Script Revised #3

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 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

Why don’t we start from the top? Don’t be shy.

HOLLAND

[Nervously] What is this? Who are you?

CHRIS

That doesn’t matter. What does matter is who you’re working for.

HOLLAND

Why do you care?

CHRISTOPHER takes out a black tactical Salute Knife.

CHRIS

Lets just say, it’s a personal matter.

CHRISTOPHER caresses HOLLAND’s skin with the blade.

HOLLAND looks nervously at the blade as CHRISTOPHER points it toward one of HOLLAND’s fingers.

HOLLAND looks up at CHRISTOPHER to try and read his expression.

CHRIS

If you remain silent, I will skin one finger at a time until you tell me what I want to know. I asked who you work for!

HOLLAND

[Frazzled] I work for the National Security Division.

CHRISTOPHER leans away from HOLLAND, walking in a circle around HOLLAND.

CHRIS

And what do you do there?

HOLLAND looks mildly annoyed.

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 information and medicine to the rebels.

CHRIS looks briefly inside the file, shuffling through a couple pages, looking troubled.

CHRIS

There’s not even a shred of target info!

SECRETARY looks to the side uncomfortably, before turning to walk away.

Cut to: LIVING ROOM.

CHRIS

Who authorizes you to eliminate a target?

HOLLAND

That isn’t within my jurisdiction.

CHRIS hits Hilshire across the face with his fist.

CHRIS clearly unhappy glares into HOLLAND’s eyes for a moment. CHRIS paces in a circle around HOLLAND’s chair.

CHRIS

What was the last mission you issued?

HOLLAND

What does that have to do with anything?

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

Answer the question!

CHRIS slams the knife down, point-first, dangerously close to one of HOLLAND’s fingers.

HOLLAND

It was for this group of traitors. They were passing along agent profiles to the rebels.

CHRIS has regained control, projecting a false calm.

CHRIS

Agent profiles? I realize informing the dogs that do your dirty work, what it is they’re actually supposed to be doing, 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.

CHRIS

One of those details was the name of a woman I loved…

Cut to FLASHBACK: CHRIS turns over CLARE’s body, that has fallen at an obscure angle. His expression turns from casual to fearful. He takes off a glove to check her pulse. Having found no pulse he gently lifts her off the ground (indicated into his arms).

CUT to LIVINGROOM:

HOLLAND stares at CHRIS.

HOLLAND

Wait. You’re…

CHRIS projects an angry glare at HOLLAND

HOLLAND

How unlucky. I suppose your reputation speaks loudest.

CHRIS

She… was my wife…

HOLLAND

And you’re still sticking up for her? I don’t think you knew her as well as you think you did…

CHRIS

[Sarcastically] Oh really? And you would know how?

HOLLAND

I’ve been running surveillance on Clare Hilshire for about three years now.

CHRIS

And you never once noticed that I was there?

HOLLAND

I wasn’t the one who had you both on camera. That was the office above me. Everything I got was in writing. You and that doctor were never more than names to me.

CHRIS

So you didn’t actually see any of it? How do you know it was even true? The higher ups probably lied to you the same way they lied to me!

HOLLAND

I need no proof. The details in the reports were proof enough. Precise details can’t be made up.

[Pause]

HOLLAND

You should read her 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 dinner dates as a cover for her activities with the rebels?

CHRIS eyes HOLLAND suspiciously.

HOLLAND

You don’t believe me? She cooks dinner every Sunday and Monday, except on the anniversary of her mother’s death.

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! The best thing you ever did was kill her. Her treachery would have destroyed you. It would have continued to wound the State, and the State is everything to you and me! Am I wrong?

CHRIS is still, watching HOLLAND.

CHRIS

[Mumbles] You are not wrong…

HOLLAND

She never really loved you, you know. She was just using you for a suitable long-term alibi.

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 know beyond any doubt that Clare loved me. And that’s all there is to it.

CHRIS turns to the window.

CHRIS

Just one more thing.

HOLLAND is silent.

CHRIS

Why did it have to be me?

HOLLAND rises from his seat.

HOLLAND

Because you were the best suited for the job. And because it was thought that the best way to inform you of her treachery was to see it with your own eyes. That way the satisfaction of ending her treason could be yours and yours alone.

CHRIS continues to stare out the window silently and angrily, mulling 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