"A Wolf in Fawkes Clothing"
Part I
Enter the Official's office (late afternoon): The Official, Hobbes and the Keeper are seated. Eberts is behind the Official filing something away.
Hobbes:
"So how long did Fawkes say he would be visiting his aunt?"
The Keeper:
"He's not visiting his aunt, he was going to go visit his grandmother."
Hobbes looks confused, the Keeper stares somewhat dismayed.
The Keeper:
"The only other relative of Darien, aside from Kevin, that you have ever met."
Hobbes:
"Oh, why didn't you say so, yeah, Darien's grandma, great old lady, just great.…"
The Keeper looks at Hobbes and roles her eyes. Hobbes looks over only to see that the Keeper's attention is no longer directed at him, he slowly turns to the Official.
Hobbes:
"So how long was Fawkes going to be gone again?"
The Official:
"He has four days off on the books…
Eberts interrupts.
Eberts:
"Any more and it will reflect his salary.
Hobbes looks at Eberts.
Hobbes:
"Who asked you?… Eberts (angrily, then somewhat- annoyed)"
The Official:
"That's enough you two. Claire how long will Darien's booster shot hold him?"
The Keeper:
"Barring any use of quicksilver, roughly five days.
The Official:
"Plenty of time"
Enter Darien's apartment (that night): His bags are all packed, he is evidently planning on leaving in the morning. The lights are out, Darien is asleep. Enter Voiceover: "A lady by the name of Clare Boothe Luce once said that no good deed goes unpunished, and well I never really agreed with her. In my experience every bad deed that I did never went unpunished, but today it looked like it was time for me to answer for all of the good that I had done."
Suddenly the door is kicked open and five men all dressed in black and wearing ski-masks rush in and subdue Darien, Darien tries to fight back, four of them grab his arms and his legs he can't fight them off. The fifth pulls out a syringe from his pocket and injects Darien. Darien slowly stops struggling and drifts into unconsciousness. A figure walks through the door, the shadows fade and slowly Stark is revealed with a grim smile on his face. Then on Stark's left someone else comes through, a man in a dark cloak wearing a hat, he's to far in the shadows to see clearly. The only thing that is clearly distinguishable is the cigarette that he's smoking. He slowly steps out into the light only to reveal that it's Arnoud, he pauses and quietly laughs to himself while exhaling smoke giving an outline of his face.
End Teaser
Act One
Enter a street in the suburbs (two days later, early afternoon). The camera zooms across the street to a sign, it reads "Alfred's Flowers". Inside of the flower shop a Chrysalis operations facility is revealed.
The camera follows Stark past the desks of Chrysalis operatives and towards a heavily secured door. Stark types in a security code, checks his hand print and takes a retina scan. The door opens. Through it Darien can be seen tied to a chair. The door closes.
Stark:
"What is your progress?"
Arnoud:
"I'm almost finished with him, I'm making the finishing touches as we speak."
Stark:
"Are you sure that this is going to work?"
Arnoud:
"Of course it's going to work, I know the quicksilver gland better than anyone…alive. (Pause) You can start dropping some bread crumbs now, just enough so that they start looking, we need them to find him before it wears off"
Enter the Official's office (next day, early afternoon). Hobbes and the Keeper are standing at the Official's desk, the Official is seated with Eberts hovering behind him.
The Official:
"I've just learned that Darien didn't make it to his grandmother's."
Hobbes:
"You think he's play'n hooky?"
The Keeper:
"Darien wouldn't have missed this on purpose, he was really looking forward to visiting his grandmother. Besides I don't think that he'd just through all of this a way and make a run for it."
The Official:
"Either way he has to be found."
Eberts raises two file folders up and opens his mouth
.The Official:
"Shut up Eberts!"
Eberts backs down. Hobbes gives a sly grin for a second, but the Official stares him down and Hobbes sinks into his chair.
The Official:
"Hobbes, you and Claire divide up Darien's usual hangouts between yourselves and check them out. Eberts get to the Keeper's computer and try to find whether or not Darien has been leaving a paper trail that we can follow.
Hobbes:
"I've got it chief, Bobby Hobbes is on the case."
Hobbes, the Keeper, and Eberts leave the office.
The Official:
"(Sigh) Don't remind me."
The Official opens up a file folder and gets back to work.
Enter Mary's Beauty supply (later that afternoon). A few elderly women are the only customers present, a woman in her forties sits behind the cash register.
The Keeper:
"Excuse me, I'm looking for a man"
Lady behind the counter:
"Aren't we all dear"
The Lady behind the counter and the few elderly women laugh. The Keeper frowns and pulls out her badge and shoves it in the lady's face. Everyone in the store stops laughing and becomes quiet.
