Chapter 17:

EXT. WOODSBORO SUBURBIA – NIGHT

Greg pulls up in his car, Mona in the driver's seat. Mona has her arms folded and Greg sits there nervously. He eyes James up as he and Billy enter the rear seats.

GREG: He's not -.

BILLY: Gonna blow our brains out? No.

GREG: If you say so, where to?

BILLY: Shit, I didn't think this far ahead …

GREG'S cell phone rings! They all practically jump out of their skins! Greg puts the phone on speaker.

GREG: Yes?

GHOSTFACE: Good. You're all together now. It's time for the final showdown! And don't worry about Tatum – she's already on her way to me!

BILLY: How do we know that, huh?

GHOSTFACE: If you want to chance it, be my guest. But know that if you're not here in the next twenty minutes, I'll hang Tatum's gutted corpse from the tallest spire in the city!

JAMES: Where? Where is she?

GHOSTFACE: Come to the old steel mill in the outside of town. Come now and end this once and for all.

BILLY: I intend to. (To Greg) You heard him – Go!

EXT. ABANDONED STEEL MILL – NIGHT

Greg's car comes to a stop outside the mill. Billy and James exit the car – they see another car parked.

BILLY: (Realizing) Carrie's … (turning to the others) Greg – you and Mona get out of here. Call the police! Get help!

GREG: Billy -.

BILLY: This is personal. James and I can handle this – call the police then get somewhere safe!

Greg nods. Billy turns and looks at James, who nods in return.

BILLY: You ready?

JAMES: To rescue Tatum, you're damn right I am!

Together, the two enter the old mill.

Greg sits in the car with Mona. He grabs his cell phone and punches in 9-11. He prepares to hit the call button – HIS WINDOW IS SMASHED OPEN AND GLOVED HANDS GRAB HIM AND MONA!

INT. MILL – NIGHT

John has Renee at knifepoint. He pushes Tatum ahead of him, the gun trained on the back of her head. Tatum has her hands raised.

JOHN: Keep moving, honey. You're going to love the surprise.

He motions with his gun at a pair of doors. Arrows are painted on the floor. Tatum stops at the doorway. Pictures – of all her friends – pasted on the door. Everyone she lost through the massacres. Stu Macher. Randy Meeks. Judy Hicks. Shane. Ashley. Even Carrie. Tatum wipes her eyes. She glances up. Above the door, daubed in blood, are the infamous words: "What's Your Favorite Scary Movie?"

JOHN: Go ahead.

Tatum presses the door open and enters.

INT. BALLROOM – NIGHT

Dimmed lights flicker on. Tatum looks around. The giant mill room has been turned into a ballroom. Beautiful chandeliers hang from the ceiling. Tables are set up and displayed with beautiful cloths.

TATUM: What is this?

JOHN: You never got to have a proper wedding reception. It's only fair that you get one. But of course, we have to wait for the rest of the wedding guests …

CUT TO:

INT. MILL HALLWAY – NIGHT

Billy and James rush through the hallway. They have no idea where they're going. Billy kicks in a door – just a broom closet.

James tears open another – an old bathroom – eew, someone forgot to flush.

BILLY: We're running out of time!

JAMES: Where the hell could they be?

Billy turns – he sees a grand doorway. He motions for James to follow.

INT. FACTORY – NIGHT

James and Billy find themselves in a massive factory. Conveyor belts run along the entire room with a 40-foot ceiling. All kinds of machinery lies throughout.

That's when they hear something.

GREG: Billy? Billy is that you?

BILLY: Greg?

Billy and James rush forward as the lights dim on, casting an orange hue around them. Greg and Mona are sitting back-to-back, their eyes blindfolded. Billy takes a step forward to untie them – A RIFLE is pointed at his face.

Billy and James take a step back, hands up. Cyrus and Angelique step from the shadows, weapons trained on them.

CYRUS: You made a valiant effort, boy. But no one gets away from me.

BILLY: You two? You're the killers?

CYRUS: Of course not, don't be stupid boy.

ANGELIQUE: But we'll be handing you over to him, no doubt about that.

CYRUS: We been tracking you. Ned triangulated your position for us, and Angelique and I moved in. Caught your friends here.

JAMES: Why would you hand us in to the killer?

CYRUS: Gotta lure him out one way or another. No doubt 'bout that. Besides – I ain't never had a prison break before today. I gotta rep to protect and the way you sassed me earlier boy -.

BILLY: Sorry. It's just there's so much material there to make fun of.

CRACK!

Cyrus strikes Billy across the face.

CYRUS: That's enough out of you. (turning to Angelique) Call 'im.

BILLY: He won't spare you.

CYRUS: Wha's that?

BILLY: The killer. Once he has what he wants, he'll kill you.

Cyrus and Angelique laugh.

CYRUS: The two of us are highly trained military specialists. Ain't nobody gonna be killin' us.

ANGELIQUE: He should be more frightened of us.

THE POWER GOES OUT!

