A STATE OF EMERGENCY
This has been written in response to the arrival of Connie and to seeing Harry on the Grid still without Ruth. It will just be a short piece – yes really this time! As I don't really have time to write at the moment – I haven't even finished the next chapter of The Past Revisited yet – I decided to leave out all descriptive passages and write this in script form, so bear with me.
Mis-en-sceneA general shot of the Grid pans across individual desks. The lighting is dramatic, ominous, gloomy shades of ice and midnight blue with green overtones.
Connie is at a desk. Her eyes are focused on a computer screen, with an exasperated expression in her eyes, as her fingers drum subconsciously on the mouse.
Malcolm is sitting nearby, absorbed in his own world, as he scans through endless CCTV images.
Adam and Ros are perched on Jo's desk, apparently discussing the man of middle-eastern appearance, whose photograph is in Jo's hand; but their eyes are actually trained on Harry; whose distant figure is seen through the glass wall of his office, slumped in his seat with his right hand covering his face.
SCENE 1ROS: He's not going to make it if he carries on like this.
ADAM (tersely, but not with 100 per cent conviction): Yes he will. He always does.
JO (does eyes brimming with tears): He feels responsible.
ROS (irritated & also stricken with guilt): Being lachrymose won't bring Zaf back.
And it won't help Harry. He needs someone he can turn to.
ADAM (raises his eyebrows questioningly at Ros): That's not possible. She's dead.
ROS (in exasperated tone snaps back): Oh for God's sake Adam! There isn't time
To play parlour games. We're being dragged into another war in the Middle
East, one that we definitely don't want and can't win and thanks to our little
kidnapping jaunt, the whole spy community and the CIA in particular, are
out to destroy us. This is no time for Harry to weaken. Whatever it takes, we
need him firing on all cylinders.
ADAM: Even if I wanted to, I couldn't bring her back. I don't know where she is.
Neither does Harry, before you ask.
ROS (in a quiet measured voice): Yes, but I bet Malcolm does.
JO: If you're talking about who I think you're talking about, it's not possible.
Firstly she would be arrested as soon as she appeared and secondly we don't
have time to mount a recovery operation for a defunct agent.
ROS: Desperate times call for desperate measures. Facing imminent widespread
Terrorist attacks and all out war with Iran; I'm sure the Home Secretary has
better things to do than ponder resurrections.
ADAM(nods his agreement at Ros): Who will do it?
ROS: Connie.
ADAM (in an alarmed, urgent voice): Connie?
ROS (Patient but exasperated, as if explaining table manners to a small child):
Yes, Connie. She's bright, ruthless, experienced and not emotionally attached.
Adam, glancing at Harry, to make sure he's still preoccupied with the cares of office; moves swiftly over to Connie's desk and bending down whispers in her ear.
ADAM: We need your help Connie. Well actually, Harry needs your help.
CONNIE(frowns up at him): He's needed it for the last decade and managed just
fine. So what's so urgent all of a sudden?
ADAM (nodding towards the immobile figure through the glass wall): Look at him.
CONNIE: So touching you care Adam; but what's it got to do with me?
ADAM: Not here. Meet me in the corridor in 5 minutes.
Connie nods her assent curtly as she glances across at Harry and purses her lips together.
SCENE 2Long shot view of corridor that is lit in neutral shades, but with highlighted contrast that throws dark shadows behind the figures. Connie bustles up the corridor towards the hovering figure of Adam, looking like an irritated headmistress on a mission.
CONNIE: Alright Biggles. What do you want? I'm busy.
ADAM: Harry is looking fragile at a time when he we can't afford anything less
than a hundred per cent focus.
CONNIE: Isn't that rather a case of the pot calling the kettle black. You're still not
fully recovered from that PTSD nonsense, not to mention wasting
valuable time wooing the lovely Ros. Look to your own focus before you
start on Harry. He just needs a few more shots of the amber nectar and a
good night's sleep.
ADAM (A slight edge to his voice): We both know that's not true.
CONNIE (Equally snarky): Well what do you want me to do about it? Hold his hand?
Pop some valium in his nightcap?
ADAM: No. I want you to find someone.
CONNIE (looks up at him sharply as her beady eyes harden to an alert expression):
Who?
ADAM: Her name is, or rather was, Ruth Evershed.
CONNIE(interrupting impatiently): Yes, yes, I've heard the whole story. Talented,
Intelligence analyst. Used as patsy by Oliver Mace to gain leverage over
Harry; but 'evidence' (here Connie makes imaginary inverted comma
gestures with her fingers) proved she was the guilty party and she
'drowned' (more inverted comma gestures). And?
ADAM (glancing round to check they are not overheard): She was more than just an
able officer to Harry. She was his confidante. (pause) He was in love with
her, (another pause and his voice softens to a whisper) he still is.
CONNIE (raises her eyebrows and whistles softly – she is genuinely surprised):
Old Harry finding love again, well, well. Screwing junior staff, very
naughty.
ADAM: No, nothing like that. They didn't do anything, but the chemistry
between them was obvious.
CONNIE: Well more fool him. Protocol certainly didn't stop him in the past.
Anyway what's this tryst got to do with the present situation?
ADAM: When Ruth (pause) left, Harry was really upset. He didn't
show it of course, you know Harry; but he's had this constant
haunted look in his eyes ever since. The first months were hell.
He was bad-tempered, unpredictable and made all the replacement
analyst's lives an absolute misery. In fact, that's partly why he's so
pleased you agreed to come back. No desk spook lasted more than
three weeks. If we can get Ruth back here she'll not only be
invaluable in this present crisis, she'll also give Harry something
to hang onto in his life that's positive.
CONNIE:(with a smirk on her lips) I wouldn't have put you down as a romantic, Adam.
ADAM: I'm not being romantic Connie. I'm being practical. We need Harry at
the peak of his game. He needs a kick up the backside and I think Ruth is
the answer.
CONNIE: So where am I going to find Cinderella?
ADAM (a note of hesitation in his voice): I don't know. Zaf was the one who
organised her legend. I think Malcolm will have the answer, but it
won't be easy prying the answer out of him. He was very close to Ruth.
CONNIE(smiles and looks directly at Adam): Don't worry. I'll deal with Malcolm.
I'll need you to cover for me. By the way, what makes you so sure
Ms Evershed will be willing to come back? It seems to be she got a
pretty bum deal. Even worse than having to play farmer Giles in Sussex
for the last ten years like I did. If I was her, I'd tell us to take a running
jump.
ADAM (speaking with perhaps greater assurance than he feels): Ruth was
absolutely loyal to the Service and to Harry. She adored him. Explain
the situation and his present frame of mind. She'll come whatever the
personal cost.
Connie nods her assent and walks quickly away from Adam, back onto the Grid and across to Malcolm's desk.
Trying to write in a script format is a new departure for me, so I would be grateful if you could hit the review button and leave me your thoughts before I try and write any more along these lines. Thanks.