The Keeper:
"I am a federal agent, and I'm looking for a man by name Darien Fawkes."
Lady behind the counter:
"Darien? Why didn't ya say so kid? Everyone knows Darien, he's one of my best customers; but I haven't seen him in here for a couple days.
The Keeper:
"Are you sure?"
Lady behind the counter:
"Believe me dear, if Darien had been in here recently I'd remember it."
The lady behind the counter gives a sly smile. The Keeper looks bluntly at the lady behind the counter and then walks out.
Enter Darien's apartment (that night). The door slowly opens to reveal Bobby Hobbes. He looks over his shoulder to make sure that he wasn't followed. He draws his gun and his flashlight, then slowly enters the apartment.
The apartment is completely silent. Hobbes looks at the floor to see Darien's suitcases still packed and ready to go. There are also a few broken dishes that had been knocked of the counter top and a couple of books that had been thrown of their shelves, suddenly there is a loud clang. Hobbes turns with lightning speed only to see that it's Darien's pet rat running on it's exercise wheel. Hobbes looks at the rat.
Hobbes:
"You know what happened here?"
The rat stares at Hobbes.
Hobbes:
"No, didn't think so."
Hobbes turns back around and resumes looking through the apartment. He sees a piece of paper on the floor. He reaches down, picks it up, and looks at it.
Hobbes:
"Now, I have the winning hand"
Hobbes lowers the paper. A pondering expression covers his face.
Act II
Enter the Official's office (the following morning). The Official is seated behind his desk. Hobbes and the Keeper are seated in front of him.
Official:
"What have you two been able to turn up?"
The Keeper:
"I haven't been able to find any leads."
The Official:
"Hobbes?"
Hobbes:
"Yeah, Bobby Hobbes found something."
Official:
"Well would Bobby Hobbes like to tell us what he found before Bobby Hobbes finds himself out of a job?"
Hobbes:
"Sorry sir. I went to Fawkes' humble little abode…"
The Official interrupts.
The Official:
"Spare me the editorials Bobby."
Hobbes:
"Like I was saying sir, I went to Fawkes apartment last night. His suitcases were still there and the apartment had been trashed; I found this."
Hobbes hands the Official the note that he found in Darien's apartment. The Official studies the note for a few seconds and places it on his desk.
The Official:
"People, we have a problem."
Hobbes:
"Well I could have told ya that."
The Official interrupts.
The Official:
"Bobby."
Hobbes:
"Sorry sir, I didn't mean…
The Official interrupts again.
The Official:
"Hobbes."
Hobbes gives it a rest. The Official pauses for a second, and says:
The Official:
"Chrysalis has Darien."
The Keeper:
"How can you be sure?"
The Official:
"This is a message from Stark,…last time that Darien got away from him he called it a draw, and I think he's been looking for a tie-breaker ever since."
Hobbes:
"Looks like he found one."
The Keeper:
"Well what exactly are we going to do about it? Has Stark made any demands, or…?"
Hobbes interrupts.
Hobbes:
"I'll tell ya what were gonna do, we're gonna go find our missing comrade, then tell Stark to…"
Hobbes is interrupted by Eberts rushing in through the door carrying a stack of papers.
The Official:
"What did you find Eberts?"
Eberts:
"Well, by hacking into the DMV I was able to uncover what credit cards Darien has and by…"
The Official, Hobbes, and The Keeper:
"Eberts!"
Eberts pauses.
The Official:
"What, did you find?"
Eberts:
"Apparently one of Darien's credit cards was used three days ago at an Alfred's Flowers."
Hobbes:
"Why would Fawkes be buying flowers?"
Eberts:
"Perhaps they were for his grandmother."
The Official:
"Shut up Eberts."
Hobbes:
"This smells like a setup."
The Official:
"What choice do we have? Check it out."
Act III
Outside of Alfred's Flowers (afternoon). Golda is parked across the street. Agents are undercover outside ready to move in.
Inside of Golda sits Hobbes and the Keeper.
Hobbes:
"Everyone's in position. Stay in the van until we signal all clear."
The Keeper:
"You just expect me to sit here and wait? What if Darien's injured and he needs my help"
Hobbes:
"Yes, that is exactly what I expect you to do, if Fawkes is injured you're not going to do him any good if you're dead."
Hobbes exits Golda and walks across the street towards the flower shop. Hobbes grabs the collar of his shirt and talks into the microphone.
Hobbes:
"All teams move in!"
Suddenly agents come from all over the place and rush towards the front door. A hot dog vendor suddenly reaches into his cart and pulls out a machine gun, while other Chrysili break through the store's glass windows and start shooting. A fire fight breaks out.