Cyrus's gun goes off, shooting. There's the sound of struggling, then a gagging noise.

THE LIGHTS FLARE ON!

The entire factory has COME ALIVE. The conveyor belts are moving, the machinery is working. UP ABOVE, ANGELIQUE IS HANGING BY A ROPE AROUND HER NECK! She's struggling, fighting to free herself.

CYRUS: Angelique!

BILLY: The killer's here!

He and James look around, seeing no one.

The lights begin FLASHING ON AND OFF!

Above, Angelique's body goes limp.

Cyrus reaches out, grabbing Billy by his shirt, holding the barrel of his gun to his head.

CYRUS: (Yelling to the killer) You want 'im! I'll kill right now and spoil the fun!

Cyrus drags Billy along. He randomly shoots in several directions. James hits the deck, trying to avoid getting shot.

CYRUS: Show yerself! I'll riddle this boy, I swear to God!

Billy struggles. Cyrus is still dragging him backwards.

A black figures darts above. Cyrus snarls, shooting in all directions. He completely empties his clip. Snarling, he tosses it aside, and unholsters a handgun, shooting like a maniac.

He backs up and jumps onto a conveyor belt, dragging Billy with him. He aims, shooting in all directions. He stops, his teeth bared.

Ghostface RACES past him on the conveyor belt, snagging a piece of his shirt, sticking the fabric into a gear before vanishing into the shadows.

Cyrus struggles.

CYRUS: What?

He looks back – his shirt is caught in the gears. He's being dragged into two spinning, metal gears.

CYRUS: NO!

Billy wriggles free and jumps from the conveyor belt onto the floor.

Above, Cyrus struggles, trying to remove his shirt, tear himself free. He's pulled closer, closer …

Billy and James look away and wince as there's a sick CRUNCHING and SPLATTING sound! And Cyrus is no more.

Billy rushes forward to Mona and Greg, pulling off their blindfolds and gags. Next to him, James picks up Cyrus' fallen handgun. Billy is giving instructions to James.

BILLY: Get them to the car! Get the cops! I'll find Tatum and get us out of here!

JAMES: Sure thing. (Beat) Oh, one final thing though -.

JAMES SHOOTS GREG AND MONA DIRECTLY IN THE HEAD EXECUTION STYLE! Their bodies sway and collapse together. Billy is completely flabbergasted. James scratches his head with the firearm.

JAMES: Looks like she won't be in the wedding party after all. That's okay, we still have enough witnesses.

BILLY: What the fuck?!

James trains the gun on Billy.

JAMES: You should really work on your trust issues. Well … you should learn to be more skeptical.

BILLY: What? You -.

JAMES: Billy … it's amazing how people will believe only what they want to believe. I told you guys in the amusement park that I was no longer a killer, that Veronica and Brian were it. And you all lapped it up – because that was what Tatum wanted to believe …

BILLY: You -.

JAMES: No one ever stopped to ever really question me beyond those two victims. I mean, sure I told the truth. I killed them for revenge for my sister. I dressed up in a ghost costume, used the voice app, led the cops to think Sidney and Cotton did them in … I admitted as much. But what amazes me is – no one ever stopped to question how I knew Sidney and Cotton were going to go on a murder spree.

BILLY: You … from the beginning …

JAMES: Remember what I told you guys at the Beach House. Tatum and I met at that preppy private school her mother shoved her into. But of course, I was curious about some of her friends at Woodsboro High. That's when I met Sidney online. And did she ever have a plan. To get revenge on all who had ever hurt her. And I – I couldn't resist. I mean every waking second of my life I would think about Veronica and how she abused Emily, drove her to suicide and I just couldn't take it. And then Tatum returns to Woodsboro High, falls back in love with you and it couldn't have been more perfect.

BILLY: You were the third killer?

JAMES: Well, technically no. I was to be in reserve, in case she couldn't bust Cotton out of prison. I wasn't supposed to kill anyone until Sidney gave the go-ahead. But then when I found that Veronica and Brian were gonna be working alone in a hotel that night – well I just couldn't resist!

BILLY: And this whole time -.

JAMES: I gave it up after Sidney and Cotton died. I played it cool. I really had no idea Bryson and Desirae were plotting a massacre on their own – that you can believe. And Tatum – I wasn't lying when I said I loved her. I still do. That's why I helped you at the amusement park. I wasn't going to let some copycats who couldn't dream of being in the same Ghostface league as Sidney kill the woman I love! And I still love her Billy. Prison was hard at first … but then he came. A new Ghostface with a new plan – the best I've ever heard. And the best part – he was on the inside! So he played that little PANTHYR group like a bongo. Set the prisoners – myself included – free, causing the cops to go nuts trying to reign him in while he went on his own murder spree. And I – I had a very important role. Play the part of the remorseful villain, keep you looking in all the wrong directions until the time was right for the grand finale! And now – now it's all ready!

James grabs Billy by the back of his hair, training the gun on him.

JAMES: Come on – we don't want to keep the blushing bride waiting, do we?