Chapter 8:
EXT. OUTDOOR ARENA – NIGHT
It's a political rally for Governor Terrence. Crowds – from all over California – have come to cheer him on, waving flags. At every entrance and exit – PANTHYR guards stand in their military gear.
The governor waves as he joins Mayor Osborne on a wooden platform. Behind him is a giant screen, clearly visible to everyone in the area. The governor's face appears on the screen behind him, enlarged by a hundred feet. Terrence adjusts his tie and steps up to the microphone.
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: Good evening, ladies and gentlemen! Welcome!
The audience bursts out into applause.
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: Before we begin – I know that there has been much concern over the recent slate of killings! You have my full assurance, as your governor, that the situation has been – contained.
Next to him, the mayor shifts uncomfortably.
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: We have a suspect in custody. He is currently being interrogated in our new, state of the art prison!
Behind him, the screen depicts a giant image of the prison complex.
GOVERNOR TERRENCE: He will reveal the identities of any accomplices. Using my authority as governor, per our latest executive order, I have granted the PANTHYR Security Force full authority to patrol the streets. They will catch any accomplices there may have been. The citizens of California and Woodsboro can sleep easy tonight!
The crowd cheers.
CUT TO:
INT. WOODSBORO PENITENTIARY – NIGHT
Billy is in an orange jumpsuit, frogwalked with cuffs on his hands and feet, let by two PANTHYR guards. They lead him to a room – inside is a small chair. The guards shove Billy in and uncuff his hands and feet. They spin him around and force him into the chair, binding him to it with leather thongs by his wrists and feet. A clamp goes around his neck, holding him in place.
BILLY: (sarcastic) Oh no, please. Make this a little tighter.
The guards say nothing. They turn and vanish out of the door. In their place – stands Cyrus and Angelique.
BILLY: Oh, what is this? Midnight Express? (eyes Cyrus) And who are supposed to be, Ernst Blofeld?
CYRUS: Cute. Let's see how long you stay that way.
He holds out his hand. Angelique places a pair of brass knuckles onto them. Cyrus cracks his fingers.
BILLY: (eyes widening) Well now wait a minute -.
CRYUS CRACKS HIM IN THE JAW!
Billy spits out blood. He looks up.
CYRUS: What? Nothing cute to say?
BILLY: I've gotten better hits from Stu's old weed dealer.
CYRUS STRIKES HIM AGAIN!
BILLY: (spitting up more blood) Is this even legal?!
ANGELIQUE: Well – what the general public doesn't know … won't hurt them.
CYRUS: Tell us – why did you kill Roman Bridger?
BILLY: I didn't –
ANOTHER HIT.
CYRUS: (calmly) Why did you kill Daisy Kean?
BILLY: You have the wrong –
A FOURTH STRIKE!
CYRUS: Why did you kill Candace Daniels?
BILLY: Shit, I'm telling the truth!
ANGELIQUE: This one's a hard one.
Cyrus nods as he turns to a table with other torture implements.
CYRUS: Indeed. But we have other ways of loosening his tongue.
Billy's eyes widen as Cyrus turns with a scalpel.
CUT TO:
INT. CELL – NIGHT
Billy is tossed into a cell, covered in cuts and bruises.
PANTHYR GUARD #1: Enjoy your new cellmate.
Billy lies on the floor, curled up in a ball. A hand reaches out to help him. He takes it – his eyes widen.
JAMES: Hello, roomie.
Billy shoves James away.
BILLY: Stay the fuck away from me!
JAMES: Relax. We're gonna be here a while. Might as well be civil.
BILLY: You're a murderer!
JAMES: So are you from what I hear. Oh yeah, rumors fly around this place during our exercise time.
BILLY: I didn't kill anyone …
JAMES: You know, that's the messed-up thing – I actually believe you.
James approaches. He rips a piece of his prison uniform off and offers to wipe Billy's blood.
JAMES: Those PANTHYR guys can be pretty brutal. Did you confess?
BILLY: I have nothing to confess to.
JAMES: Yeah. And?
BILLY: And?
JAMES: Shit, with some of the sick stuff that they do in here, I woulda sold out my own grandmother.
BILLY: I bet you would've.
JAMES: (changing subject) How's Tatum?
BILLY: Don't you even say her fucking name!
JAMES: Whoa, chill out, just making conversation. Besides … she was my fiancé at one point too. I have a right to know.
BILLY: You forfeited that right when you killed Veronica and Brian.
James falls silent. The door to their cell opens and a PANTHYR guard enters. Not just any guard – It is former Deputy Hicks, now in a PANTHYR uniform.
BILLY: Hicks? What are you -?
HICKS: A promotion. PANTHYR wanted me to come work for them.
He places two trays down.
HICKS: Your meals for the evening. Enjoy guys.
James grabs a bowl and lies down on a cot. Billy wrinkles his nose at the goop in a bowl and sighs. He's in it for the long haul. This morning he was supposed to have been married. Now he's cellmate to his fiance's ex-fiance. Life couldn't be better.