After a few minutes of shooting, the dust settles. The Chrysalis agents have either retreated or been killed. The flower shop is in shambles. Hobbes signals the remaining agents to follow him into the store. They break down the door and find a deserted Chrysalis outpost, Hobbes sees a heavily guarded door in the back and signals to agents to take care of it.
Inside of the room, Darien sits strapped to a chair. He's drugged and barely conscious.
Suddenly the door is blown of it's hinges and into the room. Hobbes and the agents enter. Hobbes reaches to the microphone on his collar.
Hobbes:
"All clear Keep, We've found him."
Voice of the Keeper over earpiece:
"I'm on my way."
Hobbes rushes over and begins un-strapping Darien from the chair.
Hobbes:
"Hey partner."
Darien:
"What the hell took you so long?"
Hobbes:
"Had a little trouble with the bad guys."
Hobbes helps Darien out of the chair and they begin walking out of the building. They enter what used to be Alfred's Flowers.
Darien:
"What happened here?"
Hobbes:
"They didn't have the flowers I wanted."
The Keeper enters, medical bag in hand. She goes over to Darien and begins looking him over.
Darien:
"Hey"
The Keeper:
"Are you alright?"
Darien:
"Sure, I think. I guess."
The Keeper:
"Well while we're still here I'm going to look you over, I need you to remain still for a second."
The Keeper reaches into her medical bag to pull something out. But before she can Darien says:
Darien:
"I don't think that'll be a problem."
Darien passes out. Hobbes and the Keeper catch him. A few other agents rush over and help them carry Darien over to Golda. Golda drives off, the last two agents walk out looking at the debris from the flower shop, one steps on a lily lying on the ground.
Act IV
Enter the keep, Darien is sitting in his favorite chair while the Keeper is running some tests.
The Keeper:
"So what exactly do you remember?"
Darien:
"I remember being kidnapped, and well after that it just sorta becomes a blur. The next thing I know the cavalry is coming in guns a blazing."
The Keeper:
"That's it?"
Darien:
"Yeah, that's it."
The Keeper:
"And you're sure you can't remember anything else?"
Darien:
"Yeah, I'm sure. You think I'd be holding something back?"
The Keeper looks back at Darien surprised, before she has the chance to respond the Official and Hobbes enter.
The Official:
"What's his status?"
The Keeper steps away to talk privately with the Official while Hobbes goes over and talks to Darien.
Hobbes:
"Hey partner, how's it go'n?"
Darien:
"Well I feel like it's the 70's all over again, and I'm the floor at the local disco parlor."
Hobbes:
"It'll pass, you just need a little R and R. I remember this one time back in Beruit when…"
Darien interrupts.
Darien:
Hey Hobbes, I'm really tired. How about we save story time for when I'm feeling a little more up to it."
Over to the Official and the Keeper.
The Keeper:
"…The Gland is in perfect condition. As for Darien, physically he'll be fine, however I've been monitoring some unusual brain activity from him. However this could be a normal response that the Gland has to some of the drugs that were used on Darien. I'll have to run some more tests to be sure. Now emotionally… I think this was a traumatic experience for him. He doesn't quite seem himself."
The Official:
"What do you mean?"
The Keeper:
"He doesn't seem to want to talk about what happened to him, and when I bring it up he becomes agitated. Now this is to be expected from someone who's been traumatized like this, but he seems a little off. However this may be a result of his current brain activity. I'll need to run a couple more tests to be sure.
The Official:
"It's probably just the stress, give him a couple days and he'll be fine.
The Keeper:
"That could be it, but I don't know, something just doesn't seem right."
Enter Starks office (same day). Stark is seated behind his desk, across from him sits Arnoud in one of his masks. An agent enters.
Arnoud:
"Well?"
Agent:
"Everything has gone according to plan Mr. Stark."
Stark:
"Excellent, phase one of our little plan is complete."
The agent leaves the room. Arnoud and Stark resume there discussion.
Stark:
"Now, if everything goes according to plan, we will both have everything we want."
Arnoud:
"Just make sure that your agents did their jobs correctly. We don't want to make anyone at the Agency suspicious."
Stark:
"You're not worried about Fawkes?"
Arnoud:
"My dear Mr. Stark, we have both tried to infiltrate the Agency. We've tried impersonating operatives and even bugging them. Neither have been successful, our current course of action is the only logical alternative. Have one of there own agents work for us. And whom better than Fawkes?
Stark:
"The Official doesn't entirely trust him though."
Arnoud:
"No, but the Keeper does, and she is the one with information that we are both after.
Stark:
"And if Fawkes is unsuccessful, and is captured?"
Arnoud:
"He'll likely be killed by the Agency, and if he does succeed and get us the information, we'll kill him anyways. We can't loose, either way Darien Fawkes is a dead man.
To Be Continued…