHRIS’s neck.
CHRIS grabs his arm, peels it back from his neck, immobilizes HOLLAND and snaps HOLLAND’s neck.
CHRIS looks down at the body that has just fallen to the floor, no remorse in his eyes.
CHRIS turns and walks out of frame.
END
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